New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-11-13

striven, and toward which it has led it's
enthusiastic hosts, unfagging, until the
first three have been achieved. The last,
being in its nature incomplete, still blazes
on its banners as the leading star Of its
journey, permitting no retrograde, but
reckoning its followers ever onward, ever
upward Success so dazzling, SO over
whelming has had the usual effect of all
success. 1t has tempted the unprincipled,
the ambitious and the covetous to assume
the uniform of the victorious army and
feign zeal for its principles in order to
promote its own selfish ends. BY taking
advantage of the temporary public dis
order incident to and following civil war
and by tie corrupt use Of money cor
ruptly obtained, these wolves in sleeps
clothing have foisted themselves into posi-
tons of trust and responsibility to which
they have no claim neither that Of fitness
in themselves nor free selection on the
part of The communities they spoliate
and disgrace. Tie places thus iniquit-
ously obtained are as iniquitously mis-
used, and the odium which should at
tach 20 the individual evil doer alone is
eagerly attached TO the party which such
i'll doer grossly misrepresents. The Re
publican party thus suffers from its own
successes; is hampered by the dead weight
of unworthy members, so that the strength
which should be employed in its great
mission is exhausted in defending itself
from the attacks invited by those who
should be to it an element OF strength
instead of weakness. If we are to sue
coed in our work the diffusion Of knowl-
edge among all classes, and the perfection
of homogeneousness among the various
sections Of our country, W. must see that
every man is fitted to the part assigned
him, and rigidly exclude all who not only
prove false to their duties, but those
who fail to excel. We can not
at this time afford to have any
demoralizing or corrupt elements, for
our successes Heretofore have been due
as much to the purity of character Of cur
leaders no less than the truth of our prin-
ciples. 1t is useless to disguise the fact
that an officer for whose acts a constant
repetition of apologies and explanations
is necessary should give way to some
more discreet person. If we have any
such, the sooner we are rid of them the
better it will be for the future. They
should rather so shape their conduct that
every act will be complete vindication
in itself.
In the great work OF political purifca-
ton, all who feel any interest in the well
fare Of the country must lend a helping
hand. The leading men of the Repub-
lican party must take an active part; the
rank and file must help, the press must
do yeoman service, all decent men, though
unaftiliated with any party, must lend
hand, priests and women, even, every
body who has any influence whatever in
the formation Of public opinion or the en-
forcement of its judgments, must do
whatever is possible iu this great work.
We want no grumbling, impractical Ham
lets in this emergency, whining out, "The
times are out Ct joint; Q, cursed spite y
but earnest, resolute men, who will take
hold with the stern determination to set
it right. Political purgation is the press
ing need of the Republican party. Let US
set about it.