The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-07-31
The White League Democracy.
From the Albany .Journol}

The White League Democracy.
o.. From the Albany Journal
Affairs arc bad enough III Louisiana,
butthe organization of the White League
Democracy. now going on there can only
make matters II hundred fold worse.
The close OF the rebellion and the dis
banding of the army of secession let
loose upon the Southern community
hOrdes of the worst possible men for
that. Important turn III their history.
Many, if not most of them, had been
brought npin idleness. They got their
business,eduGati0n in3the saloon and at
the gamingttahle. They look upon la
Dor as d~ishonOrable. They had been
taught to regard with disdain the learn
ing of trades or the requirement Of skill
and .ability!to earn ones, living by fol,
lowing the humber a%vOcations.
These men refused to accept the new
order, Of. things. Hard work from all
classes was needed to rebuild Southern
industries, but they stubbornly refused
tO-dO their share of it. So they fOment-
ed disc0r1d, did their utmost to breed
discomfort in the Southern mind, cursed
the negro and spent their time in trying
to fan into flame the expiring fires of the
rebellion. ..,.
1t was out Of this material the Ku-
klux was formed. A life of plumber,
rapine and murder was congenial to their
taste. With so numerous and eager re-
crults that shameless band of outlaws
rapidly increased and extended it's fear
full work Of crime over nearly all the
South. 1t was a most foul blot upon the
Southern States, and a burning disgrace
to the whole land that so infamous an
organization of cut throats should exist
beneath the national flag.
But, though its existence was stoutly
and persistent1y denied by a large por-
ton Of the Democratic journals, though
its hellish work vas carried on under
the most terrible secrecy, though it's
heads, bloody bones, andawful pen
alties for the detection Of my Of it's
members were part of it's fiendish ma
chlnery, still it was finally exposed and
broken up. g.
But this bad element still exists. The
breaking up of Ku-Kluxism did not
change the character Of it's members.
They are still indolent. They are as lit
tie reconciled to the situation as ever.
And it is out of the worst elements of
their citizens that this White League is
now being formed in Louisiana. The
preteXb for it is that there is danger of
a general uprising of the negroes and of
q massacre of the white population.
This, OF course, Sthe meanest and wick
eldest subtcrfuge eyer invented by des-
peradoes. NJ 49,. ...
This White League is not q secret or
g%anizatiOn like the Ku-KluxOut of which
it has grown. 1t boldly announces it's
purposes to the world. It's platform de-
"a determination to maintain le-
gal rights by all means that may become
necessary for that purpose, and to pre-
serve them atall hazards" These White
League fellows + e,going L" to teach the
to beware of further inso1ence.n
They arc pledged to establish "a white
mans government" Theirmotto isvir-
"doW1r with the negro"
-DemOcratic papers in Louisiana are
encouraging and urging on the move
ment.> Democratic, clubs are entering
into the White League. The de-
feat of the civil rights bill has given
Them new aud increased bOldness. It
.ooks 4as though a formidable movement
had been commenced to deprive, the col
pred mel OF their political rights under
5he constitution of the country. The
o~retence that the negro will not work is
net and abundantly refuted by the Cot
Exchange of New Orleans, in which
hey GitetoVerWhelming evidence from
he ten cotton States to prove that the
assertion that the colored people are
9lther ind0lent, disOrderly or in the
sllgftestfdegree dangerous to the white,
Is utterly and maliciousiy false.
OF late a good deal, of earnest sympa-
has been awakened throughout the
North in behalf of the South and it's
)eOple. '"Vhe desire to see plenty and
prosperity abound in all the late rebel
has been general and genuine.
There liz capital enough in the country.
% go South and aid in its recuperation
ust as soon as the state of society is
what it ought to be. The South needs
abOr.. Ii needs every worker it has in
is midst and many more. More labor
$ the great WANT in Virginia, Alabama,
other States in the South to-day.
u tippw comes this White League De-
nocracy, born of the pit itself and des-
lined, ,ifnQt checked in the bud, to work
evil in the South. .- %
The negroes have the ballot in their
lands.~ 1t is idle, it is criminal to, at
emptt0 wrestitfrem them. If these
Ntllte Leagues. go on a sad state of at
tals VIII follow We believe there are
good and true men in the South
Who fought under the flag of secession.
t is their solemn duty to rise in their
and strangle this White League,
his newborn child of perdition, before
shall grow to spread desolation over
he South.
TAE PLEAsANTEsT PERIoD or Low
IAKING.r-Mr. Anthony Trollope says in
ne of his works: "Perhaps there is no
eFlod so pleasant among an the pleasant
OF l0ve-making as that in Which
be intimacy between the lovers is so a s.
ared, and the coming event so near, asto
reduce and endure conversation about
Ie ordinary little matters of life; what
teir, disposal /; how that life shall be