The New York herald., 1874-09-16
A Lesson from Louisinna-Peace and
Reconstruction.

There is lesson underlying the painful
transactions in New Orleans that comes to us
with painful emphasis. The kettledrum
newspapers, which lie before us, fresh and
damp from the press, have painful irony in
their denunciatons of the HERALD's plan for
reconstruction. They tell US that the Southern
States are at peace that order reigns, that oil
classes Of the people are contented, that the
negroes are patient, the white men resigned
to the domination Of the carpet-bagger and
the Southern adventurer, that any proposal
tor convention is simply an appeal to the
rebel sentiment of the South to give its sup
port to the democratic party, that the rebels
should feel that they were nobly treated when
we did not hang them, and that our duty is
to march on inexorably in the path we have
SO long followed. While we read these angry
comments the news comes that Louisiana is
in the throes of civil war, that successful
revolution possesses her government, that the
President has issued a proclamation COM
manding peace and submission, that men have
been slain in the streets OF New Orleans, that
armed troops threaten new conflicts, and that
President Grant is ordering all the military
and naval forces of the country to New
Orleans.
The effect Of these events is to anger the
Northern people, to lead to precisely the
results that came after the fall of
Sumter, the assassination of Lincoln and
the New Orleans massacre in 1866. Re-
construction. which should be a question Of
the coolest policy on the part Of the ruling
powers, now becomes passionate political
demonstration. All the war feeling of the
North will be aroused on behalf of the repub-
lcan party. The democrats will be held re-
sponsble for the acts of every Southerner who
disturbs the peace. The willy politicians who
have been organizing fora third term will find
tremendous argument in favor Of the contin-
uance of Grant in power. 1t will be said thnt
the rebellion is not ended, and that Grant
alone can preserve the peace. Grant, who
rose by the sword, will again rise by
the sword. We shall have the swell
ing of that tide which came when Sumter
fell The republican party will return to
power in q moment of panic. The men who
control the Southern States will remain in
power, and these noble Commonwealth, once
SO rich and proud, will drift along in their
ucerous condition-the prey of adventures
who rob the treasury and who preach the gos-
pei Of reputation. The genuine sentiment
of friendship for the South, which rests in no
breasts SO strongly as in those who made the
greatest sacrifices for the Union, will be pow
erless. We shall have short season of pas
sion and hatred, the continuance of the repub-
lican party, the probable reelection OF the
President-in itself blow at democratic in
stitutions more vital than would have been
the success of the rebellion.
These signs which We saw clearly in the
heavens, but which were not manifest to the
kettledrum newspapers have eliminated in
the revolution in Louisiana. The ''HERALD
sensation" has again proved to be HERALD
prophecy. Only yesterday we called upon
the people to look carefully at the South, for
mischief was brewing, and now we see what
we see Who shall say that the followers OF
the Penn movement wero not perfectly justi-
fed in their protest against the rule of the
Kellogg usurpaion? And who can deny that
all this might have been prevented had we
met the Southern people in a proper spirit?
We were silent when they complained. We
needed none of their complaints. We
put away their sorrows. We saw nothing
of the executive and Judicial infamies
in Louisiana, nothing of the treason.
able schemes which ripened almost to
the verge OF boodshed in Louisiana If ever
people were justified in resisting the rule of
the authorities it is the people OF Louisiana.
Beginning with the close Of the rebellion, we
have had dynasty OF scoundrels in the Ex-
ecutive chair of Louisiana. 1t speaks well for
mitted SO patiently. For they are not prone
to submission. In former times, when the
Know Nothing excitement swept over the
country, during the war and since the war we
have had outbreaks. There is in New Orleans
the same restless spirit that we have seen in
Paris. Nor should this surprise us when we
remember that large section of the people
are descended from Frenchmen. 1t is as nat
ural for Frenchman to take to barricade as
it is for terrapln to take to the stream, and |
we can almost fancy when we read the narra-
tives of this revolution that we are reading of
the French revolutions of 1880 and 1913.
But we cannot have barrcade republic.
However righteous the cause oil Mr.. Penn this
will never do. 1t is terrible to contemplate q
st. Domingo war of races and the policy of
reputation that threatens to attend the Access
sion of the carpet-bag adventurer to power. 1t is
far more terrible to contemplate The triumph
into our politics that any party, no matter
what the provocation, may take up arms, and,
if successful, receive unquestioned recognition
from the general government, and our Ameri-
can Republic will rest upon q foundation
andu that which the Erench and