New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-09-17

and this result will be the effect Of its
own folly Let the Democrats lay this
prediction away for reference hereafter.
We have prophesied disaster to them
heretofore, wherein our prophecies have
been fully realized; and as we still claim
to be president in reading the future, let
them verify our ability by contrasting
what we foretell with what shall ultimately
come to pass. Not one in three Of them
stand any show of election, unless they
alter their course of conduct.
When the movement in favor Of reform
was first inaugurated, and such gentlemen
as /. N. Marks and G. E. Fenner boldly
announced the very ideas which We had
commended for, the REPUBLICAN aPplauded
and approved their speeches and com
mended their suggestions as did large
numbers Of Republicans and Independent
citizens. The signs were healthy then for
an improvement of the political condition
of the State under a spontaneous combina-
ton Of the best men Of all parties. We
saw, or thought we saw an opportunity
wherein the best AMI most intelligent citi-
zens, without regard to race, color or pre-
vious political connection, to meet IN a
common organization for the benefit Of
the community. In this view, or under
this impression, large bodies of our friends
held themselves in readiness to act indie
pendently of their former partisan affilia-
tions, provided they could be met in q
spirit of equal unSelfshness and indie
pendence by those who proposed to act
with them.
Unfortunately these impressions and
hopeful anticipations have not been real
lied. The seIfshness of.men has over
ridden the promptings Of patriotism and
good policy, for wherein the Democracy
has acted defantly and perversely it has
the prospect that frightened be
fore the people. The reform suggested by
Messrs. Marks and Fenner was the reform
that we encouraged and sought to assist,
and it was the policy that the Liberal Re
publicans accepted and consented to CO.
operate with 1t meant Republicanlsm
pure and undefled, or, rather, it meant
good government for all the people. Its
by the Democracy would have
been the doom Of all prejUdiced and pas
sionate politics, and we should have stood
as high in the new party, according to our
ability, as any other parties, for the abate-
ment of opposition to our ideas would
have worked an abatement OF
the opposition to us, All questions of pre-
as affected by past records, would
have fallen into disuse, and each indi-
vidual would have stood upon his present
and prospective usefulness. The
old was to be forgotten and the new was
to be created.
Mr. H. N. Ogden and his associates re
fused to abide by this new illumination.
They refused to make peace. They either
intended to save themselves or they did
not intend to accept salvation or allow
others to realize its benefits. Confessedly
in the minority, held at the mercy Of I'M
scrupulous election laws at home and re-
fused the protection Of the federal govern
ment to insure fairness at the ballot-box,
according to their own story, Mr.. Ogden
and his friends protested their Quixotic de-
to essay campaign unaided
wherein they admitted that the prospect of
success was about equal to the chance Of
Grants being struck by lightning before
the first day Of November. And this frac-
tional anticipation, if so slight a prospect
can be dignifed by the name Of fractional,
was accompanied by the equally singular
fact that the more rampant and dogmatic
asserters Of Dem ocratic unity were not
and are not Democrats. Mr. Ogden has
his disgust at the Democratic
party; the Picayuaae has repeatedly disa-
vowed its sympathy with the Democracy,
and several other newly made Bourbons
have never been known to say good word
of the organization which they now insist
upon holding together.
The reform movement suggested by
Marks and Fenner ultimated il the
formation of the Liberal Republican
party, and great hopes were entertained
that the new organization would be able
to assist materially in bringing the politics
Of the community into something that
would benefit the people. The Liberal
thought that the conservative
elements would mold themselves into a
powerful enough to control
he elections. We stood ready to assist
he effort. The Democrats promised to
provided they were admitted
o participation in the distribution Of
he honors and spells that were to be dis
ributed. They were assured that their
claims should be considered according to
heir deeds and according to the strength
hey contributed to the movement. The
progressed under this arrange
nent almost to a complete engagement,
when it was discovered that the De-
nocracy proposed to rule the entire ar
by virtue of a preposterous
,laim that the entire assets of the new
party belonged to it. That is, the Demo-
Gratis demanded the control because they
set themselves up as the sole owners of the
voting capital Of the organization. This
demand, which was directly at variance
with The S,,i,it of +ba coalition was "a