New Orleans Republican., 1873-06-01


similar political treachery, which have
tended to weaker our faith in our white
fellow-citizens; but in the goodness Of our
hearts, rather than in the exercise of cur
Judgment, we are stl1l willing to trust you;
to contide our destiny to your keeping; to
place the administration of affairs under
your control, and to acknowledge the su-
periority Of your training and your adapta-
ton for official responsibilities you Will
only stand upon the Republican platform,
without hesitation or mental reservation,
pledged to protect us in our newborn
rights, and guarantee to us the full enjoy
ment of all of our civil privileges.
We do not wish to live on untriendly
terms with you, political or otherwise, but
rather would we be united in the great
work of reconstruction, upon the basis OF
an honest and dignifed administration of
public affairs in tightening the heavy bur
ders of the people, in resisting the en-
croachments Of corruption and peculation,
and in welcoming from the North. the
West. or any part of Gods creation,
thrifty and promising immigration, to build
up the towns and cities; to introduce those
sanitary improvements SO essential TO
health to cut down and utilize the unpro-
ductiye wilderness, and to transform the
marshy districts into cultivated fields and
habitable plains Such happy and pros
perous result could only be cOnsummated
bv union of both races for the public
good, upon the broad platform Of impartial
Justice, in which our civil rights would be
fully respected and sustained, and your Pc
culiar merits duly appreciated and properly
acknowledged. Our interests are your inc
terests, and the prosperity of the State,
under our combined cooperation, would
not ONLY be a blessing and a benefit, but it
would advance the individual welfare
and happiness of the people. We appeal
to you to forget the past, to join with US 1
the exemplary mission OF raising this State
to the position which her fruitful fields, hep
majestic rivers, her commercial facilities
and immense resources of wealth and prose
perity are capable of exalting her under
onr combined efforts Secured in all of our
civil rights which the State and national
constitutions guarantee, by the moral force
which YOU could at any moment exert, our
united labOrs would whiten the entire fields
of the South with cotton and make the air
musical with our songs of mingled pathos
and .gaiety; the rivers would be animaAed
by an increased number Of steamboats,
ladened down with the products Of our Ia
Dor: your wharves would be crowded with
messengers of commerce, representing a
wilderness of masts, to carry our great
article Of export to the worlds markets
the merchants would be enriched; the lac
borers would be benefited, and all trades
and classes would be blest by the general
prosperity which would result in exal,ing
this commonwealth from her preseSt adveIs
sity and embarrassmentS to an advanced
standard eff civilization, where her star
would shine with undimmed lustse % she
galaxy of the Union.
If this happy condition 0 affairs Is g09
inaugurated, it will be due to che efiores 0s
the Fusion papers and such wicked coIeemo :
poraries AZ consort with them to speculate
~, ,,,fo <f ;ota II,
These depraved journalists are daily en-
gagged in the ignoble purpose of preventing
a union for the general good. It seems that
they have successfully strengthened your
contumacy by quickening the delusiCn ttae
the administration of this State can be
again put under your control without ou@
assistance. In our simplicity and unde-
veloped condition, this is just possible, bug
not probable. 1t should be remembere8
there are schoolhouses all over the como
mOnwealth newspapers in every parisbs
the great public educators of the people,
which will continue to multiply wheneve9
there is a necessity; there are churches in
which our people are being instructed in
their moral and religious duties by raIo
idly improving ministry; there are meanS
of communication which bring US from
the furtherest part of the State into intsle
course and social relations, and every spec
cies of political deception on the part of orS
pretended friends. every act of hostility
against our privileges, every attempe 20
abridge our rights, and all unfriendly sens
timents expressed, are thoroughly circus
lated by the old underground means %
communication to the Cisparagement OF ouS
enemies.
If our prejudices against you were -
do the very act which the Fusion journals
charge us with attempting to accomplish
We deprecate much ~ your political policy
and shrink from many OF your misguIdeS
acts. If you will not see the wisdom q
uniting with us in the redemption st che
State upon the patriotic platform OF the
Union, the constitution and the enforcemeIS
of the laws, it is because of your Obstlnac.s
and rather than jump on board of the car
of progress, you seem to prefer resisting il
by throwing yourselves in front where yo1
are destined to be politically crushed. II
you will keep up this senseless opposition
against US, refusing to aid us in the full enc
jOyment Of our civil rights. following the
teachings Of the Fusion papers 70 preve.s
union of your means with our muscles. an
association of your capital with our labor, a
combination Of your cultivated brains With
our brawny bodies. the time may CONG
when under more advanced civilization
and the inspiration of a higher degree Of
self-respect, the union which we are now
SO anxious to cement would be rejected
through our independence of your elemen:s
Of progression.
We are conscious of the politica! power
which we possess in this State, but we have
no disposition to use it in the exclusive
interest Of our race, unless driven 70 such
an act by your injustice land as the Lass
refuge OF self.preservatiOn; but feeling
kindly disposed to you, though You were
our oppressors, we believe that returning
sense of reason will guide you into harmo.
NOUS political fellowship with US, which
would eventuate in innumerable blessings
We wish all to know, whom it may concern.
that we fully understand the situation: that
we are aware OF our political power 10 cone
fer important trusts in this commonwealth
upon whomsoever we will, but we have
ever refrained from making distinctions on
accoun. OF color, because the exhibition ot
such feeling would be as wicked az j:
would be unwise. l am happy. as q man
and Christian, in being able TO point with
pride to our record, and affirm tina. in all ot
our trlbulatiOns we never resented the
wrongs which we received: and since we
have been quickened into citizenship and.
by force OF circumstances, entrusted with
poltlcal power, we have not retaliated IL
the spirit which caused US go much humila.
tion: In our humble homes we have
received men, without regard to color. be.
cause 1t was right, We have never cast
any reproach upon our Christianity bc
prescribing place or designating a pew
tor any particular man made in the image
OF our Creator. We never insulted Heavsa
by refusing to commune with any and all
OF the orthodox faith of whatever color %
from whatever cline. We believe in .he
'fatherhoOd of God and the brotherhood o.
man, and knowing that all sinful ds.!nc.
tions here must be answered at the .as.
and irrevocable judgment of Heaven. we