New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-22
The White League Democracy.

Affairs are O8O enough LII AOul5laud, UUL
the organization of the White League De-
matters hundred fold worse. The close
of the rebellion and. the disbanding of the
army of secession let loose upon the South
ern community hordes of the worst possible
men for that important turn in their his
tory. Many, if not most of them, had been
brought up IN idleness. They got their
business education in the saloon and at the
gaming table. They look upon labor as
dishonorable. They had been taught to
regard with disdain the learning of trades
or the requirement of skill and ability to
earn ones living by following the humber
avOcatiOns.
These men refused to accept the new
order of things. Hard work from all classes
was needed to reb1ild Southern industries,
but they stubbOrnly refused to do their
share of it. So they fomented discord, did
their utmost to breed discomfort in the
Southern mind, cursed the negro and spent
their time in trying to fan into flame the
expiring fires of the rebellion.
1t was out of this material the Ku-Klux
was formed. A life of plunder, rapine and
murder was congenial to their taste. With
so numerous and eager recruits that shame
less band of outlaws rapidly increased and
extended it's fearful work of crime over
nearly all the South. 1t was a most foul
blot upon the Southern States, and burn
ing disgrace to the whole land that so infa-
nous an organization of cut throats should
exist beneath the national flag.
But, though its existence was stoutly and
persistently denied bv large portion of
the Democratic Journals, though its hellish
work was carried on under the most ter
rible secrecy, though its fearful oaths, its
raw heads, bloody bones, and awful penal
+; ho lofo of Of itc phoro
we're part of its tendish machinery, still it
was finally exposed and broken up.
But this bad element still exists. The
breaking up Of Ku-Kluxism did not change
the character of its members. They are
still indolent They are as little recOnciled
to the situation as ever. And it is out of
the worst elements of their citizens that
this White League is now being formed in
Louisiana. The pretext for it is that there
is danger of general uprising of the ne.
grOes and of massacre of the white popu-
lation. This, of course, is the meanest and
wickedest subterfuge ever invented by des-
peradoes.
This White League is not secret organ
nation like the Ku-klux out of which 1t has
grown. 1t boldly announces its purposes to
the world. Its platform declares "a deter.
mination to maintain legal rights by all
means that maybecome necessary for that
purpose, and to preserve them at all
hazards" These White League fellows are
going ''to teach the blacks to beware Of
further insolence." They are pledged to
establish "a white mans government
Their motto is virtually, "down with the
negro"
Democratic papers in Louisiana are en-
couraging and urging on the movement
Democratic clubs are entering bodily into
the White League. The defeat of the civil
rights bill has given them new and in.
creased boldness. 1t looks as though a
formidable movement had been commenced
TO deprive the colored men of their political
rights under the constitution of the country
The pretence that the negro will not work
is met and abundantly refuted by the Cottor
Exchange of New Orleans, in which they
cite Overwhelming evidence from the ter
cotton States to prove that the assertion
that the colored people are either indolent
disorderly or in the slightest degree dan
gerous to the white, as utterly and mali
ciously false.
Ut late good deal of earnest sympathy
has been awakened throughout the North
in behalf of the South and its people. The
desire to see plenty and prosperity abounG
in all the late rebel States, has been gen
eral and genuine. There is capital enough
in the country to 60 South and aid in its re
cuperation just as soon as the state OF
society is what it ought to be. The South
needs labor. It needs every worker it has
in its midst and many more. More labor il
the great want in Virginia, Alabama, an(
other States in the South to-day. But now
comes this White League Democracy, bOrr
of the pit itself and destined, if not checked
in the bud, to work untold evil in th'
South.
The negroes have the ballot in thei
hands. 1t is idle, it is criminal to attemp
to wrest it from them. If these Whit
Leagues go on sad state of affairs viii
follow. We believe there are many goOt
and true men in the South who fought un
der the flag of secession. 1t is their solemn
duty to rise in their might and strangle thi
White League, this newborn child Of per
dition, before it shall rrow to spread desc