The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-04-19
Letter from Grant Parish.
The Political Situation.

We ri We below letter from gentleman
residing III Grant parish, which contains
some very sensible reflections on the polit
cal situation. The letter vas written two
days before the Grant cmate.
GRANT PARISH, April 10, 1874.
Editors of N. o. Bulletin:
Grant parish Az the name, no doubt all
the powers that be will prick up their ears
and the I. $. Marshals will see from afar off
the chances Of future mileages, and sundry
other pcrgnisites incidental to their Offices
Its very name will set in frenzy the editor
Of the Republican, and with a pen dipped
in ink boiled mp to fever heat, he will hurl
his thundcrs mt the poor unfOrtunates who
inhabit this doomed section.
Having the power to WELD it without any
regard for justice and right is one thing !;
and having the power to WELD it with that
comprehensive view which only belongs to
the patriot or jurist is another thing For
the ephemeral politician who, like cloud
shadows, are hardly seen before they vanish
It may be u part Of his creed AZ well az his
duty to pander to the dictates Of vndic-
tive and uncomfortable party, and to con
denim any and every one who may come I'M
der his ban. 1t is only for to-day, it in only
the consequence Of Overstrained passion !;
butt when the dawn of the bright tomorrow
shall bring the verdict of the reaction, and
the people, rising from amidst the ruins of
their homes, shall re assert their rights. the
dcmagognc, skuking back to the nothing
ness from which he sprung, will only leave
behind him the record of his infamous deeds
To us of Grant parish, the lesson is brought
home and rs we view the broad extent of
acres, once proverbial for their fertility and
now lying waste under the curse Of dema-
gogue influence, VIC may well wonder at the
extraordinary political revolution going Oh
in our country.
To discuss the rights of either race, or re-
open the discussion of their merits or de-
merits, would not only be useless, but farci-
cal. The situation has been decided and
accepted--it had been SO oven before the
surrender nj AppomattoxC Court House. Both
races stand to-day politically one. They
cannot be divided their interests and their
future are identical.
To divide them is folly; to establish party
lines where the demarcation appears is po-
litical suicide; when it happens, M it gen
orally has happened, the demagogne steps in
and unscrupulously uses it as a commencing
argument with constituents he wishes
to manpulate.
Travel through the country parishes and
converse with the majority Of the black
people, and you will find them fully alive
10 tne laCt. ! neN IL sl SO wei the necessity
of union that, in all questions not connected
with politics, they will naturally cluster
around their white neighbors and follow the
same path, without clash or hindrance.
In union only, rests the hope and resur-
rection of our State On the wise and ex-
perienccd heads of the State devolves the
duty to effect it.
In our parish, which seems to be the bat
tlc-iield on which the Radical party VII en-
deavor to win its decisive victory, and crush
the white element out of existence, the
question - OF more than ominous import.
The late trial before the United States
court shows conclusively that with two
camps, each representing different color,
the whites are powerless. The Government
weighs too heavily and openly against them.
Even now United States troops are being
used to try and arrest supposed culprits.
Where ia the remedy. There certainly
must he one, or are we, like the PROSTATE
boay OF the condemned lnoribund, to be left !
to canker and die without hope and without
q hearingi s-s'.