New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-18
The Southern Caurse. -.

The disclaimer made by Southern mea IN
| respect to the Outrages perpetrated upon
the coiored people of that section-whether
they are made in sincerity by those who
! abhor the atrocities or out OF regard to
mere prudence by such as tear federal in.
tervention-is all very we'll SO far as it goes.
but considerable more is necessary to stay
the arm OF the government. now raised for
the protection of its citizens. The States
concerned must themselves, and promptly.
do justice in the premises. Governor
Brown. of Tennessee, tells those who con.
verse with him that the lynchers in
Gibson county shall be punished. Very
we'll: let the country see it done. The lead
ing merchants. bankers. and professional
men Of Shreveport deny that any residents of
that parish were concerned in the recen:
murders or that any iawiessness exists be.
yOnd the power OF the local authorities to
control. and ask the President to send a
commission there to ascertain the truth. Do
they imagine that this is ali they are called
upon to do or say in the emergency. The
murders were committed, and the men who
did it ought to be ferIeted out and pun.
ished by the authorities of Shreveport. no
matter where they came from-and that we
do not yet see even attempted. Under
these circumstances, then, the chief mayis.
trate whose duty 1t is to have the laws exc.
cuted must send quite other agents than an
investigating committee. and he has rightly
directed the Secretary OF Wax to attend to
the matter.
Under these circumstances the Demo.
cratic State Central Committee of Louis.
lana waste their breath in condemniny the
State officers as responsible for the recent
Outrages. instead of themselves actively
joining in the work CT redressing the wrongs
done. What has happened in Louisiana,
where Republican officers are thwarted by
Democratic turbulence. ia the precise coun.
terpart OF the atrocities perpetrated under
Democratic rule in Kentucky and Tennes.
see. The sameness OF the symptoms dis
played at this time throughout the South
point to common Origln-the same with
which the public was familiarized under the
administration of Andrew johnson. Then
the old shareholders Of the South ina gined
that they were coming into'power. and they
at once began to discount their triumph
in the KuKlux orgies. During the last two
or three months they have again taken the
delusiOn that the Republicans were to be
defeated by the Democrats at the coming
elections. and many Of them have actually
harbored the preposterOus notion that
President Grant was yet to have the favor
of the TOOmbses and JEFF Davises. Such
madness again unlocked the old arrogance
of caste and disregarded the bounds of
prudence in applying the White League
theories. The loyal country needs no more
of these lessons as to the absolute fatality
of committing power to the parricidal
hands which it took a four years war to
bind. What it now wants TO know is how
many Of these men have so far repented
that they are willing to uphold the laws.
and how large proportion of law-abiding
men Of all kinds is there now available in
the South: We are all looking anxiously
for information on that point. which will
determine the action of the government,
and the Southern men who want peace and
a good name had better turn their efforts
Journal. SeDtemLer