The weekly Louisianian., 1874-09-05
POLITICAL NOTES.

On the subject Of Equal Rights
Harper's Weekly reviews this para.
graph from the Louisville Courier
Journal;
"The Civil Rights Bill may be
passed, and signed by the Presi-
dent. If it does, there will be a war
Of races revolution, the overthrow
of universal suffrage, and a military
government at Washington. If the
North is ready for this, SO is the
South; we have touched bottom,
and can go no further. We have
reached the point where gravitation
stops and turns back. But the in
termediate stage is to be avoided if
possible, and we would avoid it.,
even if we have to back General
Grant for a third term, or for life.
He may veto the Civil Rights Bill,
and being made sure Of a reel @
ton, may start]e the country by
refusing to run. If so, let him die
tate his successor, and the South
will accept hisa."
The Weekly conclusively replies:
Plainly the wise and patriotic,
the peaceful and necessary course
for the country to pursue is to
maintain the equal rights of oil citi-
gems in the fullest and completest
manner. This can not and will
not be done by the Democratic
party. It declares, indeed, that the
rights of the colored citizens must
be protected, But il "abhors" an
equality which it calls social, but
which is not social, being merely
legal. It speaks with Mr.. Eaton Of
"our brothers" in the Southern
States, meaning those who de-
ncunce the colored race as barbar-
Gus. Its animating spirit is one OF
hostility to the policy that gave po-
litical and civil. rights to the colored
people. It is additionally servile
to the class that held them in
slavery; and while the Democratic
party does not declare that the col
ered race should be deprived Of the
suffrage, the manner in which it
would protect that right can be in
ferred from every Democratic jour
nal and orator and convention
while Democratic contempt of equal
civil right is openly and vehemonlty
expressed. But equality Of citizen
ship and the disappearance of pre-
JUDGE against that equality are sim
ply impossible when the law stigma
ties any class of citizens:
This is.the very time to insist
that the policy which has been
adopted shall not be abandoned.
To hesitate, to retreat, to attempt
to undo this work, would be the
height of folly. The Louisville
Courier journal ought to know that
it's threats of civil war and reyolu-
ton are obsolete. There was o
time when they had force, and when
a timid "North" trembled. That
time is gone forever, and we wish
that the Courier could understand
the unspeakable contempt. with
which the new generation, the new
"North," hears o menace Of revolt
ton should the legal equality OF
American citizens be everywhere
maintained. From the first mo-
ment in the first Congress that tie
question of the colored race in the
Union challenged attention down
to the present moment, every pro-
position of amelioration Of its con-
dition has been met with tho same
assertion, that it was unnatural,
monstrous, u~nch1istian, and would
surely end in universal massacre
and anarchy. The event has uni
formly beied the prediction; and
had the Democratic warning
been needed and the counsel fol-
lowed, this nation would have been
absolutely subjugated by the slave
power Of injustice and inhumanity.
Since, then, the Democratic par
ty, always the foe of equal liberty
returns to it's vomit, it is the duty
of all intelligent citizens to under
stand what is involved in a victory
of that party, under whatever pre-
tense it may he won, and to take
care that evaporation with what
ever venality and misconduct may
he detected in Republican admins
tratiop, and the hope Of advantages
from change, shall not cause them
to aid in establishing Democratic
ascendency. For no intelligent
observer can doubt that it would
lead 70 . policy Of oppression to-
ward the colored race, and an angry
and indefinite prolongation Of that
cause Of national trouble. To avert
this result the. Democratic party
must be defeated now, as it has
been necessary for fourteen years
to defeat it, in the interest o. liberty
int~ellipence. md civilization. And