Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-06-20
The Presidents Proclamation and
Louisiana.

THE madness of the Louisiana Democ-
racy is of such a nature as to admit of no
easy cure. To those who demonstrate
with them in all kindness upon the i'm
prudence of their course, who would stop
them in that cruel policy which is de
stroying the poor remains of their COM
merce and wealth left by the rebellion,
whose only desire is to secure them ease
and prosperity, they reply with insults,
and reject their friendly counsel with
scorn. They seem resolute TO persccute
the cOlOred race, who are the only resource
for the cultivation of their land, and to
drive off Northern capital and enterprise
which can alone save Louisiana from ruin.
1t is stated that they have made the visit
Of the Congressional Committee to New
Orleans so uncomfortable by their bad man
ners and childish petulance as to hasten
its departure, that they met the Congress
men with insolent remarks, and gave them
such welcome as can not fail to leave no
| friendly rccollectiOns behind it, Yet
Louisiana is a persistent applicant for the
| bounty of the whole country. a low,
marshy strip Of land seated along the
mouths of the Mississippi, thinly peopled,
| impoverished, and decaying, its only hope
| of improvement or even Of preservation
| lies, we are told in the message of one of
its Governors, in the repair of its leyees.
| These embankments that line the river
| alone save the State from complete sub
mersiOn They require constant repairs
| Many millions have already been eXpend-
ed upon them since the war, But their
condition is still dangerous; they crumble
away with each rising flood; they are
threatened with total destruction; nor is il
| incredible that should they still remain
neglected they may be wholly swept away
and the richest land Of Louisiana be sunk
beneath the Mississippi. In such an
event, the Governors message assures us
New Orleans might still be saved, although
even this he thinks not altogether Ger
tain.
To provide help to secure their levees
therefore, the planters are begging aid
from the National Government, Another
project for which New Orleans is asking
assistance from the North and West is Tho
deepening ofthe mouth flhe Mississippi
Such is the condition of this unluck,
State. With an eXtravagant debt, heavy
taxation, small resources, and no hell
from immigration, instead of giving al
its energies to peaceful labor, the madness
of its Democratic politicians has nearly
plunged it into a civil war The origin o
this contest is one of the most shameful
passages in our history, Those-and w
fear there are too few-who have studied
carefully the Congressional reports on tn
Ku-Klux conspiracy will find there th
source of the woes of Louisiana. In 1865
! the "Whiie Brotherhood, - or the Ku-KluN
began their murderous attempt TO conyer
the Republican population to Democracy
In the spring of that year the election
! showed a large Republican majority; i
s the autumn, so successful had been the e
!. forts of the murderous associations the
. but a few thousand votes in the Who'll
+ State were given for General Grant. /
o one parish where the Republican major