New Orleans Republican., 1873-08-13

serving tnaI ex-senator AeliOSg. VI LOUIS
lana. whom the P;cay1ae particularly
league, Senator West in every honorable
impulse. are believed here to be the
full equal of Judah P. Benjamin and
that other carpet bagger, john Siidell. who
led that State into reuelIiOn. The PcayuNc
can hardly be ignorant OF the fact that Mr.
BENJAMIN, who afterward filled tho posi-
tiOns OF Secretary of War and Secretary OF
State under the so called Confederate gov
ernment, was convicted by Robert Toonbs
on the floor of the Senate OF one of the
grossest legislative swindles ever perpe
trated in a deliberative body, for the pecu-
mary benefit of himself and colleague.
And if it were deemed advisable a long list
OF cases equally oUrra geOus could be readily
added. The rule. we are happy to record.
has bsen on the other side. The grea. ma
iorlty OF the leading men of the South, as
well as OF the North, have been men of
probity and honor. And the American who
does not know this is unfit to edit a news
paper; and he who. knowing it, asserts to
the contrary. is a disgrace to his race.
Recurring to the Picay.nes demonstra-
ton of its thesis, We quote:
We ask i. to cast It's eyes over the list
of Presidents before the wartime South
ern men aud but six Northern and the
South. in ar increasing minority from the
day the government of the United States
commenced What is this but practical
acknow ledg gment of the superior worth or
craftsmanship of the Southern men,
This effort at reasoning is puerle. The
selection OF nine Presidents from the South
ern States and only six from the North il
thinks may be regarded az public declar-
alton by the nation at large that the North
ern and Western States have been less pro-
life OF suitable material for Presidents
Where the Picayune finds nine men
elected to the office OF President from the
southern States may be troublesome to
others to discover. Most students of
American history have read OF the election
OF Washington; Jefferson, Madison, Mon
roe, Jackson, Polk and Taylor The other
two-Tyler and Johnson-were not elected
to the Office of President, and the latter
| WAS not President before the war. The
elder Adams, j. q. Adams, Van Buren,,
Harrison. Pierce, Buchanan and Lincoln
wera also elected before the war. Seven
from the South and seven from the North.
And Mr. Grant has been elected since the
war closed and after all the States were
admitted to representation, through their
| electoral colleges. Thus il will be seen
| lected from the South and eight from the
North. Hence the Pcayunes facts are
seen to be at fault.
But as several OF these Southern gentle
men were reelected it may be conceded
| that the South has had more than its due
proportion OF popular favor in this respect
The Picayans. hO wever, neglects to notice
| that OF the seven Southern Presidents four
were from Virginia. two from Tennessee
and one from Mississippi. The other twelve
| Southern States have never since the
| foundation OF the republic been so honored.
Will it draw the conclusion that they were
all destitute Of Ill men Tor this di5.ing guished
| office. that Virginia. Tennessee and Missis-
| sippi alone have men of sufficient capacity
and honor! It ought to be ashamed Of
such twaddle.
Its assertion that all the Northern Presi-
| dents ''strove by construction to enlarge
| the sphere of the government Of the United
| States beyond the general powers the con-
! stitution conferred over all local and see.
| tionai interests" is rather hard on the De-
| mocracy of Van Buren, Pierce and
| Buchanan. If the last two were untrue to
| the States rights doctrines OF the Democ-
racy it will be useless for Democrats of the
| North in future to bend the stple hinges OF
! the knee tnat thrift may follow fawning.
The Picqy1.ie thinks the administration
| Of the government under Southern rule
| was conspicuously fearless n its torei N
| policy. and mentions the war with Great
Britain in favor of free trade and sailors
rights" and the war with Mexico. as Illus
trat.ons. But it torgets to state that the
war with Great Britain was concluded with
out any concessions on the question Of con-
! troEersy: that our British cousins never
yielded their assumed legal right to impress
| their native subjects. although naturalzet
| citizens OF the United States, on board our
| merchant ships on the high seas, until since
| the Republicans obtained the control of the
national government; and that although
the administration of President Polk was
! sufficiently coura geous in wag!ng war with
the weak republic Of Mexico, it showed the
| white feather on the dogma "tifty-four
forty or fight" although Nj. Polk asserted
that our right to all territory south OF that
| parallel was clear and indisputable.' 1t
! may not he that the relative power OF Mex
| leo and Great Britain OccasiOned this dif-
ference in the manifestation Of Southern
! courage. and the backing down of the South
| from the avowals of the ''Osterd mani
| festo." signed BIZ one Soule. one John Y.
Mason and Mr. James Buchanan, may be
| no evidence of = lack Of courage OF capa-
, city.
Ita reference to General Grants having
been convicted OF talsehood is con:emptible
! Ii SAYS:
And NOR. than this-did the Southern
I people eve. lift To their highest places OF
trust and honor any man convicted OF false
hood. General Grant by the unanimous
testimony of the whole Cabinet Of Pres!
dent johnson. WAS convicted OF taisehood
and perhdy.'
In the atai, supposed to bc referred tc
Presiden. johnson asserted that General
Grant, before he was appointed Secretary
of War al interim, agreed TO do something
which he aiterward failed 70 perform. Gen
eral Grant and President: johnson differed
in their reco!lections of the word. used bJ
Genera! GRAFT in this reputed conversation
Some OF the members of Johnson's Cabinet
! sustained the Presidents allegations. espe
! Cial!v those who were anxious TO retaiT
their places. Some of them Mr.. SewarC
! among them. declined to make the state
ments required by their chief. Bat i
! President johnson and his whole Cabne
had in fact arranged themselves on one side
and General Grant had stood alone on tn
other on a question as to what the Genera
promised to do and failed to perform, tn
American people would no. hesitate Ion;
| NV t.,h hoI;