New Orleans Republican., 1873-01-04
"GpOTTING THEM ~

If Mr.. +. j. Ellis ls q man OF cOLnuoh
intelligence he must know that there are
already more mer in this city who are
spotted " than will ever be killed, and 1t
is a loss Of time to spot any more just now
The "spotting" process began some dozen
or more years ago, and has been kept up
more or less secretly ever since. But the
impaling business has about ceased. Ihere
are Republicans in the city who have oeen
spotted" so often that if the opera'lon
left physical signs, their backs would re-
semble that of ''bad niger IN the gooo
old DAYS when robbing and tiogglng one
half of mankind was considered gentleman
" pastime by the other half But our small
beer politicians evidently lose sight OF the
fact that the spotting of man for his polltl-
cal sentim ents, no longer brings terror 10
any one. That the time ha7 passed away
forever when bullies could intlmidate 1eaI-
full souls into acquiescence IN any scheine
of wrong and oppression those who exer-
cised the power Of 'spotting might de-
viseo
A:a aneetins % abose thousand els
contented office seekers. the Otheg night,
:heye wa. 81! attempt :o sevive 3he old
anss-beG'una system of Intimidation :HTs
Ellis IS thus reported in the Picay'nfs
In the first place, let me say there are
some men in the country who are gong
around saying: "Keep still; Kellogg is
elected; Kellogg is good fellow; Kellogg
will take care Of you. Just you be quiet,
and don't make 50 much noise, ana hellogg
will give you a place" My friends men
who talk that way are traitors; they are
enemies of the State. Spot tbem-point
them ont to your neighbor. Treat them
with scorn and contempt, and see that they
are so treated by the whole community.
Undoubtedly there are hundreds Of
thousands Of men in this State who are
tired of the noise and buster of the NAL
content politicians who live by stirring up
strife; but they are not likely to be much
affected by the threats Of being spotted by
so small q crowd as met at Exposition
Hall the other night. This small ring Of
.aspirants have not yet been charged with
the custody of the conscience OF this com
munity. They do not even represent the
intelligent, respectable and honest oppo-
nents of Republicanism. And for them
to talk Of spotting anybody marking him
for future persecution-is simply tarclcal
II was, however, such spirit that
ruined the South, and such as will ruin
any people that permits it to prevail. 1t
was this spirit Of bigotry that enchained
the immortal minds of men before the
war and forbade the utterance of senti-
ments of liberty and freedom, until the
bonds were broken by the national sword
But it is grim sight to behold poor,
weak, frail mortals, with just strength
enough 70 keep their heads above water,
declaiming in inlpotent accents for the
destruction by some agency over which
they have no control, Of those who stand
in the way Of their selfshness. Spot
them. indeed Weu, what then! As
Mr.. Ellis asks, what are they going TO do
| about it? Who cares for spotting from
/ such a crowd? So long as men attend to
their own business and obey the laws,
oney can not in any sense 6e considered
5raitoSs % the stateo &us those who
colnseS strofe and keep u9 agitationS who
! 5hrea9eS their RleiChbors with al sorts Cd
oengeance Cor daring % think foe chem
seJ0es, are uamitigated o.uisanceso GSnd
I it Coca not become such people 80 a6ctate
to oheir equals in mat9ers where sach oae
is gaquire6 90 Judge CO. himself.
This 6s Now a community US laws, ace
a dwelling place OF moh-o Every male is
the eqal Of any other an'S responsible to
none for his legal acts. And 1t IS time
this We're fairly understood. The days of
terrorism, rowdyism, thuggery and spot
ting have passed away forever, and the
man who attempts to reduce his spotting
theories to practice will come to grief
They may talk Of their thousands Of
hidden allies, but they will never behold
them They may boast Of the great things
they viii do when the bayonets are re-
moved, but they are not going to be
removed while there is need OF them. Let
these gentlemen understand that this is
new Louisiana, reclaimed from its old
condition, and consecrated to freedom.
Spotting is no longer one Of our institu-
tiOns.