The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-10-23
THE SOUTH.

The New York Bulletin, a strictly CONNER
cial paper. makes the following just statement
of the political condition of the South:
While the Government is gathering its
forces from all parts Of the country to over
awe the dissatisfied element at the South,
how few among us care to candidly examine
into the causes of the discomfort 1t is
easy when the power is at hand, to put down
1awless demonstrations; but it is not always
80 easy to swallow the bitter blame that be-
longs to ourselves for the evils we seek to re-
press. The disorder prevailing in Louisiana,
and more or less in other States, and the state
of ill-feeling which shoulders ready to break
forth into worse tumult than anything we have
yet witnessed, are notedue to mere wanton
spirit of mischief or love of disorder for its
own sake. This state of things expresses the
WORKOUT patience of high-spirited people,
who, after being conquered, have been sub
jected to needless humiliation and oppres-
sion.
The naked forms of liberty have been
granted to them but in truth they have
been governed by Legislatures and by Federal
officials who have paid no respect to their
political prepOssessions and who have de-
graded every form of Office and of power into
means of corrupt exaction. After ten years Of
such treatment, quietly endured, they find
nothing to encourage hope OF early delivery.
They are overwhelmed with debt end taxa
ton. From sheer inability te pay their po-
htical debts, they are driven into the disgrace
of reputation. Poverty stares them in the
face; their lands are depreciating in value
they are Losing the means for improving their
Yarns; the credit of their merchants is de-
sCIhing and the capital which once courted
their cities and plantations now shun them.
The Southern people can distinctly point to
. class Of politicians who mainly have caused |
this state of things. In every county they |
know the men who are responsible for the dis |
organization and ruin that has been brought |
upon them. In most cases these men are in
terlopers aud Adventures, the political scum
of other sections, SO that they feel they have
been ruled and despoiled by the stranger. Can
one word Of this statement of their case be
disputed? If not, is it matter of surprise
that they are beginning to lose patience and to
show keen resentment against those to whom
they owe SO much of their misfortunes? Have
We citizens in any other section who would en-
dure such wrongs more tamely? Have we any
right to expect an unstinted submission to |
such misruld?
However necessary it may be for tie federal
authority to step in and see that the just in
dignation of the Southern people does not
md expression in bloody revenge, vet all
decent regard for the liberty to which our in
stitutions pledge us, requires that We should
not be found effectually backing the wrongs
to which the national power may compel the
South to temporarily submit. When the
national constitution pledged the federal arm
for the suppression of internal disorders, it
was not for the purpose of nursing domestic
expressions, and the President in his dealings
with these things, as well as Congress in the
cOgniZance OF them, should let this be under
stood most distinctly. There is yet chance
for the South being kept together and for the
prevention of its becoming mere indolent
African settlement; but the only way to effect
such salvation is by allowing political ascend
ancy to the race which alone is competent to
govern it wisely.
We make this allusion to question largely
political because upon its solution depends !
the commercial future Of the South Nothing .
is more certain than that, if the former white I
population of the South be much longer de-
prived of the control Of their interests, thew
will either migrate or sink into the condition
Of the ''poor whites" which means the agri-
cultural and commercial ruin OF the richest
section Of our broad land. This is, therefore,
one OF the most urgent commercial questions
of the times.