The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-06-21
THE LATE NEW DEPARTURE.

The Southern people are noted Tor
shutting the stable door after the horse
is gone" After the war we opposed re-
construction, negro suffrage, and still
later, after reconstruction, the admis-
sion of colored people to steamboat
cabins, hotels, coffee houses, etes, fire.
quented by white people. In the be-
ginning we received cordially all car
pet-baggars who opposed granting
these semi-social rights to the negroes.
The great object was to keep the negro
out of office, and from a~ssociating with
the whites at these public places. Even
at the last election the great objection,
apparently, on the part OF the Demo
Gratis, to the Kellogg or Republican
ticket, wal G. c. Antoine was on it for
Lieutenant Governor, and they raised
the hue and cry that the Republicans
intended to Africanize the State. But
now the election is over, they say they
prefer Antoine to Kellogg.
The war ended eight years ago; and
from opposing negro freedom in the
beginning, we have been driven back,
step by step, to negro suffrage, negro
office holding, negro political and civil
equality, and now at last to a negro
semi-social equality, men of foresight
knowing all the time that these things,
Notwithstanding the spasmodie and
bitter opposition, would surely come
in the end.
In to-day's paper we give the proceed
ings and resolutions of certain promi-
nent citizens of this State, both white
and colored, which speak for them
selves. Suffice it to say, all that the
most intense Radical carpet-bagger or
strongest social equality colored man
ever asked for, isfreely granted.therein,
not as a favor, but as a just right. This
thing has evidently been done for an
object; and judging from the names ap-
pended to the resolutions and proceed
ings, we believe the object to be a good
one. lie it had been done in the be-
ginning the object would have in all
probability been accomplished, and all
the subsequent political bitterness and
violence and bloodshed been avoided.
And if the State during all these years,
since reconstruction, has been prinei-
pally controlled by the negroes and
carpet-baggers, it is most probably be-
cause this thing was not done at the
outset. And Judging by the present
action, whose fault was itg Tf it was
wrong then, is it not wrong now? If it
is polite now, it was still more polite
then, for the reasons that havejust been
given. Prejudice was in the way, and
there were not enough influential old
white citizens in the State who had the
moral courage to take the step in OPP
position to the rule orruin" politicians
who intended to run the State in their
own interests, forgetting that the feder-
al government would surely protect the
rights and the exercise of the rights ac-
quired by the colored people under the
laws of Congress and amendments to
the constitution. And thus, by pregu-
dice, we have passed through tribula-
ton to what could have been reached,
leaving prejudice out, without any tri-
bulation at all.
But now the thing is done, will the
expectations Of the white partieipators
be realized? Does the recognition OF
the colored peoples rights by the
whites, obligate the former to vote fol
the latter for public Office, outside OF
their own party7 Most of the colored
men are in the Republican party, and
their leaders are leaders in that party.
and are withal shrewd politicians; will
they leave that party which they control
to a great extent, to go into the OPP
posing party where they would have
but a small voice2 On this point the
whole matter hinges, whether the col
oredleadersw wills ayinthepartytowhic
they have heretofore belonged, or will
they go into q party with their new
friends; or viii their new friends GO
into the Republican party with them
There is not q particle of difference il
principle the only question is one Of
individual advantage.