New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-29
COMING sQUAaELY To THE ISSUE.


the course of a full and pointed reply to
| some structures of the New Orleans Times
on printing bill which he had introduced
said
No one regrets more than do the condi-
| t1on OF public sentiment which makesit the
| bounden duty of the Republican party, be-
ing in the possession of the legislative ma
chinery Of the State government, to esgab-
iish by law official parish journals through
out the State. | say | regret this
| necessity, for as a citizen who has
| ever tolerated without prescription a
full and .tree exercise of political
sentiment, / could fain hope and even
pray for that condition of public feeling
which would enable all to pursue their
respective avocatiOns to success and pros
perity, without any special enactments to
shield any class from unreasonable persecu-
ton and prescription. But such condition
Of affairs does not exist in this country, aud
has not since the war-and never, even be-
fore the war, to a wholesome and impartial
degree. And just such journals as the New
Orleans Times are to blame for this evil
journals which lack the discretion and patri-
otism if not the good sense, to remain free
without beconing licentious Such vicious
and venal newspapers create and foster
an unnatural public sentiment which
would hunt down and starve out every Re
publican-eyery true friend TO his country
and his government-eyerym man who has
never bowed the knee to the Baal of
treason-would hunt down and starve out
every true man, | cay, throughout the
State and throughout the S0ath. unless re-
pressed by tho restraining influence of
special legislation. IL is tor this reason
that it becomes the bounden duty of the
Republican party in a commanding and
commencing spirit of representation, 10
pass law which shall so direct
and dispense official patronage as
that the friends of freedom and
the friends and supporters of free govern
ment shall not be starved out iD their legitl-
mate callings and avocations. The pro
visions of this bill, which the Times so bit
terly denounces, PROPOSES not to take dol
lar nor a cent from the public treasury to
build up wholesome journalism through
out the State-though | confess that in my
opinion good reasons might be given why
this might be done-but the bill III question
has no such o. oyisions-but only authorizes
the Governor to designate official jour
mails for the several parishes through
out the State which shall do
advertis ing. This is all. AS to the
rates fixed for the State printing to
be performed by the public printer, will
only repeat, what said at the outset Of
my remarks, that these rates are cut down
and reduced, in many items, from fifteen
TO twenty-five per cent below former rates,
and far below the prices charged by the
Times office for similar work recently done
for the State board of registration. Hence
the complaint of the Ifmesis selfevidfntly
it robs the public while 1t
assumes to speak in behalf of retrench.
ment and reform. Reform with it would
seem to mean great amount OF |
N oney in its own pocket for very
little amount of labor The mission OF all |
such journals is TO deceive the people and !
fatttn on public plunder, and hence
amounts to public crime. They create a |
ia lse public sentiment and take all manner |
of advantage of the local prejudces of an J
honest people. We of the South all we'll |
know that the war of the rebellion was in
stigated and brought on by the venal aud |
tone of lust such newspapers
as the New Orleans Times, and was unna-
turaliy prolonged by the same vicious and |
induence; Tor the people
proper of the South never at heart in
do rsed secession. And to-day the disgrace
ful side-show around at Odd Fellows Hall
owes its existence and beIa5Ored perpetua-
ton to the same source, for | chance TO
know, personally, that some of the gentle
men, who from day to day coHgre gate there,
10 so only in obedience to the vicious and
self assumed dictatorship-the yenal cen
just such would-be 'court jour
q ais" as the New Orleans Times All such
oapers deserve to be wiped cut Of ex-
least deserve 10 special couu
tenance and obedience at the hands
IF the public; for however much
We all may be in favor of the freedom of
,he press, yenality and licen iOusness should
be reprcbated and frowned down. TheIe
ire gentlemen to-day on the side Of the op-
position to our State government, some il
he spurious Legislature at Odd Fellows
Hall, against their own individual sense of
light and proprietv, simply in obedience TO
false public sentiment aided by false
and Iyrann;cal press Of which the New Or
cans Times is Il fair sample. Had the na-
ionai government done its duty at
he proper jdnctuTe, the vic influence
If this vile press would have been
destroyed in this instance, aud our
people would Lave been spared the
and humiliating attitude which
,ur State presents to the world to-day.
rhe people expected this and prayed for it.
md many now in the ranks Of the oppUei-
ion both expected and desired it. Had it
,een done we would to-day have peace and
coed tet ling throughout the
STATE. But the national power saw proper,
~ usual, TO show leniency where d little |
irmDess would have been inucii mo; @ mer-
ful and d thousand times more judicious-
eaviDg its authority TO be dciied ami cursed
" those who would at least respect lis
,Ower if made 10 obey. The lcssun is an
Id one, aud should by tLis time be tea well
earned to be 80 often repeated. Di5lOyal
md tyIannical journals like the Ne" Or
cans Times lore 1t over pubiG sentiment III
he South, not only to the destruction
f every material interest OF 0tIr erctlon,
,ut to the imminent peril sf the very life OF
very upholder and defender of the ma
iondl government in our midst. And there
3 no pOwer-or at least no. exercise OF
,ower-to prevent it. For myself, the last
Gather that broke the camei'5 back has
,een applied; and l have So often and 80
ong been reviled aud blackguarded by
hose whom | have never harmed, and
leyer sought to harm that l feel very much
ike saving that i have no tavOrs to ask at
he hal dis of political opponents, and no
more favors 10 grant them, unless more ap-
,reciated The kindness and tUrbcarsnce
f Republicans in this State toward their
'olitical opponents have b, Ell met IN the
ast only by vituperaiipn aud prosecutions;
nd vet the national government, our main
ope of relief and pr Election, a. every one
an see, hesitates and fingers in its acton
D sue b degree as to stain ita own skirt
gith our blood.
Nov, if We poor Republicans Of Loui'i-
ia can, to Some degree, protect ourselves
rom insult, wrcpg, persecution and pso-
rIiption. by the enactment ot "A "hoitsotne
ublic printing bill, imagine we will DO SO
hen the proper time cumes-th" insane
avings of the New Orleans Times never
in the exercise OF tnis degree
t .'State sovereignty" We respectfully anu
rayerfully ask to re "let alone" b. tho
auonal authority.
The foregoing is bnt brief extract from
IL. BlackhnrD's speech, which was poiafed
nd telling throughout, and was delivered