Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-06-08
DISCIPLINE.

4
n the sphere Of capacity, and now
zones the pressure of achievement
md the dangers of inexperience.
One of the most imminent of these
hangers grows out of our FESTIVE
ness under discipline. 1t has been
said thousand times that the ne
groes made more progress in SOL
dierly duties than any other race
represented in the Union army. |
The statement is doubtless true,
because the feelings and habits of
recent submission were upon them.
But like boy who tries the capaci-
ty Of his gun till an over-charge
makes recol that prostrates the
owner, we in trying on our priv
leges have almost rendered the
best capacity useless in it's attempts
to lead US forward in the pathway
before us. In the majority of our
meetings for discussion there is such
an incontinence of mere speech as
to disgust men of ideas. We have
never, since emancipation, had a
fair chance to have negro capacity
and purpose, or the new era plans,
and agents set forth to the world,
for the simple reason that we sill
remember the era of driving, and
have not yet learned the necessity
of following, or the still more pres
sing need of, leadership. Good
leadership is not less essential than
good following, and the secret of
success here, as in all matters where
anything is accomplished, is divi-
sion of labor and the exercise of
patience. All should agree as to
what is to be done and who is to
do it, and then abjure all quarrels
as to method. Needless mterfer-
ence is the mark at once of mex
perience and incapacity, and a man
really in earnest, with a disposition
to work tremendously with his
fellow-citizens, will be as lenient
towards mistakes in policy as he is
tenacious of right principles. Our
brethren know that the cement OF
the old era was agreement among
those who held the power. The
South was never jealous of Calhoun,
because he best interpreted its
doctrines, and defined its purpose
with the most honesty and force.
The success of their policy consist
ed in this that they never shun-
ned bat always sought the ablest
leader. We are not without those
who combine the elements of lead
ership in degree as commanding
as those which conferred in Cal
houn {; while they possess truer in
stincts and fresher sympathies
with as great minds and more
moral sense, with less ambition and
more love, along with experience as
great, and a larger share of adj
miration from the whole nation.
Let us begin by a frank, full, and
unanimous acknowledgment of the
necessity of leader in our new
era. There is a certain vehemenc,
of feeling connected with inexpe
rience which is always questioning
the slower processes of NOR
mature minds, and our past condi
ton has brought to us more thar
our share of this sort of self-con
fidence.
{ Now, let us check this by a de
E termination not to interrupt speak
er till he has finished, though
such course requires us to los
I our chance of making a speech
Manly conduct will surely be me
by manly treatment /; but thos
, who waste the time of the peopl
: and hinder the carrying out of goo
(, purposes and aims, because the
: have not the sense to lead nor tn
|, decency to follow, ought to be sup
8 pressed. The men who have tn
+ combined elements of leadershi
o amongst us will and must lead, eve
: though some section of us should re
o fuse to follow. Little men can't hol
b back the great ones. 1t is the oil
J fight over again of Don Quixote an
D the giant windmill, with this di1
ference: than in most cases tn
e ludicrous swellings Of q politics
9 frog are substituted for the frenzie
: romance ofthe knight Grant Letu