New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-03
GENERAL BEUREaARD on THE WITNESS
STAND.

and beautiful display, and to meditative
mind (Sic) an earnest of cordial reunion
between allseetions of our lately disrupted
country, and as such, the ball was a sue
cess. l
Evidently there were many distin-
cuished Southerners there, but it will be
sufficient for our present purpose
to mention but one, General Beaure-
gard. He was there as chairman of the
committee of arrangements. AS such, we
have every reason to suppose that the
General gave entire satisfaction. Jenkins
even admits as much, and being on the spo'
where he could take observations, he is, no
doubt, o competent witness. But "Ambo =
evidently wanted sensation for the Eagle,
as we'll as cake, and punch, and music,
and the smiles of lovely woman-as they
whirled through the may dance, for him
self. These latter are pleasant enough,
but they are personal comforts, and the
recital of what takes place at ball is
thought to be thin diet for political
Eagle So jenkins succeeded in getting
the General into one of the inevitable in
terviews, with note book and pencil in
hand. About thirty lines of the Eagle is
taken up with personal description OF
Beauregard, but as our readers know him,
we can safely omit it. But the converse
ton soon comes down to the inevitable
situation business, and the wisdom
came out about as follows:
General do you think that the Southern
people accept the situation since the war,
as a finalityp
He said, "when the war was ended,
laid my sword before the victor in good
faith. 1 passed out under parole. was
forced to do something in my profession,
and received an offer from certain parties
in Europe. / wrote to President johnson,
and asked permission to visit Europe;
pied ging myself to do nothing to interfere
with nv parole. l went abroad, and after
mature deliberation, l concluded that L
owed it to myself and my country to re-
turn and live out my appointed days in the
United States. When | took the oath of
allegiance to the government, | did it as l
would TO England, France, or any other
nation where / intended to become a citi-
zen. 1t was, in my view, different consti-
tuition from what conceived it to be when
/ left West Point, but the war had put
certain new-eonstruction to it, and l meant,
and do now mean to act according to its
new Interpretation"
Now, anybody but New York or Chi
cago reporter would have been quite sat
listed with this lucid answer. When
Jenkins asks him what the Southern
people thought about matters, he is
favored with an answer bristling with
capital rs. AS he did not understand
one word of the reply he tapped his SUBJ
ject again:
General" asked again. ''what in your
opinion will be the result of the conflict in
political authority, now going on in your
State, louisiana"
II am no politician-I am simply citi-
zen-but my views are, that as between
Governor WarmOth and the Lieutenant
Governor, Dunn, l would prefer the latter"
Of course jenkins did not mean that
sort of conflict, but the one now going
on here between the federal officeholders
and the Republican party; but with his
usual impetuosity the General blurts
out the truth, that the Democracy have
seduced Dunn from his natural and proper
allegiance to his race and party, and a
prominent leader of the rebellion now
prefers him to Governor Warmoth It
mas just come to this here. The Demo-
,rats all prefer Dunn to Warmoth as they
expect to use him to install their parti-
'ans into Office Carter and Casey are
sent out as decoy ducks to blindfold him
md lead him in. And herein they fall
INTO the old error of undertaking the in
diligence of the colored voters. They
Expect them to follow wherever Dunn
nay lead. They will do nothing of the
lind Already Dunn is so Weakened that
le can not carry a single ward in this city.
But the General rests his preferences for
Dunn upon very singular bases. Lieu
enant Governor Dunn is a respectable
negro and good presiding officer. How
ar these qualities would recommend q
nan in Democratic State convention
viii be seen when Dunn asks one of these
,odies for a denomination. The Demo- |
ratio party is fruitful in men who would |
make impartial presiding officers, and
here has never been any very active de-
land among the white mans govern
1ent people for respectable negroes to
II the offices. This equality business is
be bane of their political existence. So |
nat all the rewards the Democracy con-
smplate showering upon Governor Dunn,
I case they conclude to buy him over,
ill be of a pecuniary and personal ma
IRE, and, of course, in proportion to the
trength he may bring them. And their
references for him over Warmoth grow
ut of the fact that they can use him and |
an not use the Governor.
General Beauregard repeated the old
tory to Jenkins, that the debt of Lou
'iana has been increased from So, 900, 900
s25, 900, 900, but forgot to add that
Governor Warmoth vetoed the bills Gre
ting more than half the increased debt,
nd resisted the attacks on the State treas
ry from DEMOCRATS and Republicans
like. On the contrary, Jenkins retired
rom the interview under the very errone-
US impression that the Governor created
ne debt without asking the assent of the
legislature, and had probably put the
lOney into his ou,, ,,ooI,at. 1-barao,- &c |