National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-24
THE INDEPENDENT THANKS
GIVERS

its independent turkey. Governor Kellogg,
however, persuaded that the symbolic fowl
would keep a week later, and that his fel-
Republicans would prefer to wrestle
with it simultaneously with American free
men generally, issued his proclamation for
the 26th. Such a token of despotism must
have CALLED the proud Democracy, and we
marvel they did not reassemble at Clay
statue and dispatch an armed detail to the
State House to demand that he should
either revoke his proclamation or vacate
his chair. We must confess their forbeaT-
ance in this regard, however. They sat
down TO their turkey calmly, and were too
amiable afterwards to do more than arm
themselves with heroic toothplcks and eX-
ult that they had forestalled both Presi-
dent and a Governor. We question whether
this untowardnesS will mar a freeman's
Thanksgiving dinner elsewhere or excite
more than a smile that Louisiana Demo-
Gratis exhibit so successful persistence at
being idiotic in their miserable spleen.
As long as they are thus perverse at their
own expense simply, nobody cares, but
when they poach for ''niggers" rather than
for turkeys, put pistols in their belts rather
than good capon under them, thirst for
blood rather than claret rend a local gov
eminent rather than fowl, they will con-
tinue to find the same National interposi-
ton, chagrin at which explains their
Thanksgiving of the 10Th. Grants pro-
"clamation is for next Thursday, the Goth,
"and with that we have nothing to do"
sayeth the New Orleans Bulletin. Inas-
much as the Presidents official suggestion
of observance was addressed, we believe,
to call good citizens, " the BulIetir tells a
pungent truth, perhaps, not quite compli-
mentary to its partisans. For men to ''give
thanks to the Almighty Ruler for His
mercy, with folded hands that have just
brutally denied mercy to colored citizens,
is to affront Heaven, and, on the whole, we
are glad those for whom the Bulletin speaks
did select day of their own. 1t reminds
one of Louis Nj who, while directing the
death of certain foes, crossed himself at the
sound of church-bell, mumbled prayer
and then concluded his wicked instructions.
The same day that the Bulletin declared as
above stated, the Shreveport Times gave
the returning board frank notice that I'm.
"less they return the elections Democratic
"they and those they seek to count in will
pay the forfeit l0ith their IiUeSi" Thisis
a meek and devout temper, surely. The
next day the stately old PieGyUTe, Of New
Orleans, remarks, as to the 18th and the
elections: "On such an occasion we can
pardon the Ioildest enthusiasm of the pa
"triot Let the voice of New Orleans
"unite with that Of Shreveport. This is
not the religion Of even third-rate Pagan;
it might serve, however, for Kaffir or a
Modoc. Yet complacently parenthesizes
the Picayune, Sin the midst of disasters,
eve Cits following) have learned modera-
" ton an assurance that many colored
families who will lament vacant chairs on
Thanksgiving Day at Colfax, Coushatta
and New Orleans, will be base enough to
forget. Moderation that finds expression
from gun-barrels is announcement, and liable
to misinterpretatiOn, even though it be a
good.
The Southern Democratic press need not
attempt to dupe the Northern mind. Muir
der is not justice laws are not jests, mobs
are rutfians, not good citizens; hatred, envy
and all uncharitableness are not Christian
virtues. The New York HeraEdS CORE
spOndent at New Orleans telegraphed Sun
day: "The whites have ordered all organi-
cations to be prepared for a movement on
1,n hoo ri NV n Of
the Clay statue, as on the 14th of Sep
" TENDER, and the sending of commission
"tO the board, giving them forty eight
"hOurs to finish. and threatening to do
certain things in the event of their fail
cure. AH tile White League organizations
met last night for drill The 'drill''
denotes the character of the coming "cer-
tain things" The League is seeking to
ascribe its own fault to the board. To give
that League representation on it Repub-
lican member of the board resigned and
elected a prominent Lacquer. He sat with
his fellow members and objected to further
progress with the canvass of the returns
until he had conferred fully with his party
leaders. Several days of adjournment en-
sued, during which the board, to avoid a
charge of unfairness, would not touch a
solitary return, when he rendered his res
ignation. Another conspicuous Lacquer
was then elected upon tardy suggestion
of the Democracy, but when he took his
seat, interposed numerous and frivolous OBJ
iections, having exhausted which, after sew
eral days, he refused to act further as
member unless he should have a fellow
Democrat on the board. This requisite he
had and has in General Anderson, an old
Louisianian, but unhappily for the queru-
lous member, Anderson does not propose
TO sacrifice the truth of the returns for the
demands Of his party. At this rate the
board will never be allowed to prosecute
It's canvass, and for the Leaguers
to give it 'fOrty light hours 10
finish what they have thus far barely
suffered it to begin, is as fiendish as it is
mean. We trust the board will wait no
longer upon the Democracy, but elect some
other Democrat who, like Gen. Anderson,
will dare to be honest despite the League,
and conclude its work. And since only
three days after its Thanksgiving deyotiOns
the White League in New Orleans met and
drilled for bloody work, it is to be appre-
hended that their prayers 60 less far than
their bullets, and that they pulled wish
bones together with wicked glee that may
disclose bloody meaning at any hour of even
the present week. How long are honest
citizens 10 crouch before such mad outlaws?
The trouble is that the latter want all the
political turkey, and violently insist that
Southern Republicans shall be content with
buZZard.