New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-05-30
THE TINES, AND
THE COLOkED RACE.
New ORLEANS. May -. 1873.

NEW ORLEANS. May ~. 1873.
EDi1oH REPUBLicAS:
Permit me TO avail myself Of the use OF
your columns for the purpose of noticin.
the misrepresentation Of "Roundabout in
gard TO the speech me !e by me on Mon
day night at the mass meeting OF our col
Ored fellOw.citizens at Mechanics Institute.
First - Roundabout tTurnabou: II
should be. from the peculiar facility he dis
plays at getting on both sides OF every
question: has had two Interviews, a: least
on paper, one with prominent: colored
man, speaking for the colored people. the
other with q prominent citizen. speaking
for the conservative white people. would
ask Roundabout whether the coiored
man was not also citizen
In his interview with the cO!Ored ma.,
Roundabout asks him the following que=-
ton:
Repor.er-"There are few men among
your recognized leaders who do more to
keep up this feeling than all the rest put
together. They are vulgar, ill-mar 1ered,
Obtrusiye. disa greeable in appearance anu
in behavior. 1t is the thought that such
person. will be broug ht in contact with US
which is SO powerful An obstacle. J. Hentl
Burch is a sample. and there are others
like him. He has also made himself obnox-
ious by persistent misrepresentation OF
all our efforts toward reconciliation. On
Monday night he said that the white people
never thought Of according rights to the
negroe. until they had tiled and failed at
every other plan. Yet Captain Fenner.
gallant soldier and cOurteOu. gentleman.
advocated this very course several years
ago. 1t is true that he was cried down b!
the greedy politicians who surrounded him.
but it is no. true that he stood alone in his
ideas among the white people at large.
Again, this Burch says that the matter was
not seriously discussed in the pres.-tAe
Times particularly-until since the Colfax
affair. This is false. as every one knows
who has read the Times. But it does harm
for all that, because he is one OF your ac-
knowledged leaders, and is permitted 20 ex-
press your sentiments
To this direct appeal to the coioreC man
TO adopt the iepreciative and negro hating
principles Of "Roundabout,' the following
admirable reply is given TO him:
Answer-'.This is not a question o. indi-
viduals. but Of principle. Perhaps we have
some leaders who do US far more harm than
good: but SO have you. They are the out
| growth of this unnatural enmity. and will
exis. as long as the enmity does. Because
one or two men happen to be obnoxious to
you. does that excuse you in withholding
| manifest right FROM an entire race! You
are not arguing fairly and-pardoD NE
| have never done so in this matter
Failing to secure from this prominent
coloced man an aeguiescence or !ndorse-
menc of his peculiar views in reference 20
| j. Henri; Burch he seeks consolation from
| the prominent white citizen. and again
| tegs the question, as follows:
Reporter-"Did YOU notice in the report
| Of tire meeting at the Mechanics Institute
| on Monday night that Burch said that the
white people never made An effort to effect
| political union with the blacks unit. after
| the COlfax troubles! Is this true.
This time Roundabout gets an indorse-
ment in the following words:
| Answer" ".,ot . word OF Il; IL il il.
| Burch is a pestiterous character who is al
ways stirring up strife. A year ago that
| clear-headed gentleman and enterprisin z
| citizen, Isaac n. Marks. Esq. made a
speech in the third ward, in which he said
he and his friends were ready and willing
to guarantee she enforcement OF the civil.
| rights bill"
Not for the benefit Of Roundabout. who
has before wantonly and willtully m.srep-
resented me IN the Times, but in justice
to myself, desire to deny il: l'to
tha: ever said in any speech. or
Monday night last or at any other
time. "that the white people never
thought of according rights to the negroes
until they had tried and failed at every
other plan" / would call Roundabout's
attention to the report OF my speech in The
columns Of his own paper, and II he can tlnd
any such assertion as :ha. imputed to ne
by him. then stand convicted; but If not
then vice versa What I did say was. in
substance. that since it had been announced
that United States Senator Matt H. Car
| perter and congressional delegation were
| abou. to visit New Orleans, had noticed
that the Fusion papers were busily en- gagged
in giving the colored people sound advice
l a., Shax- bod Inna Not II
not consistently nor truly say that the con
servative white men of Louisiana had never
thought of according the colored people
their rights until they had tried and failed
at every other plan,' as know to the con
trary. I will inform Roundabout that 8
little over a year ago. was the only
| colored man who dared brave the expressed
opinions of his colored friends. and takt
| part in q movement in common with tn.
whites. In Lafayette square and ia iron
of the City Hall ] stood side by side will
such prominent conservative white men a!
I. n. Marks, J. H. kennard, Hon j. c
Moncure and other leaders of the Reform
party and raised my voice in common wit!
| theirs in advocacy Of the union OF the ma
terial interests of the races. Ny speeche
on those occasions are on record, and l re
spectfuliy refer "ROundabout'' TO them
Some Of the very celored men whom
"Roundabout" now names as the approprI
| ate persons to lead the colored men int
I this union are the very ones who censure'
ME for my action on those occasions AM
, told me plainly that they had no contdenc
in the white men and would not trust then
under any circumstances. l believed the
| that the white aid colored people wer
, nearer together than they ever were before
and the reason why the programme wa
not perfected needs no repetition here. a
the cause must be well known to Round
! about
"Roundabout" also charges me with say
| inc .'that the matter was not seriously dl;
cussed in the press, the Times particularly
until since the Colfax affair. l viii Civ
Roundabout" the manner in which tn
. | Times has discussed the negro question. 1
its issue of April %, last it says: ''Th
, negroes should remember that their racs
, since the dawn Of history. has been hel
bv other tribes and peoples az an interiO
one. II acauesced in this decree. and az
cepted the badge Of bondage for centurie:
without . protest. Even on his nat!V
plains the African is either tyran: or
Slave. He never achieves freedom sav
: through the agency of white dellverers. an
, never retains it in its fullness. save wher
the teachings and influences OF white civil
zation are present.
. Secondly-In its evening edition Of Ma
10 colored Republican addresses con
munication to Roundabout. who con
ments upon it, and then siyes him the 10
lowin. advice: ..
. 1T .Colored Republican wishes b
! views-and they are sound and health
views-to have proper effect. let him &c
up in public meetings and enunciate then
l Spoken TO his fellow-me and on his pc
{ .sonal responsibility. they will have al! II
more weight
We infer from this that ''Roundabou:
! means, in substance, that if the colore
, | Republicans wish their views to have propt
| a+4ao> lap them oct nm meetin ps of cOlOre