The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-09-07
The WORK REQUIRED OF Us.

to fold our hands and wait for the pros
porous tide which is about to throw all
kinds of fotsams and jetsams atOur feet.
Never was there a more dangerous
error. Never one, which, if acted upon,
would involve more ruinous consequent
ces. The fusion is merely the initiation
to hard work and cOnstant w~atchfulncss,
and the utmost can do is to strengthen
our hands for the great battle which lies
before us, andmultiply our defences. The
men who oppose us are utterly unscru-
pulOus. The very combination we have
made against them, will bring into play
more aggressive w~eapOnsthan their evil
repertoire usually holds. Mel fight ad-
mirably we'll for love, but it is a sad
truth that they fight as we'll, if not bet
ter, for hate.
These red Radicals hate the South,
and whether they care for Grant OF not,
he is, nevertheless, the weapon which
lies nearest their hand to degrade the
Southern people, and keep them in alb
,iect vassalagc. They. hesitate at no
e to accomplish this bitter end.
Freedom of opinion and speech sat once
put down by these war mouths. At
| COODer's Institute, in the city of New
York, where two colOredm met to dis
| cuss the merits of the rival candidates
for the Presidency, the Greeley orator
was not allOwedtO speak by the clamOr-
GUS mob Of negroes assembled. He was
hooted, and yelled at until he retired,
Just in time to avoid violent hands ready
to he laid upon him. A cOlOred man,
named Gross, visited Cincinnati after
having made a Greeley speech i'll Ken
lucky. He was warned to leave the city
immediately if he wished to save his life.
A mob attacked the house of a colored
Greeley man who had invited Cassius
NJ. Clay to speak in Louisville, and it
was with difficulty he escaped. In this
way is initiated the reign Of terror.
These ignorant cOlOred people, moved
altogether through their passions, inca
pable of discriminating between friends
and enemies, are at the mercy Of the in
cendiary doctrines Of their leaders, and
Boutwell,, Gerritt Smith and Wendell
Phillips SOW their dragon seed all over
the land.
Phillips says "vote every II fol
Grant, as you value property, life, wife
or child. If Greeley selected, arm, con-
c~entrate, conceal your prOperty-but or
ganize for defense. You will need il
soon and sadly"
Boutwell,, inhis North Carolina speech
and Smiths insolent reply to Sumner
all breathe the same spirit.
These men seek a wal of races, and
they will never be satisfied without it
The combustible material-ignorance
and credulity are ready to their hand
and theirtorches are always aflame. The
free discussion which we allow, and
which they suppress, they Use for the
vilest of purposes, and their emissarieS
are spread throughout the country, al
active and willing as themselves.
Such are IL opponents. Are they
of a kind to be treated with silent con,
tempt, or inaction? Would any fusion
secure peace to Louisiana if she sleeps
with these crafty foes in her midst
They use weapons which would defilt
the hands of honest men; but they are
none the less dangerous and effective f01
all that. There is a poetieal way o.
viewing Truth crushed to earth,n anC
rising again through the eternal years
by her own strength, but theresa prac
teal way Of helping with many a goot
push to her kingdom.
So we have no right to rest in the SUI
periOr goodness of our cause, for unaid
ed, it will be lost as cleverly as if it wa
all evil. Work, constant and stead!
work, is needed until November. Herr
the colored population are sufficient!
intelligent and identified with the inter
ests of the community in which. the,
live, to allow us no apprehensions as t.
their action in the coming election. Blu
even among them there are strife SOW
ers, Men (notalways colored) who hav,
been bought with a price to SOW tn
seeds of discord, and awaken distrus
against their white friends.
We do not know how far they may b
influenced, but it belongsto our work t
set the issues constantly and honestl
before them. To show them how earn
estly Mr.. Greeley has worked for thei
best interests, and howlittle the benefi
of their race has entered into PresiQen
Grants past action or future record.
We have our hands full until Novem
. Der. 1t is not enough to be Statistic,
ourselves of the vital necessity for
change of administration, but our les
enlightened eo1npat1iots should be mad
to understand it too. Plain-spoker
simple-worded orators are required flo
them. Good, watchful citizens are re
quired too who will be on the alert t
detect and expose the incendiary vaga
bonds who are roaming about. Wewan
no violent m~easures-no disgraceof Ku
Klux acts in our midst, but we want la1
and order to shield lis from doctrine
/ which are subversive of both.
So far, the campaign has opened we.
for MS in this parish. How it is to go 0
remains with our supineness or energy
This has been a year Of conventions