New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-29
qu1R REPUnlTOAN Party.

EDTTOR REPUBLICAN:
In common with hundreds Of your read
ers was surprised by the communicatien
from "Junins,,' which appeared in the col
umns OF the REPUBLICAN, Of this date. It il
not 20 astonishing that . writer can be
found in. the Republican ranks capable Of
indnlging personal feelings BY engaging in
an attack the animus Of which il evident,
as that the trusted organ of the party should
open its columns to such m onslaught On
one Of our leading State officers, thus CIV
ing the sanction Of it, authority to asper-
sions which otherwise would have been in
significant, and the evident malignity Of
which would be moro likely to defeat than
to accomplish the aim Of the written.
'Junius" has evidently never reaA the
maxim Of the diplomats sage: 'f you
want to damage man you should say what
is probable as well as what IL true" mas
much as, while the intention Of. damaging
Mr.. Conway glares through every line Of
his communication, he has observed neither
of these conditions Of success.
In assuming to speak for Everybody,
your correspondent becomes Q selfconsti-
tuted representative, offering no credentials
to warrant the exercise Of 90 high an Office.
What is evident to the man Of jaundiced
vision is sot s'evident to everybody, nor In
deed to anybody whose sight is not simi-
larly affected. Nothing il easier than to
make assertions OF . general character, such
a. those in tho article Of '.Junins;;" tho DIM
Guilty exists in finding facts to sustain them,
and this your correspondent skillfully
avoids. ieau
Allow me to notice the nearest approach
to definite statements in which "Junius"
allows himself to Indulge, VIXEN think the
baselessness Of his accusations win be ap-
parent. ~
His first assumption il that TIE party has
failed to ''inaugurate and enforce . system
Of education that will secure to the rising
generations the advantages Of free schools,
open to al children throughout the entire
counonwealth," /" and this (assuned) failure
he, by single stroke of his pan. saddles
upon the State Superintendent, attributing
the same to his ''incompetency and perver-
sity," and at once tho thing il proved, the
mistake made in his election il apparent,
and now lit devolves ON the party to apply
the corrective" Logic by no means weighty.
The party has not failed, - he declares,
in regard to its system Of education. There
arc this day, in the State of Louisiana,
more free schools open to all children than
ever before existed in the history Of
this commonwealth, and the num-
Der 10 constantly and rapidly in
creasing. That the number il not
five-fold greater is due to no lack Of energy or
intelligence On the part Of tho State Super
intendent, but to the existence of consti-
tational and legislative requirements which
have made the establishment of schools in
the rural districts Of the State matter of
great difficulty, and in some places an i'm
possibility. Mr.. Conway's great offense
has been in his fidelity to the constitution
and the laws enacted under it requiring
mixed schools. 1t has beer that, which, in
the estimation Of men such - the pleasant
speaker quoted by "Junius," senders him
amanable to the charge Of being '.incompe-
tent and perverse," but that the obstacles
to Q more successful prosecution Of the
school work have not originated in any
thing possessed by or lacking in tho State
superintendent is known to Everybody +"
capable Of distinguishing an effect from its
cause.
But, says "Junius," the Legislature, with
. commendsble promptness and liberality,
has always acted on the suggestions OF the
superintendent Let me remark, in passing,
that il i few weeks only since that
Legislature, representing the people of the
entire State, evinced their confidence in the
superintendent and their approval of his
course by granting him greatly enlarged
powers in this same school work. How
came this when, according to your cor
respondent, everybody is satisfied that
blunder was made in his election Is the
Legislature 90 insignificant as to count for
nobody in the estimation Of "Junius r. But
it is not true that previous to the late ses-
sion of that body the Legislature granted the
superintendent such school law US he de-
sired and recommended. The act Of March
l6, 1870, inaugurated system fundamen-
tally different from that proposed by Mr..
Conway. Junius calls it a emiserable
system;" yet for tho defective working of
that system, forced ON him against his wish,
and in opposition to hisjudgment, the State
superintendent is held responsible by men
such as your correspondent. The Legis-
lature, at its last session, did grant the
State Superintendent such law AZ he had
before vainly asked for, and henceforth
that officer may Justly be held responsible
for the successful working of system pro-
posed by himself. ,4F .
One point further. And to this turn with
great reluctance. There is q satisfaction in
meeting another, however widely he may
differ from oneself in fair and manly argu-
ment, but an honorable mind shrinks from
contact with innuendoes and insinuations de-
signed to effect eovestly what argument can
not accomplish. What does "Junius" mean
by associating the names of George N.
and Thomas w. Conway, and
asking that, as the former was dismissed
from Office, disgraced and CONSIGNED to in
Eawy," 80 the latter shall have Q like "correc-
i've" applied Does he mean that the crimes |
md misdemeanors which stained the soul of |
Wickline are shared in any degree by Mr..
If he means this, let him emerge
rom the shelter of his anonymous sigma
;ure and mako the charge he insinuatAs. He |