New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-11-08
Al orPosrTIou PlRss.


passed down stream yesterday sounding
the alarm whistle through . tremendous
fog. A little light is all that our neighbor
wants to put it all right apparently, and al
though We have dispelled this identical fog
on three or four occasions heretofore, We
can vet afford room and strength enough 70
do itaeain. .Prsnising that Governor War
moth is anxious to assist in reforming the
expense list Of the State, the Bsluetia is
puzzled to discover how he win 60 about
It, since it was through him that the odious
printing law VAS saddled upon the people
Of Louisiana. This is. the substance of
the extended criticism which reminded us
of steamboat in great fog.
In tha first place, then, Governor War
moth is not responsible for the ''odious
printing law" since the bill would have
passed whether he wanted it or not, or
whether he had been the most uncompro-
missing Democrat in the State. The Re-
publican party demanded the law, and .
Republican Legislature passed it in order
to foster the spread of q reasonable and
inst political sentiment in . community
where such sentiment was wanted. The
white people Of Louisiana refused to sup
port or even to countenAnce the very ideas
which they now accept as wise and proper,
and this led the Legislature to devote a
portion of the moneys Of our people to their
own Enlightenment, just a. it sppro-
priated handsome sum yearly to the
education of the children Of the State.
The authors of the law, then, were the
people themselves, and their conversion to
higher plane of political thought is the
only justification that need be pleaded for
the original supporters Of this measure: =
We lay it down as fact that the spirit
Of the. Democratic press in 1865 was
bigoted in the extreme, and its suggestions
were ruinous to the best interests of the
communities that supported them. This
press was the defender and propagator of
sentiments that were narrow ana Of pre-
JUDGES that were calculated to do an in
finite amount Of harm. It would not be
out of place to say that the Democratic
press of 1868 was . disease that needed
the application of the most stringent
measures to eradicate from the body
polite, and that this assertion would not
be unjust, we prove by the radical cure
which has been effected in that regard in
almost every Democratic organ that comes
to Us in exchange. Where they were then
the loud and reckless enemies of the law,
they are now the friends and supporters
of the amendments and the rights of all
men hereunder. And this reformation is
due entirely to the medicine which was
administered by Republican Legislature
when it created organs of thought and
publication that demonstrated the wis
dom, justice and patriotism of full and
complete acceptance by the Southern
people of the policy of reconstruction. So
radically has this change been wrought
by the Republican press that even JEFF
Davis failed to turn the Southern people
from the steady purpose Of becoming
reconciled to the new order of justice and
equality which the Republican party,
through its acknowledged organs, had i'm
pressed upon the country as necessary
and wholesome.
Mankind accepts the press as the great |
corrective of political and social errors,
and nothing could occur that would SO
derange the public mind and create SO
mischievous blank in the community as |
the suspension Of the newspapers that |
supply the world with current history
and food for thought. Next to this alb
sence of all newspapers, the second great
est evil that could betall the public would
be the existence of body Of political,
journals all devoted to one idea and de-
voted to the exclusive support of one
political party. This latter condition
was the case with Louisiana in 1865, when
every paper in the State was flaming
Democratic organ, spreading the most ex-
aggerated statements and appealing to
he worst passions in support Of its
lfiepds and their policy. A sort of ter
'orism had been established wherein it
vas always matter of reproach, and
sometimes Of danger for man to be seen
'eading Republican organ. This asser-
ion will hardly be denied, even by the
Bulletin, since there is even spark Of the
Id exclusiveness still extant.
The Republican party felt that to tol-
rate this condition of affairs would be
ontrary to the best interests of the State,
nd it resolved to end the political dark
less that existed in the community by
evoting q certain portion of the peoples
money to their better information upon a
ubject which they were continually
bused about; and to effect its purpose, it
ct apart fund for the maintenance of
pposition newspapers that would repre-
ent principles which were misrepresented,
nd correct abuses that were destructive to
very public and private interest. As q
member of the party, the Governor assist
d in the execution of this project; but
7hether he had done so or had opposed it, |
he party would have insisted on carrying
ut its benefcent intention. And since
be design Of the project has been SO sue
cf,rl S,,p t1,o 4. /