The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-07-17
Gen Beauregard and his Plat

IOEIlls
No Just person who reads the address
of Gen. Beauregard to the people of
Louisiana will deny that the step ne
has taken to liberate his State from
Kellogg and his divan of pirates, has
been prompted by the purest and most
elevated motives. The address is I'M
doubleday an open and manly declara-
ton OF convictions which, whether wOr-
thy of adoption or not, emanate from a
virtuOus and patriotic man. We must
differ from the philosophy and wisdom
of his views because we believe that, If
carried TO their logical conclusions,
they would ultimately produce greater
and more widespread evils than those
which he seeks to remedy. We do not
underestimate the gravity and horror of
the Louisiana situation, nor have we ut
any time shown lack of sympathy for
the unfortunate victims of spOiiation
and misrule; but, If we were thorough
~ convinced that the proposed remedy
would prove temporarily adequate, we
could hardly urge its adoption because
we believe a superficial evil would be
supplanted by a deeper and more en-
during One-one whose roots would
strike to the very depths of our social
organism.
1t is true that the Constitution of
Louisiana provides for tae equality
which Gen. Beauregard declares should
be recognized, but the ract That tho
constitution does so furnishes no argu-
ment why this equality should be eX-
tended to its logical ramiticatiOns and
results. If the same instrument pro-
vided for the intermarriage of whites
and blacks it would not be incumbent
on the people TO promote such mar
riages; and when we consider what
has been done toward perfect equality
i'm the past decade, and reflect upon the
present tendency of the times, we can
but shudder at the possible, or we
might say probable, effects which such
efforts will have upon the society of the
next generation. Ten Yeas ago the
most reckless miscegenist did not dream
OF the progress which public opinion
has made toward the eOnsummation of
his aims. We might be Mortified by
hearing from prophetic lips that, within
twenty years, intermarriage between
whites and blacks viii become generally
recognized by law and generally prac-
ticed by individuals; but the shock pro-
duced would not be greater than pre-
diction of what has already happened
would have been ten years ago. II pub
lie opinion progresses i'm the same direc-
ton and at the same pace we shall have
miscegenation within the next decade.
When white and cOlored children attend
the same schools, sit side by side in the
same classes, are taught that there is no
difference in their blood, and that they
are socially as well as politically equal,
there will soon be no bar of prejudice or
of custom which viii prevent intermar-
rage. That intormarriage will of course
continue to increase under such 4 system
until IL viii reach universally OF prac-
tice that is incredible to the optimist of
to-day. Ii such a result would prove
beneficial TO socity; if it would elevate
one race without debasing the other, we
might contemplate il with compOsure,
however revolving it might be to refined
sensibilitics; but IL the lessons Of history
and the experiences of all countries that
have attempted such an experiment are
of value, we must look upon such re-
sultwith ineNpressible horror and alarm
The question Is one in which our preiu-
dices may instruct our reason. The de-
cay of virtue, social and political degen-
eracy, must follow the same causes
which have produced the same effects
elsewhere. We are told that the an
cient god INion, in attempting to caress
Juno, embraced a cloud, and from the
unnatural union sprang the Centaurs i'm
all their malice and defOrmitv. We
will be fortunate ii, I'm embracing the
wild vagaries of a corrupt and stormy
fanaticism, brood of frightiul and re
voting dciormities do not spring up to
torment and reud as. 1t may be that
the typical story OF the heather my
thology will lind worse realization in
Christian age, and that the supersti-
tious terrorS of the old world will be
more than verified by the actual expe-
rienceS of the new.
We make no war upon the civil
rights of the negro. We do not pro-
pose to strip him of any of his political
privileges, but we think the time has
come when we must find a stopping
place, and we are more and more con-
WINGED of the fact as we approach near
er and nearer the frontier of social
equality. We have fought the battles
of the negroes I'm securing such civil
rights as were necessary 20 enable them
to protect themselves after they were
deprived of the protection of their mas
ters. They are now in the full enjoy
ment of those rights. In no part of the
Union are they denied them. But we
can go no further. We do not think it
would be wise 10 go further. We do
not think another step would be to the
negroes advantage, and certainly it
would not be to the advantage of the
white man. There is no use of going
20 extremes, which make counter reYO-
buttons necessary and inevitable.
We DO not charge thar Gen, Beaure-
CARDS platform contemplates the ex-
tremc of misccgen2tiOn, bat it has that
tendency. IL is a step In that direction,
and il is a step which we shall be sorry
to see the unfortunate people of LOUISE
ana take, however great may De the
temporary advantages derived from IL.
/ Gen. Bc;nregard would no doubt con-
! template such a result with horror. He
Is iar removed nom those vulgar rene
| gades who have so disgraced our man
hood since the war. He has nothing in
common with them. lie wants no Of
ice. He is only trying to redeem and