New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-15
THE MOB,

1t is very rarely that good measure has
to depend u on mob violence for success.
There is always force and power inherent
in a just cause which will triumph over
ordinary obstacles. 1t may therefore be
safely put down as an axiom in politics,
that principle which can not bring to its
support the calm reason and sober judg
ment of the people, has little to rec
ommend it to public confidence. Satisfied
of this TRUTH the supporters of Governor
Warmoth may view with the'rightful con-
seriousness Of truth and justice his admin
istration of public affairs. His enemies
have abandoned all effort to reason against
his measures; political argument is I'M
heard of among them. Their only reliance
now to overcome the widespread devotion
of the people to his administration, is
in the mob. Infammatory appeals, in
which the worst passions that animate
men, are attempted to be excited, now
form the staple publications Of opposition
Journals. The Committee Of Flfty-one Is
held up to the people as the nucleus of a
mob, around which, the ragtag and bob
tail of New Orleans can rally with i'm
punity. One Journal goes so far as to
fatter the emigrant merchants from Maine
and Boston, that they are the pride and
chivalry of louisiana and that the new
organ, the outgrow tn Of high priced bonn
bazine and cheap domestic dry goods is
the peculiar exponent Of political econ
omv, and the drdnt courier in the new
crusade against the constituted authori-
ties of the State. Willing itself to surrender
its opinion to the dictation of a committee
of citizens, this journal is surprised
that the high-minded people of the State
are not willing to initiate such servility.
The majority of this people have known the
kind of government these merchant princes
would inaugutate. The grinding OPP
pressions, the cruel insensibility to human
rights. illustrated before the war, have not
vet faded from mems minds; and when
the representatives of free people are
threatened with mobs-when the chtUdlry
is again called upon to act-and intlam-
matory appeals are made to the turbulent
and violent passions Of the people, it is
time that the black man and the white
man should begin to prepare for an an
ticipated struggle. There never was a
truer saying than that "eternal vigilance
is the price of liberty" and unless the
colored man is again willing to return to
state of bondage-unless he is willing to
become the political and social slave of the
arrogant and pretentious merchant. and
see his children again cringe beneath the
lash of the mistress or be spurned by the
foot of the master-he will awaken to the
necessity of preserving from all violence
the legally constituted government which
his valor contributed to secure.
An appeal would never have been made
| to the mob unless the revolutionists fell
convinced their cause was unjust. But
| they have made it-made it through the
organ of the Committee Of Fifty-one, tht
organ of the rich merchants who claim Il
| be the anointed Of Israel, and before whose
lordly dictation the poor man, whethel
white or black, should bow and tremble
They are likely to find that the people o.
Louisiana scorn alike their bravado ant
the preposterous impudence of their as
sumptions.