The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-09-13
Louisiana Politics.

artist and correspondent. These arti-
cles are rendered more attractive by
life like illustrations, and the writer
evinces a remarkable power Of des-
cription and great facility in delineat-
ing character. Having in previous
articles given pen and pencil sketches
of the most notable places in the city
in his third letter he refers to the
political situation. The picture is
overdrawn in some respects, bnt con-
tains food for reflection, and conveys
many sad truths.
! After referring to the antagonisms of
races, nationalities and political creeds,
he thus proceeds
"Retributive justice wears a black
face just now in Louisiana. The ne
gro is in the ascendency, or rather the
few white men who rule the negroes
are in the ascepdency. No respectable
person, whatever his political party,
speaks well of the State legislature, a
great number of whose members are
ignorant freedmen. If reports are true,
there never was more corrupt and
abandoned set of men assembled as a
deliberative body. Legislation has be-
come SO profitable-to the legislator
that the field hands up in the country
are very anxious to go into dat bust
ness" "Dem legislatums," said an old
fellow up in one of the back parishes,
''dem legislatums, dey goes down to
Orleans with field suits on, and dey
comes back with black store clothes,
an plenty of money, plenty of money.
l done tor you, boss, I wants to go to
de legislatum too" The freedman has
substituted "boss" for the oId-timed
"massa." These astute lawgivers were
not in session during our stay in New
Orleans, but we heard enough of them,
and some very droll things withal, from
witnesses. A gentleman wAo can
neither read nor write employs his
white brother on the same side of the
house to do both for him. Another
gentleman, who consistently sells his
vote to the highest bidder, will occa-
sionally show his interest in the well
fare of the State by rising from his seat
and saying, "Mr. President, will you
jist read dat perwision agin." A cou-
pie of representatives from neighbor-
ing parishes had an oratorical sparrine
match on the subject of parliamentary
rules.-"De gem from--,n exclaimed
his very black and curly headed OPP
ponent, ."de gem'man says dat l don't
know de rnles oflegislative enactments
and de etiquette of dis House of Rep
resentatives. Wig, Mr.. President
while de gem'man dere was hoeing SUI
gar cane in de fields of La Fourche,
was selling oyster soup in de Hobbies
of de State House at Baton Rouge ~
While these facts are familiar to us,
yet we are pleased to find them repeat
ed in every Saturday." published in
Boston, aud read by thousands who
never read Democratic or Southern pa
pers.
The writer asserts that nothing but
a thorough reform can save the State
from bankruptcy, and admits that Ell
we are to have republic and not a
Poland in the South, the responsible
people must have a chance to govern
| themselves"
We will make one.more extract from
this able exposition of our political
muddle:
"The masses of the South, iblack and
white, stand in need of an honest gov
eminent first and of education next.
They will always more or less be the
prey of leaders. Prejudice is the cheap
thought of lazy people the world over;
and where the sun is hot there will al
ways be plenty of lazy people. Thou
sands down here imagine themselves OF
1
such consequence that the North has
little else to do or think of but to hate
and thwart them. If you talk with
these you will find almost always that
they came from Europe or New Eng
land. The pure Southerner may OF
may not be able to distinguish be-
tween the great body of Northern peo-
pie who are friendly to the South and
the politicians who are friendly to
themselves and their party; but the
pure Southerner still is a generous,
impussive man, who is as respectable
in hs.defeat as the mischief makers on
both sides are contemplate. l have
yet to hear the first word against the
Union or to meet the educated Louisi-
anian who is not glad that Slavery is
no more. This, l take it, is great
deal to have learned in six years, bear
ing in mind that the lesson began in
ruin, and has gone on in tronble and
tumult ever since. The time must
come when these responsible men, with
the aid of the honestly disposed immi-
grants whom they constantly invite,
will have charge of public affairs in
Louisiana. In them, as far as stran-
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