New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-11
THE JARGON OF TIE OPPOSITION


THE JARGON OF TIE OPPOSITION.
In the. confused talk of the opposition,
daily disseminated through its press,
about Radical corruption and usurpation
much appears to convict the opponents Of
Republicanism of gross inconsistencies
and mischievous purposes. In one breath
it will be asserted that President Grant is
tyrant of vulgar origin whom chance
has thrust forward and crowned with the
| highest military and civic honors, while
far better men, men possessed of real
military genius and great powers of states
manship, men endowed with high order
of patriotism and pure and undying
love for self-government have been cruelty
| doomed to retirement and obscurity
simply because they were Democrats OF
the earnest advocates Of '1ost cause. .
Then again it will be asserted in that
same breath that President Grant owes
his high estate to tn Radical party, to
the negro worshiping party of the Union
the party, as we think, that, composed Of
the loyal men of all sections, saved the
integrity of the country by destroying the
Southern Confederacy, decreeing the abo-
lition of slavery and endowing the
freedmen with the rights and duties
Of American citizenship. And in an
other breath, when it suits the pur-
poses of the opposition to strike an
other string Of their ''harp of thou
sand strings they will praise President
Grant, and dropping the word radical
for the time being, will even condescend
to praise the true and gallant men of the
old free States who, as we think, are the
bona fde representatives Of the only true
white mans governm ent in this Union of
republican States. And going little
further in their assembling mood, dis
tinguished members of the opposition
will urge, with much seeming sincerity
and earnestness, the necessity for Presi-
dent Grants serving third term. But,
of course, this dissimulation will deceive
no honest Republican; nor, indeed, will
it deceive any intelligent citizen, black or
white, who means hon estly to perform all
the duties that citizenship imposes upon
him.
The inconsistencies and mischievous
purposes Of the opposition, coming mainly
from Southern States, are clearly displayed
in this double dealing with President
Grant and the Republican masses of the
old free States.
After failing in the attempt first to
break up the Union, and then to
secure code Of reconstruction that
would give the South the power
to virtually recommit the negro to slavery,
the opposition inaugurated a system of
domestic violence intended to nullify the
constitution and laws of the nation con-
ferring upon the freedmen the rights of
citizenship. This conduct was promptly
met by the enactment of more efficient
laws by Congress for the protection Of all
citizens in the exercise Of their politi-
cal rights, and for the better secur-
ity of Republican government in
the Southern States. A partial admin
istration Of what are known as the Ku-
Klux and enforcement laws has thus far
enabled the majority to rule in Louisiana
Of course this could not have been the
case without the aid Of the President
who is made the chief instrument of en-
forcing the laws, even at the extremity of
ordering troops to put down domestic
violence. National troops had to be used
in 1872 to secure an enforcement of
the laws and prevent bloody
war of the minority upon the majority for
the purpose of usurping the control of the
State government. Nothing but the will
Of the President to honestly enforce the
laws made and provided for just such an
emergency as occurred in the last State
election could have stayed the bloody
revolution that was intended to overthrow
'ne Will OF the majority at that time. And
SINCE then there have been many acts Of
domestic violence in the absence of any
election, all going to show that, under the
conditions of suffrage imposed upon the
country by Congress and repeatedly in
dorsed by the nation at large. there can
be no peace in Louisiana without national
aid to enforce national laws, obnoxious
only to men opposed to negro suffrage.
1t is safe to say these men would reject
and reverse all existing results of the late
civil war if they had the power to do 50:
and they are evidently now working for
the return Of the Democratic partv
to power as the best means of achieving
the ends desired. For this reason
the cry Of negro domination in the South