The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-09-08
A NATIONAL CONVENTION.
The New York Herald on the Situation
in the South.
II Calls for Il .'NatiOnal Convention OF
Peace and Reconstruction"
Z Mastery and Unan>werable Argument.


Ing editorial in the New York Hcrnld of the
It'll inst, is the most admirable article we
have seen in any Northern journal on the sit
. uaton in the South. and we advise our 1ci.ders
- perloe it carefully.
b. 1t i. tie fiires,, the bodies. the mot pro-
found and ,t.tesmanlihe exposition of the
ease that has appeared, and we must regard 1t
as possessing. peculiar significance at tins
crisis in our affairs. The proposition for a
National Conv ntion to secure peace and to
achieve a perfect reconstruction viii meet with
the appreciation of every Southern man, and
! if the Hc,Qd succeeds i'll its grand idea, 1t
will be an achievement beside which all It's
previous enterprises, glorious as they have boen
sill sink into insigniticance.
Let the Hermit rerscverc in its good work,
ana the hearts Of the entire Southern people
will respond iii grateful throb9
Tie rulnor that the the President purposes to
summon Congress, together for an extra session
/ to consider tn condition OF affairs III the South
ern States does not seem to be confirmed. we
/ do not regard il probable rGmpr. President
Grant is not the kind Of Chief Magistrate who
Graves legislative advice. The relations between
4 W
adjournment were not harmonious enough TO-
lead him to look hopefully upon the prospects OF
another meeting. Among the last acts OF he
Senate 10 throw into the face OF the lfcsi-
dent the nomination Of his Wcll-Dclovtu
Shepherd. With d Senate in that hunor what
might not be expected? Experienced politicians
have feai Of extra sessions: There Is the
legend that all extra session IS generally sure
| to ruin an administration, and President Grant
has enough Scottish blood i'll his veins not t. be
insensble to legends. Long Branch and Its end
/ less speech of wave and tide Is much more pleas
ant than Washington and two roaring LcSlsia-
lures The Administration is now III the siAth
year Of It's existence, and not III the sturtlcst
health. Whether the President means to allow
IT to drift into silence satisfied with what 1t has
done, and feeling that IT. pace IN history Is
made, OF whether, as some OF ms 1fchus otiio't
he vii! ..ake another appeal to the confidence OF
the people nothin. is 80 be gained b! an extra
session.
But the Yact That such an expcdicnt Is Sener-
ally discussed shows how deeply The public mind
feels as to I'll Southern States. We do not dwell
upon the events that take place Ill South
Carolina and Mississippi the riots III kentucky,
the threats OF civil war in North Carolina, the
tevcrsh movement OF the popular heart III Ar
kasa, for they indicate now what they have lnd-
Gated at any time since the war. They show that
| instead of an honest measure OF generous ma
pacific reconstruction We have reduced the con-
| uuered States Of the South into the condltloE OF
Poland ana Ireland. No known section of co =
uuerel territory not the most lawless districts OF
Westncath, MOI the most impatient comlnlines III
| Alsace. are disturbed as many OF the Southern
States This cannot be attributed TO the pressure
Of war: for the war is over, and the harVests nave
| long since embodied with living vcrdure the
bloody fields. Nor does 1t com from failures OF
crop, that frequent cause OF discomfort, Tor all
accounts tell lis that cotton and sugar ana nee
promise an abundant yield. Nor does IL repre-
sent the fermenting ambition that would rise III
new rebellion, or no southern leader not Mr..
Tombs hmseit-has limited the thought OF wal.
The cause ncs deeper. 1t has become a-dlseas /.
a slowly growing, irritating dlseasc-Wlat mlSht
| be called an liberation OF the whole
political system Unless remove It there
can be no end but death. Already IN Arkansas
and South Carolina we observe the hrst tokens OF
death in the Shameless reputation which has be
come an accepted principle Of legislation. Sucf
examples should not be overlooked. Ii the mon
cannot be destroyed by war Ii can be destroyed
by reputation. There can be no Wholesome
union between Massachusetts and South Carroll
lima, between New York and Arkansas, on inc
financial conditions that exist to-day. Already
the North laucnts its existence, and tomorrow,
If reputation continues to be the controlling sen
timtnt Of the South, We shall have the solvent
patriot States OF the North CRYING, Mho shall
deliver us from the body Of this death:
Some of our empirical statesmen tell 'is that
the cause of this is slavery We are weary OF
this refrain about slavery. Fifteen 4ears ago
and our most respected citizens Wele only too
glad to applaud the violence which greeted the
,l1rc is no rhetoric in the language strong
enough to express our horror OF It, Wen, slave
~ was an evll-ust as tine next generation III
England will perhaps regard the crown, the
aristocracv and the Established Church as evils
,, But it was an institution and so pulssallt as an
element OF political influence, that 1t enabled
comparatively small portion OF the people t.
rule the Union For nearly two centuries, under
our colonial and federal form OF government, We
treated slavery an institution. For ten
years we have treated 1t as crime. Inc 4'les-
ii II arises, and it is question OF supreme mag
nitude, as o1lr readers will see when they dwell
: upon it. whether it is the soundcst stateslnan'
ship to deal with any institution as CRIME
There is the danger Of reaction and inviting STRIFE
This danger Cromwell incurred when he pro
nunnced monarchy chine by sending Charles
to the .cattold. 4 far greater danger the french
people invited when they denounced royalty, re-
J ligion and rank many grades OF CRIME
The same, in lesser degree, fell upon the
Republicans III Paris and Madrid when the.
, The logic which animated Cromwell III hi
dealings with Charles Stuart, the logic whlci
breathed through the French revolution, th'
!. Commune uprising and the republic o
III Marsal, was perfect: 1t was unanswtraple
soul-stirring sublime. 1t was not the statesman
ship Of common sense 1t recalled the coqnen
periods with which our own writers and states
men welcomed emancipation Nothing is easie
than to prove the royalty. arl-tocr cy, standing
armies, laws concerning land, entail, prllhoSehl
ture and the Established Church are all crimes
as criminal as the selling Of human souls ut
bondage. But custom aud law made them insti
buttons When we deal with institutions as Wit
crimes we provoke the excuses which compelle
the restoration Of Charles, the corp de'W OF Ma
poleon. the suppression Of the Commune the sue
.es-flll conspiracy Of Serrano and the growth {
reputation and anarchy III the south.
Is ii not possible that by following tins pr's
naut historical lesson to its natural teaching "
NAV see the real cause Of the troubles now pei
yading the South! The men vino few .Aoi
G wears ago We're strong enough by genus an
yaIor to rule the ncils of the Union, ana SUI
>equently to construct power IN the Southef
Confederacy that required four years OF war
= suppress. and is still a historical power con
manding the respect and admiration of MAJ
kind these men have not passed away. we q
not see them, but they live. The men who 4
the public eye in any country are always few con
pared with the millions unseen who only await o.
portunity to act and speak. Can we really recol
struct the Southern States without the aid OF Il
real cons Of the South? We have tried to do so, d'
pending upon the ignorant freedmen who yeste
DAY were slaves and the unscrupulou- white a,
yenturers who Yesterday ted from the Mort
as political mendlcants and soldiers Of forum
There IS no reconstruction. On The contrary, y
-iy;f G-,tI, ks a