New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-09-21

\ M. fr600onG ana FeiiOW ClClz en9-W
como 70 you from the far of South, from th
} | excitement, the latitude of complication
. | which have puzzled statesmen; from scene
of Machavelliau complications, commotion
| seditiOns and massacres, sent by q peOpl
. | whose loyalty has never been questione
! and whOeo cftiSeuship zintDnsiiiee our pstr
otism. We come TO You to present our cas-
and appeal to you for Judgment and justic
upon our municipal affairs. b. - - r
Political and religious persecution, tn
spirit Of adventure and the various attrae
tons which the New World presented in
duced in the settlement of Louisiana Dor
ulatien Of Spanisrds and Frenchmen, di1
fering in language and religion from moe
OF thecolOnists in other parts Of the land
Having ted from expressions in the u,
World and bettered their condition in tn
asylum which America secured, they mani
OF slavery whose traces will require gene
ratioDs to eradicate. While they left in tn,
Old World many of their Gallo ant
Castillian virtues, which would have
rsdisted the land with prosperity anG
blessed the people with happiness and
contentment, they originated, in theil
new home, . wicked spirit of cast whose
blighting influences will long remain a. an
evidence of their folly and ungodliness
L
dominated gradually yielded to the su.
premacy Of the French, who. by their ex.
clusiveness and hostility to all other adyeu.
turers, attempted to perpetuate and s.stain
French language, French customs, French
morals and French peculiarities in Louisi-
ana. The great advantages afforded to
capital and enterprise attracted to the
1 Ous and sympathizing element of native
born Americans, who manifested many of
| the reactionary qualities which descended
from the founders Of. the colony. When the
great struggle came, so perverted were all
classes by an unholy association with wrong
that they blindly and bitterly opposed re-
construction and the new order of public
affairs. -s' s 7i 20 :
Such are the elements, popularity called
white, constituting minority az against
the blacks, who have ruled and governed
us with bitterness and vindictiveness. In
their devotion to slavery they repudiated
the doctrines of their church, which embody
the fatherhood Of God and the brotherhood
OF man. They have ignored the cardinal
principles of Christianity, which teach saen
to do unto others as they would have others
do unto them. They have tranpled upon
every principle Of morality and attempted
to crush out every sentiment of virtue.
They have caused hundreds of thousands
to shed tears OF blood, and Knocked 1T Us in
our misery. They have been the uncom-
promising enemies of the blessings which
We now enjoy; and in the vitiated public
sentiment which proscribes our cOnstitu.
tional rights and humi1istes our manhood,
we recognize the spirit of slavery, stimu-
lated by our old oppressors, which 10 still !
more potent than the organic law Of the |
land. In recurring to the terrible ordeal |
through which We have passed, / am not !
DEPRESSING, but it is to enable you the |
more fully to comprehend our position and |
sympathize with US in our diversity. With. |
out keeping in mind the idolatry OF the /
South for the institution of slavery, the |
events which have occurred since recon-
struction would be involved in q more per
picking mystery than the Oar winian theory
Of man. We come to you with no prestige.
with no popularity and with none Of the in
duences which commend to public favor,
but we come with case which we propose
10 defend, with wrongs which we believe
you will remedy, with outrages which we
hope you will condemn, and with rights
which we trust you will assist in making
'acred all over the land
The population of the State of Louisiana
consists of 365, 900 colored persons and 362, 900
whites. At least 5000 Of those designated |
Is white are known to be colored. Men
Who are sufficiently bleached by climatic
Influences do not find much difficulty in |
1
whites of Louisiana. This class Of persons.
Vho were white men before the war, find it
cry convenient and much to their interest
be colored since reconstruction; and they |
ave, with few exceptions, been unfalter-
1g in their support of the Republ ican |
arty. There are about 10000 foreigners in
be State who persist in their allegiance to '
arious governments in the old world, and !
200 white men who vote the Republican
cket. Now substract the 10000 foreigners
nd 5000 bleaohed colored men who are in. /
uded in the census of the white popula.
on, and the number Of the whites is reduced | '
347, 600; and by adding the 5000 bleached Q
'lOred men to our strength we are in. u
essed to $40, 1000. The 5000 white Repub- r
,an votes embrace population of $4,000 9
'rsons, and subtracting that number from II
I'VE the exact Republican population in v
q State, which is 1896 600, against 322, 600 p
all other shades of political afinites p
ne usual estimate of voters in q popula- q
N is one ont Of every five, which, accord. d
to the figures submitted, gives to the "
spubLcans 79, 900 votes, against $1,000 for y
e opposition. leaving margin of $1,000
1aEor OF The party OF progress. Now you n
We the basis Of strength Of tie two po1iti. | e,
parties, which, with a few facts, viii in
able you to form practical and thorough %,
luton Of Louisiana affairs. Ia
In the reconstruction of the State the &C
lites manifested the most intense bitter q,
ss toward every act which indicated ct
ogress, and believing in the assurances of tn
party of reaction in the North, that it W
!. ni d, soon come into power, they refused eli
'ir Judgment and experience would Ia
ey cherished the hope Of being sh
q to repudiate reconstruction and VI
ain IN some form enough of the spirit of de
very to give them the supremacy. The err
pred men, under direction of the soldiers co
no Union army, who remained in Louisi- &c
after they had been honora bly, mus eel
ed out OF service, entered promptly upon de
work of reconstruction, and gave the an
tie more perfect constitution and bet tn,
system OF laws than had ever been re- lat
ded upon her statute books. wish Won thu
that there is scarcely white | tire
, from the North in our commonwealth, grt
atited with the Republican party, but an,
It has purchased his right of residence ths
DIS blood; and when You hear this col
. stigmatlzed as corrupt and bounded fay
carpetbaggers by mischievous dema- pul
ues and questionable press, YOU will, if fea
are true patriots, Indignantly frown up,
n every effort which would proscrihe str,
american citizen in the exercise OF his wei
ilege. Wv VI --' Pin
nong the men who came 10 the surface ern
ng reconstruction was Henry CLAW tina
moth, who had served as a colonel in per
Illinois regiment, and as he was dasb;ng but
anners, pleasing in conversation. forcl, pie:
u argument, and possessed a maonet- of
which seemed to fascinate most per Pin
who came in contact with him. he se- inst
the nomination, and was, at the age him
Tenty-hve, elected in 1868 the first Rs. at a
lean Governor under reconstruction. Sen
ooner was he inaugurated than he be- 1t
70 ln'rlgue 1or perpetuation of power give
TecOQQiflOn NJ rb 81