New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-06
DEAD AND LIVE ISSUES.

O6AU ANU IlVG lONU1os
Our neighbor the Bulletin. with its usual
impe.uosity, has mixed things little. and
presented to its readers a tumble Of no.
tons about dead and live issues which
require separation and discrimination. 1t
is. of course protesting to speak in the
name Of the Democracy. and We will ac-
cept the authority rather for the sake Of
the argument than from a conviction Of
its being genuine. The object Of our
eccentric contemporary is TO boot down
the rising belief that the Democracy in
tend to inaugurate such course of action
as foreshadowed by the Chicago Tribune.
Harper's Weekly the New York Republic.
the New Orleans REPUBLICAN, and other
journals Of weight and character. These
Republican papers have cautioned the
country against the wiies of a most
cunning enemy. and shown the man.
ner in which the fruits Of what
they choose to call tn. late victory in
the North are to be realized. Promi-
nent among the subjects to be pressed
upon and through Congress are: I. COM
pensation for private property taken for
the use Of the army. Or destroyed by it
during the war. 2. Payment for cotton
seized by the Treasury Department.
3. The assumption Of the debts Of the
Southern States. incurred under the re-
construction laws. on the plea that the
United States should be respon sible for
acts done in obedience to federal laws
enacted without the consent Of the South ;
meaning. of course. the White Democracy.
1. Paymen: for slaves emancipated by
the Presidents proclamation. which was
ratified by the fourteenth amendment.
j. The refunding Of the cotton tax.
To this the Bullet" replies that the
Republicans named have uttered solemn
Warning az ,inst the repeal OF the four
teenth and fifteenth amendments. and pro
test. in advance. against compensation to
former SHAREHOLDERS, the retunding Ut She
cotton tax and other remedial measures for
the South. No. a solitary Demo.
crat Of any weight or influence has the
slightest idea OF reviving such dead issues y
But one really dead issue is included in
the above extract-.he repeal Of the amend
meuts and that has been gratuitcusly
drawn in by the Bulletin. No Republican
journal tina. We have seen has intimated
tina: all attempt at repeal would be Sue
cessful in any case. But it ought to be
fresh in the memory of the American PEG.
pie that Jealous attempts We're made to
refund the cotton tax. and those who have
the matter in hand have by no means
abandoned il. It is true that the interest
has been concentrated in a few hands, but
it has been greatly strengthened thereby.
Members Of Congress have been given to
understand that generous per centage
awaited all friends Of the measure who
contributed anything to its success. And
the same may be said Of the item o COM
pensation for slaves. The parties to be
Immediately benefited may pot. perhaps.
number more than one-twentieth Of the
Southern population. or. as the Bulletin
puts it. one hundred thousand. We
all know the character for ability
Of these claimants. They are the
planters and leading men OF the South,
accustomed to command and to be obeyed
by their poorer and bumbler neighbors.
The same journal tina: now writes THEN
Importance and influence down SO low
would be the foremost in urging THEN
claim 10 one thousand millions, or i: il
did no: do so willingly, means Of persua.
sion would not be long wanting. Let the
proposal be fairly stated before Congress
composed Of the required political ma
jority, and the streets would soon resound
with shouts demanding that so much re.
spec:ability should no longer be deprived
OF their rights. Let it once be put among
the cardinal doctrines Of the Democratic
faith and the Bulletin. Times and P;co,pn.
would hasten % show from their files tia!
they had always been in favor Of il, aud,
as usual, each claim the credit OF La..
ing originated the grand idea. On.
twentieth part o! the Southern people
placed in the position 0! heirs apparent &c
several thousand million OF dollars would
have no sor. Of difficulty in owning al
the political tiunkeys they conld find sm
pioymens for. They would find Tx
means to coMpe! any coMmehi:v. :.H
poye,ishei be i: ever so much to Ia,
itself COX their enrichment, and thus re-
sumo their domination which their p.op
ecty in slaves once gave them. and whic!
they have never altogether lost either il
tie North or in the South. If the Bullet,
can not see these things the fault is in il.
eyes. We vii! concede that q. present
! our young contemporary is sincere in it
indignant disclaimer; that until it hear
! and knows further, it would really oppose
| as unjust such a demand upon the re
sources Of the people as would be neces
! sary to pay these huge claims. But the
wary old foxes who will have charge Of at
fairs know when and how to move. They
are thorough adopts in all the arts of dis
stimulation, bribery, intimidation and
humbuggery. When the day comes fol
them to order an assault on the United
States treasurer, the Bulletin will no doub,
be recruit in the ranks. perhaps Of tht