New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-16
NEW 'oRIEANs' sEPUBLloAN THURSDAY, JULY g, 1874

been deprived Of the right to cast her vot
j for Republican President simply Be
cause the majority of her voters were cci
ored men. That the President had NOR
than an ordinary purpose for making 81
reasonable request can not be doubted
he desired to see his countrymen ono
more united in bonds of peace and friend
ship. This was necessary condition t
lead them to the path of prosperity AND
happiness which they had deserted whel
they were tempted to unsheath the swort
and meet in deadly conflict How vel
the solemn injunction Of the President ha
been observed by those opposed to Repub
ican rule, none has had better opportu
nifty to know than he. Every election
since held in the Southern States ha:
been marked with more or less bloodshei
and violence, Notwithstanding the strin
gent laws that have been enacted by Con
gress to protect each citizen in his civil
and political rights This constant ten
dency to revolution through the shedding
OF blood has had a depr essing effect, 10,
only upon republican government in the
South, but upon the prosperity of the
people. This is admitted by all parties,
although there is wide difference OF
opinion in regard to the same-the Re-
publicans contending that the bad con-
duct of the Democracy in not obeying
the laws has produced these ruinous re-
suits, while the Democrats contend that
they are attributable to the bad conduct
of Republican Office holders. Now,w while
it is undoubtedly true that some Repub-
lican office holders have acted very badly
in the discharge of their public duties,
and in this way have added to the troubles
of the South, particularly in Louisiana, it
must be nceded that to the bad conduct Of
the Democracy is traceable the major part
OF our evils, embracing those of most
dangerous character 1t is doubtless bad
for men in Office to defraud the State,
bad for legislators to take brides, bad
to abuse the authority of the people
in any way, but as bad as all these
crimes may be they are inferior to the
crime of those persons who combine to
rob the people of their political rights;
who murder in cold blood in order that
they may eventually clothe themselves
with power that should emanate from the
people, through a peaceful expression of
their will rendered at the ballot box in
compliance with law. These heinous Of
lenses are at the bottom of ell the evils
that af1ict Louisiana and the most of the
Southern States. To arrest the tendencY
to murder and protect peaceable citizens
against the appraised hand of assassins, gov
ernment-State and national-has been
compelled to keep up at a heavy public
expense large bodies of soldiers Or police
And all this has been required to be done
for the last six years in the face of the
fact that President Grant had asked the
men who are prone to murder to ''let us
have peace. The history of the Southern
States since the surrender Of the rebel
armies should be better known by the
President than any other man, for he has
had occasion to make it his constant
study. He does not require to be told
that Democratic violence prevented the
people Of this State from casting their
votes for him for President in 1858, and
again, practically, in 1872; nor should he
require to be told that since that time the
aid of national troops has been necessary
to prevent the turbulent Democracy from
taking violent possession of the State
government. What, then, is there
to lead him to suppose that the
rebel Democracy are prepared to do any
better in the coming political campaign
than they have done in The past Nothing
But there is much to convince him that
they do not mean to ''let US have peace
and fair election if he is not on hand
prepared to enforce the laws; prepared to
protect the people in all their rights.
Already we are admonished that violence
will be resorted to in order to carry the
State for the Democracy if force is not
used to enforce the laws; and it Is boldly
asserted that the President is opposed to
the further use of national troops to enforce
the laws. We must confess that we are
10th to believe the President has come
to any such conclusion; and yet we
find many intelligent persons who
believe he has; and the impression having
gained wide credence is producing very
bad effects in many portions of our State,
where the work of intimidation has already
The parish of Claiborne
has most recently been made the victim of
Democratic violence. Senator Blackburn
writes that the Democrats, a few days since,
broke up Republican meeting by killing
q man; and that since that they have
openly declared that no more Republican
meetings shall be held in Claiborne parish.
And the same course is being pursued by
the Democracy in many other parishes.
It is we'll known that the pecuniary eondi-
ton of our State is not such as to enable
it to put stop to this condition of things
by. calling out a sufficient force of militia
Or police, and, therefore. our chief reliance
for protection must be upon the President.
THE CHICAGO FIRE.
If Louisiana is subject to distressing