The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-09-11

L. Il, b., -
McNRoE. La. SEPTEMBER II. 1874.
TROOPS FOR LOUISIANA.
1t is announced that orders have been
issued, by authority of the President,
for the stationing of troops at several
places in this State, Monroe among the
number. &c.
That an election could pass of In
Louisiana. without an exhibition of
Federal dictation, was not to have been
expected !; and we presume that every
Intelligent white voter anticipated as
much, and has joined hands with every
other intelligent white voter in the
effort to redeem the State, his mind
resolutely made up not to be awed or
influenced by the presence of Federal
The purpose for which troops
are to be employed, IL is said, is to pre-
vent violations of the acts of Congress
guaranteeing political rights to the
negro, and to secure the arrest OF all
persons violating those acts. Our read
ers are familiar with the scope OF the
Enforcement acts, which are simply
laws made for the prevention of forci-
BILE. interference with the right OF the
negro to exercise the privileges Of citi-
zenship on account of his color or pre-
vious condition. The Colfax prOsecu-
ton, it will be remembered, failed, be-
cause it was not shown that any negro
was attempted to he deprived of his
rights because of his color.
So far as we have observed, no occa-
sion has arisen in this State to warrant
the President in sending troops hither
under the Acts cited in the Attorney
Generals circular. Disturbances, it is
of the State. but the only violations OF
law committed have been violations of
State laws, and not Of Federal laws.
The man of color has never been so
secure in the enjoyment of his rights as
he is to-day, when it is the almost
unanimous feeling of the whites to let
him severely alone in all his pomp and
pride as a voter and no longer attempt
to divorce him, unless by counsel
sought, from the alliance made by HIM
self with irresponsible and corrupt
white men. The white people of Lou
isiana were never SO Indifferent to the
negro's political "views' and affilia-
lions, as now, and were never SO little
concerned about his movements.
There is, therefore, absolutely no occa-
sion for alarm about white men inter-
ferring with the negroes right to vote or
to hold Office.
But it may be that the Administra-
ton is actuated by very different reasons.
Intelligence may have reached even
Long Branch that negro incendiaries,
were about to precipitate a war of races
at the South land to involve the Repub-
lean party in sore extremity. Presi-
dent Grant has changed front very sud-
denly, i; he has just discovered that
the political equality of the negro is in
jeopardy.
We rather suspect that the alarm
manifested by the Administration is
an alarm caused by the aggressions and
turbulent disposition of the negroes,
who were fast bringing Republicanism
into disgrace, and that, possibly, if the
private instructions to army officers
could be seen, they would show more
trepidation on account of negro up
risings than of white tumults to de-
prive the negro OF his rights. We
know that some of our home leaders in
the Republican party are not without
fears on this score, and it requires no
great stretch of probabilities to suppose
that these very same approximations,
we'll founded as they are, have been
prayerfully put before the President at
Long Branch, with a sincere desire to
prevent conflict which might come
under the teachings of Radical leaders
who are now embarked in u crusade
against the superiority of the white
race.
Taking this view Of the order for