The weekly Louisianian., 1874-08-01

ANAWO - w - 1AANkt AAO
Democratic party opposed tile national
effort : suppress the rebellion; that
would have been high treassh. HUI
would be quite usfarfFon AAe+xaAh to-
say that they promoted that, effort.
The rebellion could not have lasted
two years had the Democratic porty
0 mtinucd in that patriotic pufposa !.
which Douglass for 4: season inspired
But Douglas died., and 50 did TINT =
purpose. . "
With q sagacity, steadfastnoes, andn
clearness If vision which, If employed
in u good cause, would be Of inestima.
BILE value, the Democratic party found
that covert, narrow, and devious way
which lay between loyalty and treason,
| and they pursued that way from the
middle Of the year 1862 to the end Of.
Ethe war, always avoiding the rebuke Of
I their eountry's laws and also the M
proach of their country's foes.
But even for this stinted, measure II
loyalty there may have been some e1'
cuse. It may have sprung from Lack
of faith. and not from want Of flpye, r
They professed to: believe tue 1ebeli)1
invincible, and, if they really believed
10, they could hardly be expected 10
! display much zeal in a struggle they
| believed to be hopeless. The spirits
are rare and very choice VITO lead =.
forlorn hope with anything hkegaiety.J
But those who lead q real hope, no
matter how forlorn, and do not merely
| follow a dread, are not apt to look ~
| dismal as these Democrats did when
! the rebellion was finally crushed.
Possibly, however, even that singu-
Lr detection was but the effect Ut
modification ut their own m%isjudgment
and want of provision. Bnt when thu
rebellion was crushed and they ,vero
invited to all in removing isa oeuses,
as well rs n cause for future rcbelllons
by abolishing slavery, they retuseds 70
to do that! How can that refusal b.
; excused or forgiven? The great act
of emancipation, while it is the grand
est in history, is also the least eSpen.
sive. It cost nothing but . vote' ~
even this they refused to give ny
simply writing Eyes" upon their ot-
lots. instead of no." they knew thsg
could give freedom to four millions .!
human beings. They were sare OF
victory if they said '.yca;" they could
only hope for victory if they sai1 no
and yet they my mo" It was .
mere question of volition: The ques-
ton was stluacrly put to them sttef
they. hal been led shnddeyrilng. clcat
Through the Red sea and stood dry oa
tho other shorc-stood too, m. tint
marvellous blazo which irradp.sos tn
nineteenth century rs it sinks INTO tho
twenticth-they were plainly asked
"Ate' you willing the bond. slo1ld cs
FREQ p and they, said mo" When y
gthat generation coming, and whenoe
is 1t coming, that slfail excuse " Tor
give that impious refusal? ~ T
Aud when, in spite OF Democrasicte~
sistance The bond had been made ifeo
and secured against a return to slsseey
10y an amendment to the Federal Co1qf,.
tuition, this, same OPPOSITE, N was askeu
once more, "May the freedmen become
citizens and be admitted to civil rlghfss
And again tho answer was :"
And when, in spite of that resistance
the freedmen had been made :c1s1en'
the Democracy wasa sked, May thets
citizens, though they BIO blck, nsso
the protection of the ballot which 'no
law benignly grants to all citizens, nov,
lever humble If every other colors" Az
again the answer was mo" ~
And when the Kuklux armed VIII
brand and bludgeon, hunted the new
made citizens by night, hunted hl'
through swamps and pursued nm "
death-when the kcal aathonne*
stood powerless in the presence Of 1i-
ganized murder and arson, and tns
opposition was appealed to to lend 'as'
the protection of the national nHo9nsle
to the victims of such i~ncarnste nate,
they still Knocked. at such oalam'"e"'
!, and refused au relief. ,
1t is often tlippantly said tiat al tae:s
crimes and horrors are past, aud II y
absurd to attempt to maintain q ponu'
cal: party on the memory o. ueI T.
Perhaps 80. But would it moi %
insane to trust a political party ~. !.
could, so readily forget. them = s,1s
not maenanimoua, It ID indeed hatuy
manly, to persecute met tor SUM- .h ~
which they really repeAted. %4baI ~
is not repentance, its hyprocr1sl, 49, apas
PROGRESSES to repent of lis sins and does
not forsake them, but emtraces "o..o
ones. Such Athe- anomalous s%ep;
! lance displayed by the Democ1 naSs
party. tnever ceases to denoo1 ~.
> the kepulican party for vhat 1'I
done or is Trying 10 do, bat hetIeatue
vay thunders with fercer denuucianoiss
of what the party has not .dono 'r r.. :"
determined shall not be dooe. ans
momeut Democrats forget TO d xx1;s
Republican policies they begin Is rsntv
> Republican motives. FOL s"s- -.
wears they deem it sufficiently 2pHnsyr
brious to call Republican, ::ha Meu,,
now they claim to be rad1cs1s =
=. selves. and deneuRee Republican,
, rascals." # ~
With further comment. On, Dem
> ~ocratio promises kept to anst H.
and broken, to the hope. -aA .he
continued duty Of Republicans ~ II
Committee very. appsoprh'e'9 ~d
their case, Q confident that the re nc Tho
Republican partysxfll be aga,1' ul
! atrate1 in tho election OF Congrt