New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-08-13
From the New Orleans Weekly Republican.
Conservative Journals on the
White League.

When the Republican published double col
umn of extracts from the Inter- Ocean, showing
the folly and wickedness of the White League
policy, and, in temperate language, showing
the inevitable reactionary effect, it did not,
for a moment, suspect the dangerous abyss
1t was approaching. To call journal which
published so sensible an article, "conserva-
tiyc.n seemed no msapplicatiOn of terms.
Yet. the Picayune is hOrror-struck, and de-
clares, with much feeling, that in using the
word the Republican came Every near" COM
hitting an objectionable sin. What an
escape! Suppose the adjective had been
stable, or undertaking, would the Picoy,ote
have ever forgiven it?
The suggestion that ignorance prevents
quotations from other great Northern jour
nails is received with becoming humility, con-
demnation from the Picapune being always
fattering to the vanity of its opponents, and
the following morsel from the Boston Adcer-
tiser presented for the consideration of the
Picayune. 1t cannot say it is a misnomer to
style this paper conservative, )" for it has
applied the term to it in its own columns.
1t will be seen that the article presents
the same conclusions as the Inter- Ocean, and
with equal force in language as temperate
THE WHITE LEAGUE.
The white people of Louisiana, being, it
ocation in view of the way things have been
managed in their State, have rushed madly
into the worst scheme to remedy the diff
Guilty. Something they call the White League
has suddenly become popular, and chapters
or councils of it are being established every
where. Know Nothing lodges did not null
tiply faster in the time when sensible people
got wild about the perils of trusting the ballot
to men not born in the country. The object
of this White League is, of course, to com
bine and organize the white citizens in an
effort to keep the citizens who are not white
out of office. They attribute all their woes
to the colored vote, and the scheme is. so far
as it is ineligible, to diminish the strength
of that vote. Precisely how this is to be
legitimately done does not appear. The
colOred men are there, and the right to vote
is so secured that it cannot be denied. The
only way in which the colored vote can be
palpably diminished is by killing the voters
or instituting such panic of fright that they
will not dare exercise their right. Things
have occurred in Louisiana within the past
ten years that tend to discourage any conf
dence that the worst outrages would not be
resorted to if they were thought to be expe-
dent. But it would seem that the State had
already had sufficient experience o. the policy
of alternating the sympathy of people most
competent to assist them in the effort to
establish justice.
| We have made no secret of the opinion
that Louisiana has been since 1872 the victim
Of a violent and unjustlfiable usurpation. 1t
is a great misfortune, both as fact and
precedent. Congress has been negligent of
its duty in treating the subject with inditler-
ence. There is throughout the Northern
States strong feeling Of sympathy with the
people subject to a government not of their
choice. NopersOn in any degree responsible
for the success of the coup d'etat has won ad-
dtional honor ON account of it in the estima-
ton Of his own party in this section. But
it is also true that the Republicans of the
North could have no great respect for party
which for the chance Of success made an
alliance with WarmOth and his set.
For four years the white people of Louisi-
ana, or at least as many of them as were
Democrats, have denounced WarmOth as
the incarnation of everything in politics which
was dishonest and ignoble. When, therefore,
they consented to an alliance with him for
mutual advantage, he resignng the governor
ship to their nomination, they elevated him
to the United States Senate, the sincerity of
their repugnance to corruption was clOuded.
1t appeared that the cause of their complain
ing was not that corrupt men were in power,
but that they did not share in the profits OF
corruption.
Notwithstanding this exposure of gross in
consistency, by which the Louisianians lost
more respect than they can recover in a long
term OF decency, there was among the Re-
publicans of the North no disposition to con-
nivc a scheme of cheating them of theiI
choice. Considered solely as question OF
party policy, there is no question in any sa.
gacious mans mind that the Republican par
ty would stand stronger and fairer before the
nation to-day with Warmoth in the Senate
/,
the Governors seat at New Orleans than il
is with the obnoxious Louisiana load on its
shoulders.
The peaceable submission to the situation
after firm but Intellectual protest, did some
thing to restore more favorable opinion to-
ward the Louisiana people But its force
will be quickly dissipated if they persist il
this folly of White League, the meaning o
which is perpetuatlon of the antagonism o
races, out of which their woes have sprung
Of course it will be opposed by Blacl
League, and the North may prepare itself t.
hear of more horrible affairs like those O
former years, where, upon some preteXt OF
other, the whites have massacred the negroes
without fairness or pity.
The sequel of the White League will inev
itably be series Of Ku klux outrages. Doe
it not yet appear that no good to the SOutl
results from such exhibitions of bitterness
Perhaps the South does not believe it, but i
is nevertheless true, that nothing will d,
more to destroy the growing disposition t.
consider war issues settled and reverse tn
tendency OF all parties to concentrate atten
f ton and energy upon the work of redressin
some of the abuses and insttutng reforms
than rival in any part of the South of tn
old ferocity of hatred of the freedmen. II
, this the White League Of Louisiana direct,
leads. Let the fires of negro persecution b.
relighted, and the North will care precious
, little about the means that are used to kee]
+ those who are responsible for it out of power
Perhaps the massacre of negroes is cOnsid
! cred in Louisiana less fault than squander
ing public money; but the Northern min
will not agree to such a discrimination.
There is another view of this subject
| While the Southern whites are constant II
their professions that they deprecate wa
OF races and mean the freedmen no harm
. their conduct is not such as to disarm suspi
, cion. The cue, if they want to return t
power, is to convince the negroes that the
!, intend justice, and so win their confidenc
+ and their votes. But the negroes will neve
' be won to support White League or thos
: who cOuntenance White Leagues, Aud thi
y is the trouble that the whites are so impa
+ tient to obtain power that they are constant
' ly contrving plots which defeat their aims
, Confidence is of slow growth. 1t is not ur
!. natural that the new citizens are Jealous an
:. suspicious, but there is only one way in whic
: that disposition can be overcome. Time an
= fair conduct will overthrow it. On every az