The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1873-05-10
Mr.. ADAMS ON LOUISIANA.

The Hon. Charles Francis Adams
thus expresses his views on the I4ouisi-
ana difficulty, to tho reporter OF the
New York Herald:
| "What 1 consider the most serious,
and a. having the greatest effect for the
future, is the trouble in the South. This
fighting in Louisiana, in Grant parish,
is something to be viewed, not only
with tho deepest regret, hut with alarm
also. or course, you Will not under
! stand me, as alluding to this more iso-
lated encounter, but to the system of
things that has made such work possi-
bic if not necessary, and which seems
either unable or unwilling to exert itself
to evoke q better political and social
system, and to establish it firmly. The
whole policy has been wrong. l always
rested my faith for the healthy restora-
| ton Of the energies OF the South upon
Mr.. Stewards policy, and still think
it was the best. Tho whole ground
work Of the present plan seems to have
no other possible logical effect than to
create and foster sectional and heredi-
tary animosities. 1t has been a great
mistake to elevate tho negro to tho full
estate cofcitizcnship so rapidly; it should
bS >AVAS) Ny ISsslSSS , stS 4lS oSSSNlAS
fitted to appreciate and enjoy tho pro-
rogatives with which he becomes in
vested. 1t should have been the work
of generation or two, not OF n year,
and then he would have been qualified
by education and an appreciation of
his self-depcndence and responsibility
to maintain his citizenship. AS he
now stands in the Southern States, he
has not learned tho proper use and
meaning of his franchise, and exercises
it, not upon reflection, but virtual die
tatiOn. He has been rewarded with
the suffrage, so that II party or Il clique
might reap the benefit of tho instru-
mcnt placed in his hands. Almost
everything that could be done has been
done, at the same time, to depress the
best element in the South. If real,
sound restoration is to come, it must be
in y measure wrought through the old
masters, the wealthy and educated peo-
one class holds all tho lands, tho other
holds all the iabor;each is Impoverished
and embarrassed without the co-opera-
tion of tho other, and yet, instead of CO.
operating, we find them subject to
system of local rule which arrays thom
at bitter variance. The South has
always yielded more than it's best pro-
portion of tho best minds tho country
has produced, but it avails nothing now.
1t is kept down in order to onablo tho
present political masters to WELD ignor-
ance for their own aggrandiscmcnt."
"Do you believe, Mr.. Adams, that
the presence OF a relative Of tho Presi-
dent in Office in Louisiana is calculated
to have good effect among tho pco-
plc?"
Mr.. Adams laughed us he replied,
"Well, my opinion is that President
should not put his relations into oflice
anywhere. People naturally look upon
such appointments with II degree of
distrust, and think an Executive who
considers his own interests fully would
refrain from doing it. Tho relatives OF
any man In high position, arc, naturally
enough, supposed to have somo intlu-
encc, great or little, upon his judgment,
and wherever they hold positions they
arc more likely to be made tho medium
OF improper approaches to their more
powerful relative than thoy could bo If
they were not SO brought into contact
with the field OF wir" pulling politi-
cianS,'