New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-09-22
WHAT TT MEANS.

/
the first place, it is our custom to SPEAK
upon all questions involving the public
interest in no uncertain terms /; we pro,
fess to be, and are, in the fullest sense OF
the meaning, Republicans, and sincerely
attached to the principles of that party.
Hence our friends have never had any
difficulty in knowing where we stood. In
the second place, we do not believe much
in repeated manifestoes, which are oftener
used to conceal a purpose that may not be
entirely for the public good than to fore
shadow one that is.
We have been for the past five years one
of the pilots of Republicanism, with the
assumed duty Of suggesting such meas
ures as VIC thought best calculated to pro
mote the party interest and to warn
against all dangers, whether insidious or
open. When our political friends have
committed errors, which has been too fire.
quently the case, we have raised our voice
against them, sometimes with good effect,
and at others with less satisfactory res
suits. What good we could accomplish
We expected to achieve through Repub-
lican agencies; our field was confined to
that party, believing, as we do, that the
majority Of the people have no hope Of
equal justice from the proscriptiYe, illib-
eral, narrow-minded Democracy. Yet we
have not been blind to the faults of our
political friends, and while we have sought
earnestly to improve our own household,
we have never for a moment contemplated
a surrender of our principles. AS it was
our aim to make our own party better than
1t was, we favored the policy Of inviting
the best men Of other parties to join with
us, to strengthen us by their advice and
influence. We urged the party that has
acknowledged the REPUBLICAN as its organ |
for five years to join hands with the better
class of Democrats for the purpose Of in
augurating the Liberal movement. In
doing this, however, we urged it as a
sine qua non that certain nominees for
State Offices, which we named, must
be Republicans, as We could never
consent to advise our friends to
surrender the power Of control over
them to their life long enemies, even
though they came in with fair promises in
heir mouths. Unfortunately what was
,eally a serious matter with us was treated
oy certain of the Bourbon press as a bit Of
ouncombe. Besides, too much weight
vas given to Governor Warmoth's ability
% influence the REPUBLICAN in any direc.
ion that he might feel it his duty to take.
The Liberal convention met under $hese I
and without consulting
much with the Liberal Republicans or
.egarding in the slightest degree our pre-.
,idus warning, began at once to negotiate
With the Democrats, the very party its
delegates had been elected to defeat After
number Of secret meetings, which re
uIted i'll nothing, the nominations were
lade The Liberal ticket was announced. :
was remarkable for its weakness in Re
ublicanism, and its projectors soon saw .
hat they had made miserable failure :
surrender to the Democrats was, theye. :.
IRE, agreed upon; the Republicans were ,,
ntirely ignored, and the Liberal move, !,
tent came to an end for want Of judicious =
Management. when Mr.. Penn was made :,
give way to GIcEnery, We were satisfied .
lat this meant return to Democracy, =
I'd that all reforms were to be on a Dem
ratio basis. We, therefore, adhered to .,
II previously declared purpose Our h
rms had not been complied with None !;
the wire-pulIers thought proper 70 con .,
1t our wishes in the matter; they made h
ticket to suit themselves, which unfor- .,
nately does not suit US, and we are not -,
any manner bound by the result, Il
We must, therefore, continue our Iabors b,
reform in our own party, with our own p1
litical and personal friends. With them cE
may hope to achieve some good result. al
I We have no part or lot in the other pI
mp. The voice Of reason has already &C
en- disregarded by the leaders of the fus ca
II party, and that, too at time when ca
was necessary to party safety that no va
Sc step should be taken. What could &c
expected from such men, when flushed de
h victory and clamoring for the spoils?
ey have been in q minority SO long, and m,
a consequence out of Office, that their tn
hands would be Unsuitable and their ice
e professions Of retrenchment and re- wa
m thrown to the winds. The person on
Q lives TO see the day when he can re- for
i'd victorious Democracy OF its pledges tri
1872 will be laughed at for his pains. ro1
do not desire to see that day. We can rev
afford to run any such risks, and we COZ
not contribute to the victory that will fer
Sc the Democracy in position to VIC the
its pledges. And until that faithless adj
ty shows IFS willingness to do exact les
ice to all the people, we must continue Ev
aption the people against intrusting it II
| the power to Cypress them. the
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POLITICAL CONVERSION, IA