The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-05-29
THE GRANT PARISH PRISONERS.


The citizens of Grant, who have been
arraigned for participation in the Grant
parish affair, charged with conspiracy,
murder etc.. are now undergoing second
trial in New Orleans, the first trial having
resulted in. a disagreement of the jury.
The now Jury appears to have been selected
to suit the purposes, mainly, of the prosecu-
tion and It will not surprise us Mt all If the
nrfsoners arc convicted. Justice Bradley
and Judge Wood preside.
II win be shocking comment upon law
and American civilization, if the Grant
parish prisoners are executed, Or imprisoned,
for the commission of acts which not one
white man in ono hundred in this State
would not commit under similar circunl-
stances. Whatever politicians, judges or
iuries may say, or think, in technical cases,
there is wide difference between the
whites and the blacks ideas of liberty and
law. One is the result of assiduous study
and training, and of the highest perfection
attained in the science of government; the
other, for tho lack of training and education,
must be crude, devilish and barbarous.
without this distinction, there can be no
justification for schools, colleges, learned
men, or written laws.
The conflict in Grant parish was simply a
conflict between antipodean notions of
what is right, and what is wrong, in civil
government-and was really struggle
between the white man and tho negro, as
to who should rule, and whether or not
Grant parish should lapse into the barbar-
ism Of Africa, and the rule OF ignorance,
deprayity and corruption.
There can be no good citizen, no man
with pride Of race and OF ancestry, who
could side with the blacks in their attempt
to forcibly possess themselves, no matter
under what prctext, of the indefeasible
rights of those to whose level they arc yet,
in every essential qualification of rulers. to
be elevated.
No white man jumps at once 10 the grade
OF ruler. He is trained by virtuous
mother and al educated sire up to manhood.
Even his nursery rhymes and stories, aTG
his boyish amusements are pointed directly
to his possible elevation as II leader of other
men. -....
To claim for the black, who is yet not !:
century removed from Africa and not j.:
dozen years out of slavery tho same capacity
with tho white man to govcrn,is preposter
Gus and degrading. If the negro, without
education, has this capacity, learning, laws
and schooling are worthless. There is nc
need of educating people who are abroad )
fitted by nature to rule. II the ignorant
blacks of Grant might rigihfully possess
themselves of the offices by force, and ad
minister laws effecting the lives and pro
pcrty of the educated-entrencht themselves
in tho public buildings, dictate to men o.
Intelligence and long experience what they
must do, ransnck private houses, and hold
high carnival over the overthrow OF honest
eifizens-it is time the farce ola Republi,
should close.
What tho good people of Grant parish did
the good people ofevcry other parish in
Louisiana will do. When the black man
sets himself up the superior OF the white
man, and attempts by force, to maintain
his asserted right of supremacy, no matter
in what parish Of Louisiana it may occur
there win DO war! Convictions and ever
executions of white men, who stand up like
mon for their rights and their race, will
make no sort of difference. The negro car
rule in Louisiana, only by fair and legiti
mate means, not by force and by an attempt
TO bring the State to ruin, social and potiti
cal. The whites know and feel their supc
riority-it is felt among the poorest whites
and is an honor to the race. Let no blacl,
man expect immunity from unnatural, ;,nd
absurd pretentions, no matter what hc tho
fate of the Grant Parish prisoners.