New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-14

community. They care for no poor mans
interest, and do not pretend even to reflect
the wishes of majority of their purse
proud associates. Why then should they
assume the right of debating to the repre-
sentatiyes Of the people of Louisiana what
sort of laws they should pass and what
statutes they must repeal Is this the sort
of government the rich merchants of New
Orleans want-a government involving
deeper degradation for the poor and more
exclusive privileges for the rich, than
when the serf cringed beneath the lash Of
his master?
Yet the Picoyune, the merchants organ,
o,cr,ed by rich men, does not hesitate to as
sumo that this Committee of Fifty-one
merchants, bankers and milhonaires, have
right to dictate to the General Assembly
what laws to pass and if the Legislature
refuses, then the Picay,tne desires to have
proofs THAT the ancient pride and chiv-
airy of Louisiana still exist" What pride
and what chivalry? Why, that pride and
chivalry which precipitated the late civil
war, which drenched the land in blood, to
rivet still stronger the chains of the black
man, and make perpetual the dominion OF
human slavery. 1t is this same ''pride
and chivalry" that the Picayone is invok-
ing in its insidious attempt to stir the
people into hostile demonstrations, posi-
bly, armed instruction, 'when called upon
by the Committee of Fifty-one to act"
This government of the people, repre-
sentative alike of black man and white
man, where the humble tOiler can vote
side by side with the rich merchant is
offensive to the "ancient pride and chiv-
airy" of our merchant princes. The laws
enacted to advance the interests of the
man in lowly life, with little means,
and only recently allowed the privileges of
self-government, must be repealed at the
dictation of those whose hands yet Jingle
to whirl the lash of the slave-driver, whose
''chivalric pride" longs to trample under
foot his equal before the law.
But we recur again to the proposition,
what right has the Committee of Fifty-one
to dictate to the General Assembly what
laws to repeal? The Legislature is COM
posed of the representatives of all the
people in the State The Committee of
Fifty-one only represents the rich merchants
of New Orleans. Are the people prepared
to surrender to these merchants and
bankers the government of the State. and
consent to live under such laws alone US
the "aneient pride and chivalry" may
give them? We think not. If the attempt
should be made, this fifty-one times dupli-
Gated ''Moses' may encounter an obstacle
more formidable in navigating the evil
derness" of Louisiana politics than the
genuine Moses did in steering his willow
basket among the bullrushes. The people
do not mean to be dictated to, nor their
representatives frightened and intimi-
dated. Il is true that reforms are
needed, and the initiative has already
been taken in passing them. They
will be pushed forward rs rapidly
as public business will allow. Bat the
representatives of the people have too
much self-respect to cringe at the dicta-
ton Of the Committee of Fifty-one, or any
other committee of aristocrats. The poor
people of this State have rights as well Us
the rich people, and they, like the organ
Of pride and chivalry -''love freedom we'll
enough to die for it.
The time has gone by when tie black
man and the poor white man were merely
''hewers Of wood and drawers of water" 10
the rich. They have leaders now among
themselves, and these are not of the
ancient pride and chivalry Of Louisiana"