The Caucasian. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1874-1875, 1874-05-09
south CarolipA--Lc11isiana

knocking at the doors OF Congress
demanding relief, at the hands of
the Federal Government. Both
have suffered alike from reconstruct
ton: The memorial of the South
Carolina taxpayers. convention is
still before the judiciary committee
of the House, but it is useless to
hope for any action of Congress, as
the only relief it could give, would
be to undo the wrong it has perpe-
trated by its Reconstruction acts.
This the Republican party at the
present time will not do-South
Carolina is at the mercy of the mos;
ignorant and depraved of it's popu-
lation. We take an extract from
the book of James S. Pike, who
was sent by the New York Tribune
to that State, in the winter Of 1879
and 1878, to observe the actual po-
litical situation in that State, as
giving q true picture of it's present
government. Mr.. Pike is a Repub-
lican, and wlrat he says is therefore
witf9ut prejudice 70 rhe party or
the negro race. He says:
"a white community, that had
gradually risen from small beginnings.
till it grew into wealth, cnltare. and
refinement, aud became accomplished
in all the arts Of civilization that
successfully asserted its resistance to
Il foreign tyranny by deeds of cong
.spicuous valor which acl,ievedliber-
.ty and Independence through the fire
and.t&mpest Of civil war, aud illustra-
ted itself IN the councils Of the nation
by orators and statesmen worthy of
any age or nation-saci' community is
then reduced to This. 1t lies PROSTATE
in the dust, ruled over by this strange
conghmerate, gathered from, the ranks
of its o VII servile population. 1t is the
pectaclc of society suddenly turned
hnttom upward. The wealth. the in
telligence, the w9sdoin Of the State.
have broken through the crust Of that
social volcano on which they were
contente,ily reposiug, and have sunk
out of sight, consumed by the subter-
ranean fires they had with s,.c|, ;eme,i-
ty hraved and defied. in the place of
this old aristocratic society stands the
rude form of the most ignorant de-
n,ocracy that mankind ever saw in
vested with the functions of govern
ment.. Tit the dregs of the popula-
ton habiitated in the robes OF their in
telligent predecessors, and asserting
over them the rule of ignora@ce and
corruption, through the inexorable
machinery of a majority of numbers.
1t is harbarism overwhelming ciyi!iza-
ton by physical force. 1t is the slave
rioting in the halls Of his. master. and
pntting that master under his feet.
And though it is. done without malice
and without vengeance. it is neycltlle-
less none the less completely and ab-
soli1tely' done.'
In this picture we.see portrayed
the actual state Of facts in Louisiana
with this difference, that the gav-
ernmento of South Carolina is the
choice of its overwhelming majority
of negroes, while in this State, we
have a government equally as bad,
that IS not the choice of ths people,
nsufpation, that is upheidaand
protected by Federal bayoncts.
The Louisiana question SNOW be-
fore Congress, but It's more than
probable that the Carpenter bill
vii! be defeated, and a forced s,h
mission t. the Kellogg government
be continued. The Stateis already
bankrupt, and over one half of its
population in absolute restitution,
brought-about by Reconstruction,
and the unlawful interference of the
Federal government, with the rights
of the Estate under the Kellogg
usurpatlon we haye the offices fill
ed almost in every parish by the
picked villains of the community,
while the Legislature is composed
of the most ignorant of negoes,
and professional Legislative rob
,bers, whose Sole base object has
beeneto gorge themselves with pub-
lie plumber, ard perpetuatc their
power. There is no security here
for property, and very soon will a
large number of the property oo-
ners be robbed Of their homes by
merciless taxation that amounts
now to practical confscation. Is
there no escape fgom these public
thieves, that are intruding them
selves iEtO mower. and will the neo-