The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1872-06-01
Letter from Col. Geo. Williamson.
SHREVEPORT, La, May 20, 1872.

Ny Dear Mc.-I have but this mo-
ment received by mail your paper of
the 18th ult., in which you begin 4
short paragraph or two about my speech
at the recent reform meeting here. You
begin: eff Col. Williamson, Of Shrcvc
port, is properly reported by the Times
of that city, he has nearly lost our con-
fidence as a political leader" If the
Times contained any intination that I
charged the Democratic party was in
alliance with Gov. Warmoth, it is in
spoke as usual without notes, but not
made no such charge. In illustrating
the power of Gov. Warmoth, spoke
of the fact that the Democratic COnvcn-
ton had not expelled the Hon. Thomas
Green Davidson, who had been read
out of the party, and was known
to be 4 warm personal friend of His
Excellency, and believed to be repre-
senting his interests in the Convention
rather than those of his constituency.
To further illustrate the insiduOus and
audaciOus power of Gov. WarmOth,
also mentioned Il fact, of which I had
been informed by two members of the
Convention, that one of the most pure
and distinguished members of the Con-
vention, my friend Mr.. J. O. Fuqua,
had substantially stated, he was so
much deInoralized by the war, that he
was willing to cooperate with GOWN.
to extricate the State from its present
troubles. All that I said was in illus
tratiOn of the power of Gov. W.. and to
warn the people against the dclusion
that he was not the principal and pow
erful enemy in the State to battle
against in the coming campaign. My
apprehension and belief was and is,
that the people are now deceived AS to
Gov. Warmoth's strength; and my OBJ
ject further was to advocate the reform
movement on the ground of it's open
and uncompronising hostility to that
arch-enemy of the State. l have never
believed, and therefore never charged,
that the Democratic party or the Con-
vention was in alliance with his Excel
lency, or proposed an alliance with him;
but do believe, and we'll know, that
some of the purest and best men of the
party, in their utter desperation, have
recommended such coalition. In our
part of the State Ct mean North Louis
iana), SO far as I am Informed, this re-
commentator is spurned with the
scorn which, it seems to me with all
due respect to others), that it deserves.
And now allow me to say u word or
two more, in regard to an alleged abuse
of the Democratic party by me. deny
unqualifiedly that any word of abuse
has ever escaped my lips publicly or
privately. Its lack of progress in con-
forming to accomplished facts, and the
tendency of its leaders to keep alive
scctiOnalism, and the antagonisn of
races have said was by no means ne
cessary to natural and commcndable
sectional pride, and have been con-
demned by me rs unwise and unpolitic.
Its principles survive and will survive
as long as Republican institutions exist,
but in the present conjuncturc of ma
tiOnal politics there is no possibility Gas
can perceive) of our being able to vote
for a candidate of our choice or repre-
sentation Of those principles. Hence
as we shall have to vote for Grant or
Greeley, or not vote at all, it is my
opinion we should take advantage of
the opportunity to get sufficient allies
from among the colorcd voters to re-
claim the State from the hands of the
present chief Of the carpct-baG rraterni-
ty. This my chief reason for flvoring
the Reform movement. Another is,
that l wish by leaving the cOlOreu
voters entirely free TO exercise their
choice in the selection of Federal Ofli-
GERS, to give them Il perfectly fair
chance, to show whether in voting
heretofore against the resident whites
they have been prompted by ill-fceling.
If in such Il canvass us l propose, they
should vote against us, then it would
become perfectly apparent to the n orth
that the colored voters cast their ballots
to defeat the resident white men with
out regard to the good of the State, and
simply under the influence of race an
tipathies. In other words, l wish to
give the colored people Gas the oppor-
tunity is presented) no excuse whatever
for not voting with us, for their inter-
est and ours, in the coming State cleo
ton. Any man who is acquainted with
the comparative insignificancc of the
of colored to white persons i'll
the United States and their relative
rate of increase. must know that it will
not be a decade before the colored vote
will not be considered in making up
national Platforms; and my opinion is
that it highly probable, unless the col
Orcd people show a much moro just APP
probation of the ballot than they have
done heretofore, the main issue pre-
in the Presidential contest four