New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-12-28
PUTTING THE BAD FOOT FORWARD.

In the course of the address to the
people of the United States, put forth at
| Washington by our self-appointed COM
mittee, there appears the following crit
icism upon our Legislature:
Aside from the general officers Of the
State, we find the Legislature of the State
delivered into the hands Of men who were
not elected, and who are utterly unfit for
positions Of snch responsibility. As
| originally composed, at its organization, it
comprised sixty eight persons Of color, most
Of them uneducated, with small minority
Of whites.
As to the first charge against the mam-
bers, that they 'were not elected, II Is a
mere matter Of opinion, in which the
committee. who had no responsibility
whatever in the matter. take ISSUE with
the legal returning officers who were sworn
to make the canvass. We are bound to
accept the best evidence to be had in this
case, and that is furnished by the officers
| appointed for that purpose, rather than in
the utterances Of a small band Of officious
citizens who openly boast when ut home
| tudG LHEJ huO" IJbl4I5 0oOAV JOAAIISo;
and, indeed. they do not who
had never examined the returns; who
did not go to the polls, and who are per-
sonally unacquainted with the Republican
| candidates, and have but an imperfect
knowledge Of those Of their own party.
So neither from personal observation nor
the inspection Of documentary evidence
were the itinerant I.ouisianians in & con-
dition to pass an opinion as to who was
or was not elected,
As to the unftness Of the representa-
tives, that is question about which the
constituents Of the members Of the Legis-
lature are the sole judges. We have heard
SO much complaint from the class Of peo-
pie who constitute this indignation com
nittee against the Democratic party for
its Generalization and abasemeHt at the |
hands Of corrupt and disorderly rings and
organizations, that we really feel inclined |
to doubt whether their friends are any |
better than the negroes they speak Of; |
and it certainly is no argument to address
to the North that the colored people have
adhered to their own color as the safest
policy when their rights needed an espe-
ciaI looking after The country can see
in the Addressed the committee that the
fusion party of the last contest like the
Democratic party before it, rebelled
against the laws Of Congress and the
rights of the people, for the conscience Of
the nation does not accept color as an i'm
pediment to Official honesty or capacity.
The committee, filled with prejudice
against the negroes, assumes that the entire
population is filled with the same indie
ensible sentiment, and upon this stupidity
erroneous conclusion the members ad-
lress the nation against colored men hold
ng thevery offices which the nation has
lecreed that they may hold upon the
anne terms SIS other men. It was very |
njudicious, then, in the committee, at |
he very time it was attempting to put its t
'est foot forward, to make the mistake of :
hoying out its cloyen hoof. The allusion /
0 the negro shows the animus of the en-
re fusion campaign to have been founded
pom opposition to the liberal policy OF
he Republican party.
As TO the predominance of negroes in
le Legislature considered as matter Of
act, for we do not deem it material
} the issue involved, the truth is
bout as follows that in the Senate
onsisting Of thirty-six members, there
re ten colored men. Il the recusant
who are playing hide and seek
18th the agencies they We're elected to I'll,
ould take their seats il the Senate the
olored clement would dwindle into a very !,
significant feature of the chamber, espe-
ally as some of those who are returned :,
! colored are better looking men, and :,
ghter, too, than some Of those returned :.
Caucasian. In the House the same re .
ark viii apply, So that if the Democrats :
ii only Do their duty in regularly as. y y
milling in their seats in the General as y
mbly that body will not be subject to :.
e reflection that it has fallen into the :
nds Of the ignorant negroes. Until the "'
consent to stand by the State =
they were elected to do, they must not
anne others for the defect that it IS With q
their power to remedy. =.