New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-04-12
CARPET.BAa GOVERNMENTS.

its own friends.
CARPET-BAG GOVERNMENTS.
1t has been the common practice of the
opposition, since the close of the war, to
style all Republican governments in the
Southern States carpet-bag governments,
in contradistinction to Democratic govern
ments established by those who would, if
they could, have built the Southern States
into Southern confederacy. The carpet
baggers are the men who came South dur
ing the war, in the service of Uncle Sam,
and have continued to reside South ever
since. They have always regarded them
selves as Americans, and have deported
themselves in a manner to command the
| confidence and respect of the United States
government; and feel that, as they gave
their support to that government
when it needed it against its armed enc
mics, they are entitled to be made secure
in their persons and property at this time.
It is very natural for some to view such
men as interlopers, or carpet-baggers, as
those that have no business in the South
ern States, and never had any. They
were wrong in coming here to fight for
Uncle Sam, and they are wrong in stay
ing here, according to the ideas of men
opposed to republican government. Five
or ten years residence is not sufficient to
give the men termed carpet-baggers
residence, and therefore any government
established by their assistance must
necessarily be carpet-bag government;
any government not established by the
Ku-Klux Democracy of the Southern
States is unworthy of the civilization and
morality that would rule by force and
violence. The men who regard the
Republican governments of the Southern
States as carpet-bag governments would
no doubt regard the present government
of the United States as carpet-bag gov
eminent, and by Ku-Klux violence rid
themselves Of it if they could do so.
What was it but ku-kluxism that prompted
the attack on Mr.. Lincoln in the very
capital of the republic, which ended in
the taking of his life and the almost NOR
tai wounding Of Mr. Seward? The very
same spirit that animated the fiends who
sought the lives Of those two eminent
parsonage of the Republican party and
of the government Of the United States
now animates the same class Of men who
cowardly and stealthily attack humber
citizens of the republic. And although the
great majority of the Southern people
are opposed to such dastardly acts, and
are most anxious to have them sup
pressed in order that the South NAV
reap the full benefits of peace, yet our
political condition is such in some por-
tons of the South that it is found i'm
possible for the State governments to
give that security to person and property
that the constitution of the United States
guarantees to all of its citizens. This is
a matter that should be conceded as
right, no matter what party is in power;
for the government that will not render
these essential blessings to it's citizens in
return for the many burdens they assume
for the sake of good government, could
not command the respect of other we'll
established civilized governments. q.
Let those who oppose the interference
of the supreme government of this coun-
try to suppress violence and bloodshed in
portions of the country where they exist
in defiance Of State. authority recollect
this. The honor Of the country, as we'll
as the safety Of its citizens, demands that
this condition of things should be stopped.
1t is not enough to tell the people that
this condition of things arises in conse-
quence of the existence of carpet-bag
governments, because in some of these
governments bad men have crawled into
authority. The very men who say this of
the State governments do not hesitate
70 charge it upon the federal gov
eminent do not hesitate to
brand our highest federal officials with
the most infamous charges. 1t is high
time that political interference of this
kind was put an end to. Respectable jour-
nails should use their influence to have
the laws impartially executed; to have
person and property made secure against
all violence, political or otherwise; and
where the law is not sufficiently clear to.
insure this, to have other laws made that
will fully meet the emergency. Political
parties that are true to the republic will
not countenance violence, no matter from
whence it emanates. Let us. hear then,
no more about carpet-bag governments.
They are no excuse for violence in a coun-
try that is able to enforce order.
Peace repairs the ravages of war.
When the bombardment of Strasbure was
in progress, the civilized world felt
anxious for the preservation of the cele-
brated library which existed in that city.
Since the restoration Of peace, the in
juries and losses that were inflicted on
the Strasburg library have not only been
repaired. hut THROUGH fha l;hora1;fv ~