The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-16
SYSTEMATIC MISREPRESENTATION.

SY6IGMAIlO 01066f 66S6NIAIlU
There seems to be systematic attempt OF
the part of certain persons and journals t
misrepresent the objects and purposes Of tn
White League, and strange as it may seem,
newspaper published in New Orleans tn
editors of which are presumed to be cognizan
Of local movements, leads the van in state
ments which are calculated to seriously in
jure the people of Louisiana in the estimation
of the North and West.
In an article, in this mornings issue of the
Times, which was intended to show the folly
Of the white people Of the South combining to
protect their interests and their lives, the fol
lowing passage occurs, which we reprint to
show how utterly illogical and unsound an
argument must be, based upon such misrep-
| resentatiOn:
'Just at this fortuitous moment, when calm
and wise counsels were especially desirable,
what should spring up among the Hotspurs of
party but the White League, followed by the
Black League, both threatening as their sole
logical conclusion an actual war Of races.
The statement that the Black League fol-
lowed the White League would be correct
were the fact not directly the reverse, and we
could afford to smile at the blunder were it not
for the injury it is calculated to do us abroad.
Nobody ever thought of White League until
the Black League with its secret signs and
declared purposes were well known and the
threat Of the negroes had been made that
Louisiana belonged to them and they intended
to rule it, not even permitting the interference
of their old friends and allies, the carpet-ba.-
gers.
This Black League the headquarters of
which are in this city, ramified throughout
the State, white men were and are excluded
from their midnight meetings, and the AFRO
gance and insolence of the negroes, the result
Of over-confdence in numbers and organiza-
ton, had become insufferable. Arms were
shipped to the country in large numbers to
the members of this League, and everywhere
throughout the parishes, were evidences of an
approaching contest that could not be disre-
garded.
1ncautious negroes in moments of anger
and excitement uttered terrible threats, the
least of which was that the whites would soon
be made to ''take their holes, and the worst,
that the men were to be be massacred and the
women appropriated for their own
Is it strange that under such circumstances
as these the whites should take counsel to-
gether and conclude to organize for self-pro-
lection?
Is it strange that they should conclude to
arm themselves in view Of the fact that the
negroes were nearly all armed and that they
had possession Of all the State arms: We
believe that there is no people under the sun
who would not have done precisely what the !,
people of Louisiana are doing under the cir
or, if such people there be, they
ire beneath the contemp of intelligent human
beings.
There has been no desire on the part of the
whites to inaugurate war of races. They
AVE submitted since the war to every species
# insult and contumely, with patience,
ortitude and perseverance which must have
xcited the wonder and admiration of even
he editor Of the Iimes-but when all these
ears OF patience and forbearance lead to
lothing better than the formation on the
art OF the negroes Of secret Black
1eague, the objects of which are inimical
0 the white people, We would not be
uman to submit quietly any longer. 1t is
de to threaten the South with the anger of
be North; in this struggle for existence we
re compelled to take such steps as seem to us
necessary; and if the result should
be to stir up again the fires of
We should deplore it; but even that !
7ould be preferable to our fate if Louisiana
ere converted into San Domingo.
In regard to the views OF the New York
ournol Of Commerce quoted by the Tines, that
the only hope Of the taxpayers is to detach =,
ne better class Of negroes from the main !
ody by proving community Of interest, and !
howing that in misgoverned State the l
lacks and whites are alike despoiled," we 1
ould say that disastrous experiment Of that
ind for the last eight years has proved its !,
npracticability. The negroes are welded '
} their idols" and are infamed with the idea G
lat the country is theirs by right of numbers,
i'd arguments and persuasion ar alike pow
less to move them {
In another column we print communica-
on from E. A. Bur e, Esq. touching the DO
heal situation. We give place to this some =,