New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-28
A SENSATIONAL REPORT.

wv NSAAON W OA SVSAs SAA
created various sensations IN various quar-
ters Of the city of New Orleans. Pres
ident Grant was heard from, and each
nearer interpreted the new to suit his own
case. What the President is reported to
have said was to this effect, that he lis in
favor Of reform in Louisiana; that be ap-
proves of the efforts Of the people to effect
it, and that at the proper time he will use
his influence in favor of a fair and impair
tial election in the State" This is what
the oracle said, and if it had come from
Delphi it would not have been. more
definite. 1t is just what are expected; it
is just what the Citizens Guard goes into
commissions of joy about, and its favor
has thrown the Democratic party into a
condition of ecstacy resembling that which
kept st. Vitus ''bobbing up and down."
The Presidents declaration, if it is his,
suits us for three reasons: First, that it
favors reform, which seems to be as popu-
lar as ''tassels on the boots;" secondly,
because it places the President squarely
where he was wanted; and thirdly, that it
assures the local authorities of assistance
in securing a fair election. What have
we been advocating for the last four years
but these very suggestions? and what
ought to give us greater satisfaction than
the proper aid to effect their success?
Reason is the politicians microscope.
Under its focus things that are not seen
by the ordinary eye become plain and
comprehensive. Let us submit the declar-
atoms of the President to this powerful
discoverer as an interpreter. Reform
means the correction of those abuses
which have made certain federal officials
so unsteady in their ideas Of political pro-
priety that they can not tell to-day whether
they belong to the Republican, to the Dem
cratic, or to the reform party. Their
status is so ill-detined that they are appoint
ed to preside at meetings where they swear
they do not belong. A genuine Republican
is never subjected to this sort Of mistake;
and we submit to the public if it is not
necessary for the President either to re-
form his pretended friends in this particu-
lar or to disown them? His intention,
then, is, as we said it was, to correct an
abuse that demoralizes politics by making
parties the mere playthings of uncertain
and unprincipled men. That the Presi-
dent approves of the desire and intention
of the people to effect reform in other
matters, we have no doubt, because he
could not well occupy any other position.
His platform is our platform. What in
terest the Democrats can have in this de-
sire we do not see, since they have never
demanded any other reform than such as
would put them in the offices that are now
occupied by the friends of the President,
and they certainly do expect that their
wishes are to be accommodated in this
particular. The Presidential intention to
see that a fair election is held in Louisiana
comes a little late, but it is heartily
accepted by us as the very thing, of all
others, which the Republicans OF Louisi-
ana would have asked at his hands. We
suppose the President means that every
man in the community shall be protected
in his right to register, and vote as freely
as he breathes.
This being the object of all the State
and national legislation on that subject,
the presumption that the authorities at
Washington would assist it at the proper
time was here a little in advance of the
telegraphic report, for all officers are sup
posed to be faithful to their duties until
they convict themselves of incapacity or
want of honesty. No Democrat is inter-
ested in this part of the mysterious tele-
gram, for it has ever been the sole hope of
the Democracy that it could win a victory
preventing a fair election. In fact, the
State and the nation have had to legislate
stringently upon this subject to ef-
feet the freedom of the voter and the purity
OF the ballot-box from Democratic violence
and Democratic cunning; and We suspect
that the Democracy did not understand
the reported design of the President when
it congratulated itself upon the purport of
his general intimation.
All we are afraid of is this, that the re-
port is not authentic. The telegraph is
not a very reliable dissemination of news
at best, and we have not heard of its ele-
walton to the position Of organ of the
President. When the government is put
in possession of all the lines, and MI.
Creswell appoints all the operators, then
there may be impaired to the kilograms
from Washington an air of authority that
will render them worthy of credit as the
suggestions of the President: but until that
day arrives, We must content ourselves,
while living in doubt as to what good
things are in store for us until they come
by due course of mail, or bud upon us in
f%ruition by official order.
OUR POSITION.