The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-07-24
Northern Opinion on the "White
League."
From the New Orleans Times.

would certainly destroy that strong feel
ing of friendship for the honest and
reputable people of this State which has
| lately grown up in the North, and which
is of such value to us, not only III Kidding
ourselves Of corrupt politicians, but III
obtaining that material assistance from
Congress which we so much need. The
truth of our prediction is becoming evil
dent sOoner than we anticipated. Read
the following review Of the subject from
the Baltimore American of the 18th, Il
conservative Republican paper. The
/ American is not bitter or abusive; (un-
less it be against our plnnderers) 1t
makes no threats but reviews the case
calmly and thoroughly from the North
ern standpoint, and tells a good deal of
truth which it will be wholesome for
everybody to hear:
1t seems as if a fatal madness had
smitten apOrtiOn OF the people OF Louis
lana. Much as they have suffered from
pestiIence and food and political mis-
rule, their own folly has been by far the
most prolific source of calamity. They
fought against the inevitable not only
with persistence, but with ferocity. To
them the spectacle of a cOlored man eX-
ercisi1lg the franchise of Il citizen, and
claiming the rights and privileges that
belong to a freeman, is so revolving and
50 utterly repugnapt to their political
traditions and social usages that they
deliberately invite every evil that resist
and prosperity as the result of ~acquies-
cence and federation. They regard the
subOrdination" OF the colOred people
as the supreme object of political effort,
and any settlement Of the political and
social relations of the races that cOme
short of this is not desired.
For more than two years the neWspa-
pers have been filled with denunciatiOns
of the "KellOgg" government, and the
corrupt intrigues by which j. few; UNI
scrupulous adventures have kept them
selves in Office. We shall not discuss
the legal and constitutional questions
that are involved in the contest between
Kellogg and McEnery, nor shall we ex
press any opinion upon the prOpriety Of
the Presidents course in recognizing the
former as the de factO Governor. We
have no doubt, however, but that Presi-
dent Grant acted from patriotic motives,
and in accordance with the best light
that was given him. The abuse that has
been heaped Oh his head for carrying
into effect a judicial decree, passed in
the course OF a proceeding that seemed
to be in conformity with law, vas en-
tirely undeserved. The. decision may
have been wrong, and the Judge who
made it is no doubt a very disreputable
person, but President Grant is not res
/ ponsible for Durell's ignorance of the
law Or his Incorporate habits, and as
long as he filed a judicial position his
DEGREES had to be enforced until over-
ruled by some superior court. We may
admit that Kellogg was wrong, and Du-
I'll mo-, H-,,D1 nrl That A. D-o,SI1-4
erred in sustaining the p~retenSiOnS of
the n and the ill-considered Judgment
of the other, and after cOnceding all
this, we. still feel justified in expressing
our sympathy for the unfortunate color
ed people OF Louisiana, who have scarce
ly suffered less from the tyranny and
violence of those who. oppose their as
pirations to q higher political and social
life than those who have been elected to
office by their votes, and who have plum
dered the public treasury under the pre-
tence Of securing their rights, With a
few exceptions, tle men WhOhave thrust
themselves forward as the representa-
tive Republicans of. Louisiana, have
proven to be u%nprincipled rascals.
But the cOlored people OF Louisiana
must not be judged by the mel who have
made themselves conspicuous in the
~ oUItbC AutChb ilC Ilult9uA lphG "a
borers of Attakapas parish ought not to
be scourged because Pinchback claimed
four Offices at once and was not able to
show a good title. to any one of them.
The idea Of prescribing and Furnishing
the masses for the misconduct of q few
individuals is abhOrent to every. Senti-
ment Of justice. Any attempt to revOlu-
tionize the State government by threat
ening, m~altreating and intimidating any
portion of the legally qualified voters,
whether white or colOred, will Inject with
the condemnation of the people of the
United States without regard to party
predictions. The time for intoxicating
political virtue with. the lash has passed.
The experiment was tried in. some of
the Southern States fOur years ago, and
we all know what q %lamentable failure
it proved to be. Although a thousand
South Carolina we're dragged from their
beds and numerically whipped, while
more than a hundred were killed out
right, the morals of the South Carolina
politicians were not improved by, this
Wholesale castigation. MosesWas Speak
er of the lower House Of the Legislature
at the time, and his subsequent career as
Governor shows that the. chastisement
which his constituents received had nc
appreciate effectfon him. We need not
refer to the fearful retribution that over
took the men who essayed to improve
the morals of the officers of the State
government by decorating the backs OF
the colored people who had voted fol
>, them. - y R't 5itf al s.
The new political organization in Lbu-
isiana called "the White League" is
simply an offshootof the Ku-KIuk Khan.
The 1ideous costumes and the instru-
ments of torture are wanting, but the
spirit Of prescription and intimidation
) is the same, andthe objects To be attained
in a parish Is asked to become a mem
Der If he refuses lie Ii told Chat hence
forth lie must be expected to be treated
as a negro. The alternative having been
placed before him, he must take tile con
Sentences of his own choice and if he
prefers to act with an alien race rather
than his own, let him look to that race
for sympathy and assistance and prOtec-
tfon. This is the method of proceeding,
and to the average Louisiana. Uufian il
seems to be entirely ~justifabte. How
ever, we are glad to see that the better
class OF the opposition newspapers are
d speaking out boldly against the organ
izati0n. Even in the country parishes
there are men who are brave enough to
declare that the organization is Illegal,
and will bring disaster & tile State. The
New Orleans Times declares that party
organizations founded on mererace dis
tinctions are unWise. and inexpedient,
and that in a closely-c0ntested election
it will be difficult to prevent the hot
headed zealOts of the "White League .
4, from brinoingtont a conflict which q ma