New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-01
An Snterview with 1.ongsfreet.
IT, f,Lo,yo. II VNookor tho ahla and

An yuterviev with l.ongsfresf.
Mr.. Charles H. Walker, the able and en-
PERTAINING editor OF the Indianapolis Jour
nal, is at present in our city, careful ct Il
den, of the political situation. In h.spape
of the twenty first instant he gives an ac-
count OF an interview with General Long
street:
called to-day on General Eongstreet
being introduced By friend and bad :
pleasant interview With him. He is . hand
some. m;iitary-looking gentleman, about
| fifty years old. and we'll preserved. with
| fine head aud large brain. keen eye and
| sharp cut features; has . portly figure. il
| slightly bald and wears = mOustache and
| side whiskers. He looks every inch sol
| der aud carries the impression Of man OF
| force and genius. His enemies here say be
is utterly selfish and lacking in moral prin-
I ciple, but the severity of their Judgment is
| iu exact relation with their hatred Of him.
| for they regard him "a Q traitor to the
| South. NV own opinion is that he has more
| of the qualities OF true craftsmanship, .
better understanding Of the general situa-
ton and clearer appreciation OF the rela-
tiOns of the State to the general govern
| ment than any one of eli those who are
denouncing him; If there is . man Of
larger brain or clearer ideas in Louisiana l
should like to see him. He is connected
with the Kellogg government a. cOmmis-
siOner OF engineers, having charge OF the
levees.
In reply to & question OF mine as to the
extent OF the military operations made by
the State government to meet the White
League movement, General LOngstreet said:
Il had been absent from the city most of
break. inspecting levees, and consequently
am not thoroughly posted as to Governor
KellOgg's preparations, but l know they
were very meager. He had no force worth
mentioning, besides the Metropolitan police,
which was utterly inadequate for the crisis.
There were about 400 State militia which
might have been brought into action, but
they had but one round OF ammunition and
could have done nothing" asked him his
| opinion as to the extent of the White League
organization. He thought it exteuaed
| throughout nearly every Southern State,
but did not believe they contemplated any
| general movement against the government
| or toward throwing of federal authority.
| Said he, 81 can not see how any man of
! sense could contemplate such thing. The
! Southern people tried it once under far
more favorable circumstances, and if they
failed then, how could they expect to sue
| coed now The state Of feeling in the South
| is very unsatisfactory and very discredit-
| able to the Southern people, but can not
believe they contemplate another general
| rebellion. At least { Go not want to be-
lieve it,
General" said !, '.your course since the
war and your manly stand for the govern
ment has made You many friends at the
North, but l suppose it has made you many
| enemies. at the South WELL" he an-
swered, IL suppose am pretty cordially
hated by q certain prOscriptive class of
| SOutherners. but that can not be helped.
Men can't all think alike, and the trouble
| with the Southern people always has been
| that they won't tolerate any difference of
| opinion. If God Almighty had intended
ali men to think just alike lie might just az
well have made but one man. have de-
cided and acted as thought duty required,
| and other men are at liberty to do the same.
| NV opinion is that the only true solution
| for Southern troubles is for the people to
| accept cordially and in good faith all the
| results of the war. including the re-.
| construction measures, the acts of Con-
gress, negro suffrage, etc, and live up to
| them like men. Ii they would do this. and
| encourage Northern immigration, and treat
| all men fairly, whites and blacks. the
| troubles would soon be over and in less
| than five years the South would be in the
| enjoyment of greater prosperity than ever
before" The Southern people. he contin-
ned, were their own worst enemies. The
question whether he was a traitor to the
! South depended entirely on what the true
| interests of the South We're. According TO
| his understanding of the case he was work.
| ing for those interests to the best of his
| ability; according to the understanding of
| those who are in favor Of keeping up per-
petual warfare with the general govern.
ment, and of retarding all efforts to restore
peace and order, he supposed he was any
! thing but friend to the South. But he
l.. %c1x IL. L., la
here to it.
asked him what he thought of the civil
rights bill. He said he thought it's passage
at present would be unwise and productive
of no good. In matters Of craftsmanship it
seemed to him that it was sometimes best
to make haste slowly. 1t was more important
that the government should enforce the laws
already passed than that it should pass
more; better for the Republican party that
rights it had already guaranteed the negroes
than that it should pledge itself to new
ones. Every day occurrences show that the
government can not enforce, or, at least, is
not enforcing. the laws in existence for the
protection of the negro; had it not better do
this and firmly secure the ground it has
already occupied before taking . mora adj
vanced position! I remarked that it was
thought by many Republicans at the North
SA0U GuO CASu OuA WdC lu0 AUSlCol AC'
suit of the Republican policy; that it had got
to come some time. and why not nOwl Sim
ply, he said, because it would unnecessarily
exasperate the Southern people, endanger
thellives of the blacks and accomplish no
good that might not be better accomplished
hereafter. The Republican party has not
vet made good its outstanding promises to
the negro, let it do this before it enters into
new ones. The great necessity at present
is the enforcement of existing laws in the
South. Until that is done, and done thor
oughly, he thought the passage of new ones
on the subject Of civil rights would only
cOmplcate the situation. In making
soldiers" he said, 1--WE first teach men how
to stand straight and to look right and left,
then to march, etc. and finally, by gradual
discipline. they are brought to move with
the precision oi machinery. So il seems to
me government ought to Inove to the accom-.
plishment Of this great end by gradual
steps. l am no politician. but have my
own Ideas as TO the government OF men.
and this is the way it looks to me-" The
reasoning at General Longstreet on this
subject did not carry conviction to my
mind, but it was very earnest. and deserves
consideration as representing the sincere
views OF an able man.
------
Marine.
The steamship Junists, OF the PhilaIel-
phia and New Orleans line. arrived at
Philadelphia, September %. from Will
mlngton, Delaware, where she has been