New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-15
A VOICE FROM GEORGIA.
Letter from a Distinguished Jurist in
Favor Of Third Term to Defeat the
Civil RIGHTS Bill.

Civil Rights Bill.
The following letter from ex-Chief Jus.
tice Lochrane, of Georgia, appeared il the
Atlanta Constitution. Of July II:
ATLANTA, July II, 1874.
Governor Bard, President Of the Grant Nat:oraI
Club
DEAR SRA letter from the secretary.
Charles w. Hubner, Esq, notifying me of
my election as member of the Grant Club,
reached me few days ago, and in reply
permit me, briefly, to say tnat if the object
OF your club is simply political, you will ac-
cept my thanks for the compliment, but as
l belong TO no association or organization
of any kind, l would be forced to decline.
AS believe the object of the club has sig
niticance in favoring President Gran: for
third term, am with you, and all others
two campaigns have been Tor him, and in
the third l will have greater zeal and en-.
thusiasm.
With politics proper, or as party man,
have not taken any interest or given myself
any trouble. This section has to select men
| and adopt measures distasteful 10 the opin-
ion and sentiments Of the majority in any
party which it may support. We can not
select Southern man. nor can we adopt
platform congenlal to our sentiments. If
We did we would get no votes in any Of the
Eastern or Western States. 1t, therefore,
| follows that we must take Northern man
| with war record, and we must adopt
platform of union, nationality and loyalty.
| This being cur position, we must consult
| our interests and not our feelings as to the
next President. In word, Southern poll.
! tlcians must not expect in Thurman, or
Hendricks, or Hancock TO find agreement
| with the principles Of the Georgia Demo
| cratic party. happen 10 know hundreds
| Of the Northern Democratic party, and /
| know they are no synpathizers with the
| prejudices or politics so familiar and popu-
lar here. These facts being true. the hope
| of Democratic success in the next elections
| is to overthrow the majority in Congress
who would vote for the "civil rights bill"
In this success I heartily sympathize, for,
say what we will, this land would become
desert before the features of that bill
will be recognized or acquiesced in. The
blood Of the people is hotter than their
brains, and come what may in consequence,
Summers legacy will be a legacy OF tears
to his friends. 1t is impossible to enforce
| any law against the determination of men,
| women and children, and TO make obedience
| to it by bayonets, would be to make
desert Of the South. The men who oppose
| this measure, found in Republicans or Dem
| Ocrats, will find at the South, in the next
election, sympathy, and the national party
| that incorporates it in their platform Will
get only the colored vote. White men will
| shun it. This will. however bring together
the men who have split OF the policy of
loyalty and nationality, and will harmonize
| the South on single idea of opposition to
| this bill. The currency and other questions
| will subordinate to this one, and no matter
| what may be said or done. The naked
point the South will be governed by will be
undying hostility to every man who favors
| it. All this is true, and the nomination Of
<ow - ~tul
| the Republican party, on platform detn-
| ing this as one of the objects Of the Admin
| istratiou, would sever all sympathy which
has grown SO rapidly at the South in his
| favor.
These facts refer to, before proceeding
briefly to say that, believing President
| Grant to be opposed to inficting this ont
rage upon the South, and feeling assured
| of his strength and craftsmanship, and
agreeing with him on the financial situa.
| ton and on the disposition which has
marked his course in the recognition of
| State rights, feel vast interest in his re-
election as the preservation OF our present
ondition is SO essential to our future pros
perity. Any change succeeding thea war
| and its results will be scanned abroad with
great anx ety. and the confidence Of the
commercial world is plant Of slow growth.
| Let discussion open, in heated opposition,
issues Of finance just settled, and we have
| opened a Pandora's box to spread pesti-
| lentiaI blight over all our interests. None
| SO low as not to come within the withel n g
touch, and none SO high as to escape it. In
| General Grant the country has had as much
! patriotism, or more. as ever adorned the
| exc cutive chair; we have seen the charges
| of nepotism and tyranny fall flat and pow
erless under the blows an honest pub ic
opinion has laid upon them in the last cleo
ton; we have seen the picture gal
| leries of papers devoted to the SEN
ST tions laughed at and spurned by the
thinking masses of the people; we have
seen imperialism, the fancy OF diseased
| imagiuations, fade out under the wave OF
| popular Endorsement; we have seen the
President proudly and prominently taitn. !.
full to the great Republican principles OF
free government in Texas and Arkansas;
we have learned to regard him above the
| reach of fanatical excitements or sectional
| influences or the pleadings OF popular
favorites moving right on in the pain OF
duty, careless of consequences; we have
| recognized in the merited rebuke Wnlc
Credit Mobi]ier or Sanborn contracts nave
had that the influence of his power Is to
drive money changers out Of the capital, no
matter what party livery they may wear.
| All this we have seen, and more, and we
know a third term would add nothing to
| his ambition, for that has been grained.
Ir would add nothing to his fame, tor
that is secure. 1t would add nothing to MS
power and popularity, for both have been
indorsed by the wish and will OF the Amer, :,
ican people, aud it is the country he would
serve if lie served at all. His friends know
he does not desire a third term, but who can
fiji his placel No man in the Republican
party, and none in the Democratic. Ia II
new man were selected it would take time
to develop his policy, and we would invoke
q host of office-seekers, and, in the demor'
alization war has spread, we might find
among Democratic hosts, SO many hungry
mouths for official place that the purity Sc
enact such a role of Tweedism as would
cast present rings in the shade.
| am hurriedIy yours,