New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-11-04
TIE DAWU OF DETrER THINGS.

THE DAWN OF BETTER THINGS.
Horatio Seymour, once governor Of New
York, afterward candidate for the Pres
idency, has been nominated for the Legis-
lature by the Democrats of New York,
and will aogye if elected. Mr.. Seymour
is undo an honest gentlemen and
q profod ktesman. His political views
have always been read with pleasure and
profit by the American people, for they
were logically and lucidly put, and most
beautifully worded. Even Republicans
can not object to such man as their law
maker, for he is pure in his private life,
upright in his political conduct, and in
all respects is a most lovable man. In
opposing his election to the Presidency,
the REPUBLICAN did not dispute his com.
handing abilities and great worth, MOI
did it stand in any apprehension of his
individual policy as q successful candi'
date, for we had the greatest respect fol
his craftsmanship, and the most abundant
faith in his integrity and justice. The
difficulty with Mr.. Seymour was in the
nature and temper of his supporters.
The times were not then sufficiently settled
to admit of any compromise with the pre-
JUDGES which thought they saw in the
success of the Democratic candidate q
means Of unsettling the policy which the
Republican party had inaugurated, and
which the people had lent their sanction
to. It was an admitted necessity that
Horatio Seymour should be defeated for
the Presidency, because the elements that
supported him were charged with such
rancor and anger that they would have
beat him down if he had resisted their
follies, as we have no doubt he would
have done.
As member of the New York Legisla-
ture, as q member Of the Congress of the
United States; aye, even as President, the
country need never distrust such men as
Mr.. Seymour on the Democratic side, or
B. Gratz Brown on the Republican side.
And it argues well for the Democracy,
and for the people, when they turn from
mounting politicians to select a. their
agents such men as these. John Quincy
Adams served in the Legislature Of Mas
sachusetts after he had retired from the
and until the hour of his
death; yes, up to the last agony, he rep
the people in the popular branch
of the national Congress. And when he
died, the country, without distinction of
party, lamented the fallen legislator. And
30 it will be when Horatio Seymour dies;
the people will sorrow after their great
and good friend.
The end OF all party effort is, or should
be, the welfare of the people; and when
our opponents select such men as Mr..
Seymour and Mr.. Tilden, as they have
done in New York, We not only feel forti-
fed against evil from those with whom we
differ, but we also feel an assurance that
our own party will be bettered, because
it will be forced to compete with its adj
by selecting its ablest and
purest men. And that the Republican
needs and must have this
pressure put upon it has been evident to
its leading thinkers for long time past
In Louisiana the spirit of reform in all
parties has been active for the last two
years, as is evidenced by the divisions
which now exist, not only in the Repub-
Ican and Democratic organizations, but
among the people themselves. There
has been great and apparent upheaving
for relief in every quarter, and the great
est drawback which has existed to pre-
vent this movement from acquiring an
influential support was the apprehension
of the masses that the leaders in the re-
form agitation we're quite as selfish as the
partisans they proposed to overthrow.
Another reason was that the Democratic
politicians were timid about subscribing
to the policy of submission to accom-
plished facts, which every Republican
considered of superior necessity. A
great many sensible men have consented
TO tolerate a profigate state of affairs
rather than allow the order of recon-
'truction established by Congress to be
or overthrown in the interest of
prejudice and discord.
Since, however, We have arrived at q
condition Of affairs that justifies US in be-
ieving that the people of Louisiana are
'econciled to the policy of reconstruction,
md to the equal political rights of all
men, the best classes of society are no
onger willing to submit to a wrong that
AN be mastered without involving the
in greater evils. We can
low dismiss the constant appeals to caste
md color as the chief inducement to
political activity, since neither caste nor
,olor are recognized as worthy of special
Mention by men who disregard both in
heir desire to benefit all. The error
which insisted that the political equality
# all men overthrow all the barriers be-
;ween vice and virtue, between dirt and
has exploded, and with it the
prejudice which refused to accept of the
negro as citizen has departed. It is
hardly possible that the colored people
will ever experience any opposition to
heir perfect freedom and equal political
privileges after this; and since this is the