New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-11

UuSrdtIul. but "HUur AS JUST d Atuo
vain-which, l believe, is a trait insepara-
bic from genius-and If he allows that de-
| feet to guide him, he must not expect the
| world to make obeisance long at time, but
| must expect the public admiration to come
| by fits and starts-to ebb and flow for and
| against him. And this has been precisely
! his fortune as a public man. AS State
Senator for tour years since the WARRIOR he
| was elected to the Senate from Claiborne,
| Bossier and Bienville after he served his
| term in the lover house-Ee acted well, and
| said and did many good things, for all of
which the public admired him just little
| by spells, and has now almost forgotten
| him, simply because he speaks too often
| and too long on al occasions, and admires
| himself little too much. Wilbur will ex-
cuse me for saying this, fo9 i. is the truth,
and say it for his good alone. In fact, l
| love him like brother.
Harmon Drew was a man OF more ster.
| ling and innate talent than either Moreland
or Blackman, bat perhaps OF less public
nerve than either. Certainly far less than
| Blackman. Moreland and Drew both
watched the public feeling and made it a
rule, if possible, never to cross it. And
| this is the main reason why Moreland is
! to-day in the '.Kellogg legislature So
| called. The people Of Claiborne are tired
| Of this wraDgle as to who shall run the
! State government OF Louisiana, and look
upsa the temporizing policy Of Congress
Sr,.l hos y Iol
by common public sentiment tina: the
men returned as elected should take their
seats IN the recognized Legislature and go
to work and try 20 Go something FOR the
State.
BIZ: It is Of Harmon 4. Drew that am
now speaking. He possessed very little OF
what term mora! stanina'-the will to
go ahead and do wha: a man thinks is
right, both as a citizen and as an official,
regardless of the whim. and caprices of
tie public. Even Cicero, with all his
greatness. lacked this trait TO most la-
mentable degree. think this the redeem.
ing trait ia American citizenship. Drew
did not possess it; and We: he was among
the best Of men, and had a taien. and an
education far above ordinary. He was a
lawyer. and had a superior legal mind and
acumen. His reasoning as a lawyer was
more safe and sure than brilliant. He saw
to the bottom of a principle, and could
portray it slowly bu: surely. And he had
the faculty or accomplishment: OF putting
his thoughts in writing in mos: clear,
comprehensive and tangible shape. He
wrote fine hand. as plain as print.
punctuated perfectly correct. and never
misspel: /. word; remarkable thing Tor a
man who is not practical printer OK al old
and experienced editor.
knew Hartman Drew when a BOY. lie
and we're Of about tie same age. He was
a native Of Claiborne parish, Louisiana,
and ]. of Randolph county. Arkansas. /:
was in Arkansas that ] knew him. when
we were both boys, OF young men. lie was
then a law STUDENT, an apprentice il a
printing office. Ills brother. Thomas S.
Drew, was about tina: time. Governor c:
Arkansas, and was a dear friend and bene-
factor Of my sainted mother and her orphan
children.
The memory fingers over these scenes
and associations with inexpressibie emo
tons, and the beautiful lines of Burns to
his Mary in Heaven" come up in this con-
necton. and demand ut:erance-
"StiM Ger these scenes my memory wakes.
ana fondy brooks with mser care:
Time but the imprt ssicn stTol 60 makes.
as streams their channels deeper veal
And poor Harmon Drew went the same
way tina: Robert Burns went-:he same
road to the tomb which thousands and tens
OF thousands of the hes. hearted men
throughout the civilized world are daily
travelling.
Such is d brief sketch of the traits and
character Of the three gentlemen who were
elected 10 the lower house Of the Legisia-
ture from Claiborne parish at the first cleo
ton after the close OF the war-as good
average men in every ,espec: as could be
found in any legislative body TO-DAY in
Anerica-and the same OF ths Senators
who We're elected from that locality at that
election; and am ;hus careful in personal
allusion in order to show the more plainly
and strikingly the temper and design. in a
political and legislative sense. of what is
termed the leading class of white men in
the South-the leading class in a social
sense. and fain would be the ruling e.as. il
every sense.
These gentlemen were elected 20 ;hc
Legislature, and wha. did they do. OF
course they did nothing dishonorabie or
uDjus: from their standpoint. They be.
iieved slavery right, and were vexed. if rot
because they had all owned slaves. Hence,
any legislation tina: would tend 20 remand
tho colored man as nearly back into
a state OF bondage as possible. natu-
rally seemed just % them. And here !
ia come. the romance at Democratic |
tince Tie war. a. wei: as
of politics in the backwoods. Ny worthy |
friend. ColOne! John McEnery--row by |
some called "Governor' FOR short-was also |
a member Of the first Louisiana Legislature |
after the close Of the war. And what was |
tbs nature and character Of the laws passed |
Nv ,hat Legislature Was there 30 TO
:nan.. in tina. legislation No e1trava-
gance! l need only point 10 the !eVee ana |
other eXtravagant appropriations. and to |
the law which required freedmen 10 show
'.pas." II found out 0: doors after a certain
hon. q. the night. Rather romantic. l
should ,hink-no: TO say funny-.o REQUIRE
I citizen Of a tree country 70 carry a
pass" in his own native heath: The ghost
II McGregcr would certainly laugh at such
!. thought. 1t sounds strangely even now;
,ut would not these gentlemen-I mean
Gentlemen Of their politics and OF their
anna N IL rntinrs of nnliticai ard cit.il ms |