The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-08-25
NIB. LAwRENCE's LETTER.

against each other were guided simply by
' true philanthropy, the desire to avert blood
:. shed would probably cause mutual dsband
ing Of forces, and the question upon which
! the war was based would be settled by an ami
cable arbitration. If, however, between tn
most enlightened nations of the world, there
is that mutual distrust which makes then
: rather fly to arms tn Il rest their cause upor
rs the judgment OF heir best minds, how is il
to be expected of a diverse population like
4 that Of Louisiana that force should be made
subordinate to reason?
. The wonder really is that the latter should
have kept the former under for so long time.
For the space Of nearly ten years wisdom has
= wooed Ignorance at the expense not only Of
: denial but even Of abuse; every argument
that could possibly avail among men capable
Of reasoning has been used, every protfer has
been made the colored man to induce him to
range himself with the white man ia the
cause Of honesty and good governs ent, and
in every instance these arguments and these
proffers have been mistaken for signs Of weak
ness and rejected, nay trampled on with
scorn.
Now, therefore, our choice is narrowed
down 70 two alterr atives-either to lay aside
all sef-respect all pride of education and all
sense Of duty and to degrade ourselves into
bondage, until our masters have acquired
sufficient 5elt-respect and education to enable
them to see the evils they have wrought, and
! to amend them or to de lare that self
respect, pride and sense of duty which in
heres III Us, by determined decision Of the
issue. By this we do not mean to say tina
the necessity exists for resorting to the ex-
| tremity Of arms, but most earnestly to ex-
press our conviction that the first alternative
could never be embraced by uhae men.
Tie platform of the Crescent City White |
League, which we take to be in the main the |
platform of all the White Leagues in the State,
falls just short Of actual warfare Its genius
is that the white population, possessing the
wisdom and the power, should and ought to
be the controlling factor in the Government
of the State. That owing to the utter failure
of every effort to concilate in the past, the
most direct means of protection are to be en-
pioyed in the future. White men, therefore,
have simply prepared for conflict which is
being forced upon them-no declaration OF
war is made, none invited: on the contrary it
is declared that every blessing which peace
citizen, but that these blessings shall be at
the hands of enlightened wise and generous
men, acting under high sense Of duty to
themselves, and not wrung from them by
fraud and abused to the destruction of both
white and black.
Again, with regard to leagues white and
black The inception of these armed leagues
in the South is the handiwork Of white men,
principle, patriotism, single virtue ,
that adorns humanity. They first organized
the so-called Union Leagues, into which none c
could come who were not the ayowed enemies :
litical ground, but simply and alone upon the :
ground Of race and color 1t is against these j
-ame white scoundrels and armed leagues that r
the White Leagues initiate. They do no more |
than warn the oolored people to stand aloof :
from these vile scoundrels, and, to render the .
=
thoroughly prepared for strife. {
The basis Of color VIII necessarily force | :
separation Of white from black SO that it will $
be known who they are that among white men r
dare to against decency honesty and the \
wholesome restraints Of good government !
No war Of races can result, unless the colored q
race elect to uphold with arms corrupt white =
men and those Of their own race who have
become utterly vile by their contact and per- q
sunsion. a
Mr. Lawrence's friendship for the colored Il
man must be very narrow if he can longer
consent to let him hold the helm and dash the h
struggling ship of State upon the rocks, in :.
yolving both races in utter humiliation. y
He must see that the safety Of both races h
depends upon the supremacy Of the white
nan, and that whereas there is now no field
or the exercise of his friendship towards his
'olored brethren, there would, under white
mans government, not only be field, but d
.so al imperative duty to exercise in that IL
ield a benevo'ent and elevatirg influence ii
lpon them. He cannot fail to know that the =
OF hlgher race 10 raise lower d
0 its own level is far clearer and far stronger Il
han the responsible of a lower race to ele- Fl
ate itself to the standards Of the higher, or al
ven to respect those standards at all. C
In the White Leagues Of Louisiana a,
re now organized and armed fourteen
thousand men, over one-half OF them in G,
red to battle and privation Ii, then, he n,
rays his Judgment against such numbers, to
rho have passed through so many perils and Il
Undergone 80 much suffering, he is c. rtainly s,
n error, if not in contempt, and though the Ii
eady access which his letter has had to the r,
ress, would indicate that his opinions have -
9th weight and value yet we are forced to n
onclude that as against the platform Of the n
White League and its supporters they are both n
pht and trfl no 49,