The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-03-02
and a sunport of the constituted au-

| once should not deter the friends of
good government in both sections
from hoping and working for that end.
Northern communities, exasperated
by delay and insubordination may be
reminded that the elements of the
two societies are widely different,
composed of these who q few years
since ruled the State, and exacted
obedience to their will from their
slaves, and held absolute sway over
the votes of their white dependents,
but who are now reduced in influence
and wealth by the events of the war,
and of the poor white, who found
himself, as he supposes, degraded by
the elevation of the negro to political
equality with him, his vote before hav-
ing been the chief badge of his super
iority over the negro, of not only yot-
ing, but of ruling the State in office,
with or over his former master, or
struggling with the evils of poverty in
the beginning Of life for himself, after
the best years of his life have been
spent in the service of others. All
these elements beget feelings and re-
suit in disorders to which Northern
communities are strangers.
The strong feeling which led to the
rebellion and sustained the brave men,
however mistaken, in resisting the
government which demanded their
submission to its authority, the sin
cerity of whose belief was attested by
their enormous sacrifices of life and
treasure, cannot be expected to sub
side at once, nor in years. 1t required
the first forty years to develop disaf-
lection into sedition and sedition into
treason. Should we not be patient if
in less than ten we have fair pros
pect of seeing so many who were arm
ed enemies becoming obedient citi-
Gems? Should we not give all encour-
agement to those who manifest dis
position to become such, especially
whel. it is shown that in many sec
tions well disposed men were deferred
by fear of power of an armed and des-
perate conspiracy from atfording aid
to authorities in enforcing the law?
But while we invoke this forbearance
and Cancellation, fully recognizing that
they formed by far the largest part of
the Southern people, a reluctant ODE
dience is all that is to be hoped for.
Let it be understood that less than
obedience the government cannot ac-
cept.
Obedient citizens they can not be
considered who, themselves complain
ing of bad laws, excuse or encourage
masked and armed mobs that override
all law. Brave and magnanimous en-
emies, even, they can not be reekoned,
who permit remnants of rebellious
feeling, the animosities of race or bit
terness of political partisanship to de-
grade the soldiers of Lee and Johnston
into cowardly midnight providers and
assassins who scourge and kill the
poor and defenceless. Against all
such crimes, as well as against incom-
potency and corruption in office, the
power of an intelligent public, senti-
ment and of the courts of justice
should be invoked and united. And
appealing for patience and forbear-
ance in the North while time and these
powers are doing their work, we would
also appeal to the good sense of the
Southern men, if they sincerely desire
to accomplish political reforms through
a change in the negro vote. If their
theory is true, that he votes solidly
now with the Republican party, and
is kept there by his ignorance and by
deception, all that is necessary to
keep him there is to keep up by their
/ on hn IN II Inv
ton. Having the rights of citizen and
voter, neither of these rights can be
abrogated by whipping him. If his
| political opinions are erroneous, he
will not take kindly to the opposite
creed when its apostles continue to
use the scourge on himself and out
rage his wife and children. IF he is
ignorant, he will not be educated by
burning his schOol-houses and Danish
ing his teachers. If he is wicked, he
will not be made better by banishing
to Liberia his religious teachers. If
the resuscitation. of the State is desired
by his labor, neither will it be secured
by prescription which depopulates
townships and prevents the introduce
ton of new labor and capital.
The law of 1871 has been effective
in suppressing for the present, to a
great extent, the operations of masked
and disguised men in North and South
Carolina. Bills have also been found
by grand juries in Georgia, Alabama
and Mississippi. But comparatively
few if any Of the defendants in the
last named States have yet been tried.
The apparent cessation of operations
should not lead to the conclusion that
the community would be safe if pro-
tective measures were withdrawn.
These should be continued until there
remain no further doubts of the actual
suppression and disarming of wide
spread and dangerous conspiracies.
We recommend that the powercon-
ferTed on the President by the fourth
section of that act be continued till
the end of the next session of Con-
gress. In view, also, of the large num-
Der of indictments found in the several