New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-21

deepened, it widened also, until. on the
election by the Republicans Of Nr. Lincoln
- President in 1860, seyen shave States e.
coded from the Union, and were ulti-
a the eleven niS S s' so Sss c :ss
federacy, which resisted the authority
and defed the power of the Union
through bloody, devastating civil war of
four years duration. During this tremen-
dous conflict, slavery was abolished by TIVE
prOciamations of President Lincoln, and an
amendment Of the constitution interdicting
it in every State and Territory was carried
through Congress and finally ratified by the
requisite three-fOurths of the States. By
subsequent amendments, similarly ratified,
equal legal or civil rights were accorded to
the lately emancipated blacks, and the
right Of suffrage secured to them as afore-
said. At this moment these great changes
are beyond recall. The political equality
of rights for whites and blacks alike is
as firmly fixed in our political system as
the republican form of government or the
separate existence and essential equality of
the States.
Senator Sumner-always in advance as a
champion of equal rights-has proposed
that blacks shall have equal access with
whites to all public conveyances, hotels
and public entertainments. This has, thus
far, been baffied; but it seems likely to pre-
vail at the present session. And, once en-
acted, it may in some instances be dis
obeyed, but can hardly be reversed.
The Republican party has thus &C
complished Its original object, with very
much more. 1t will soon be transformed or
disintegrated by reason of its complete,
conclusive successes. A party with this
name may outlast the century; but it must
contemplate other objects and work to other
ends than those which united and animated
the Republicans of 1860. Your present
duty, young men, is to read, observe and
think. The party cries daily raised of
Keep the flag flying" Stick to the
rather to mems passions than their reason
They are mainly impelled by those who ex-
pect to retain their present Offices OF achieve
better through the party organization. The
party called Republican may be the best in
existence, and il may be your duty to sustain
it; but it is SO, if at all, for different reasons
from these which called that party into be-
ing. A good many Of those now most zeal
GUS for maintaining the Republican organi-
cation are building the tombs Of prophets
whom they stoned not many years ago.
1t the Democratic party, untaught by
disaster, should insist on fighting over
again the struggles of 1860, 1864 and 1868,
of course the Republicans must stand to
their arms and fall into line. But Of this
there is no more prospect than of refghting
the battle of Bunker Hill.
And if the Democrats should not insist
on perpetrating such folly, it seems. clear
that the country should now advance to the
consideration Of other problems than those
presented by slavery and the war. Free
trade vs.. protection, universal amnesty, the
one-term principle, the subordinatiOR Of
military to civil authority, the use of off,
cial patronage to achieve purely per-
sonal or narrowly partisan ends, re-
trenchment. of public expenditures,
better safeguards against iefalca-
ton and peculation-these and other
such should now have their turn. We have
repeatedly and respectfully asked flor ex-
ample) how a paymaster, stationed at
Washington, right under the eye of the
treasury and the paymaster-general, could
steal $4,000 Of public money and gamble
it away without being detected. If there
are no legal barriers against such gigantic
embezzlement. they should be promptly
created; if they already exist, whoever
should have made them effective and did
not should be exposed and reprobated. All
inquiries into this great wrong are repealed
with insult or baffied by obstinate silence.
Yet we shall ask again and again, and hope
to evoke an answer before the Presidential
election.