The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-09-16
The Radical Party VS.. Ex-Rebels

SIN, has recently occurred at
1t is a case of the
of an eN-Confeder-
ate, named Roxbury, to a
in one of the Depart
ments. We have read a number
of communications in the Chron-
icle bitterly denouncing this APP
pointment, in which the writer's
agree that there
should be no giving Of official
positions by the Administration
to ex-rebels. This particular case
is even brought to the attention
of the Grand Army of the Re
public, in the hope that this
organization will issue some
terrible mandate to prevent any
further manifestation Of conf
dence in ex-rebels. Poor Rox-
bury has been the theme-he and
his antecedents-of volumes Of
virtuous loyal abuse, some of
which has gone to the length of
duplicating the appointing power
in the imputation Of treachery to
the Union.
Tt is possible that RoXbury as
an individual has deserved all
the odium sought to he attached
to his namc-not because he was
a Confederate soldier, but be-
cause having been one he has
deliberately departed from his
faith. But upon what possible
plea, can a party of "great moral
ideas,'' claim the support and
ballots of Southern men, when
it is unable to endure, without
the greatest flow of loyal bile,
the appointment to q federal Of
fee Of n single follower of the
Lost Cause? In this country
nearly every citizen was more or
less identified with the Confeder-
ate side of the war. 1t was the
boast of those, now protesting
the greatest loyalty, that they
were honestly and truly friends
to the South, and they were pro-
fuse in recalling deeds and argyll
ments to make good their pro
LESSONS. Those who were not
in the ranks generally claimed to
be more efficient friends to the
South than those who were.
They collected tithes distribu-
ted food and raiment; hunted
down fleeing conscripts; snug
gled in articles contraband of
war; filled important civil posi-
tons kept the negroes in sub
lection were members of vigi-
lance committees, and were gen
orally, in fact, busy from morn
ing till night in providing the
sinews of war and keeping men
in the field. Hence, there can be
no distinction in the matter of ex-
rebels in their claim to Radical
confidence; the acknowledgements
and the beligerents were alike
devoted to the cause Of Southern
independence.
1t is not easy to say whence is
to come that support at the South
in behalf of Radicalism, SO much
desired, if enmity to the Confed-
sracy is to be the exclusive test
of merit. And that this is the
test, we have never doubted. For
party purposes and temporary
aims, the Radical leaders make
very often a pretense of welcom-
ing Southern rebels, as they call
lis, into the Republican ranks,
but every careful observer of
events must have seen, us in
the case of RoNbury, that the re-
cognition Of Radical cx-rcbelS to
the enjoyment Of 4 share in the
governing power, invariably pro-
duces q howl, or Il protest with
those Radicals who were first and
last the enemies of the South. If
we look around us in Louisiana,
we see the fact cxemplitied that
something or other has persis-
tently interposed, on nearly every
occasion to present the elevation
to prominent official stations OF