New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-15

man was the political equal Of every other
free man, and he claimed for the emanci-
pated negro the full right of an American
citizen.
The ability and zeal with which Mr..
Greeley advocated these doctrines built up
what was at one time the most powerful
and popular political journal issued in
America. He founded and made it so.
We need not enumerate tho meas
ures which this earnest and powerful
journalist advocated 90 success: The
Wilmot proviso; free soil and free speech;
Kansas saved to freedom; the ~cognizsnce
and cooperation Of the John Brown in
vasion; the nomination and election OF
Abraham Lincoln; and the earnest prose-
cution Of the civil war by a prompt march
on Richmond, and the devoted supper. OF
all war measures. Horace Greeley sus-
tained the acts OF reconstruction, and so
armed the colored citizen with the vote
which could not have been denied to the
principle Of indiscriminate political equal
ity. He died, and the inheritance which
he transmitted to the Republican party
passed into the hands Of certain political
administrators These persons, fax wiser
than him who Lad built the property they
were called to manage. set about reversing
every plan. rejecting every principle.
and abandoning every purpose
Of their deceased predecessor. The Til
b.ne was turned over to what Horace
Greeley always called and proved the
''shamocracy." 1t has ceased to advocate
the industrial interests of agriculture or
manufactures, but far worse, it has cast
Kettles Upon the grave Of Greeley by coa-
demning az visionary and unwise the
opinion Of his life which he deemed most
worthy Of vindication. The Tribune has
for months past kept correspondents in
the Southern States whose mission has
been 70 decry and condemn the Repub.
lican organizations and exalt the men and
motives Of their opponents. This might
be set down to vengeance or venality,
which are vices to be pitied and despised.
But these correspondents seek to prove
/. That the reconstruction laws were
unwise. ...
2. That the negroes were happier in
slavery than in freedom.
3. That the gift Of the right Of suffrage
to the emancipated was a mistake.
We will extract a few quotations from
this correspondence. As it is published
without corrective comment We have a
right to recognize it as the opinion Of the
journal. We shall! do SO if it be not dis.
avoved:
I. is a commo remark in the South, and
especially il the cotton States. that recon.
structiOn has proved . failure.
The labor system WAS also, ! believe, the
cheapest in the world: it was almost self
supporting on we'll managed plantations,
SO that the cost Of making q thousand bales
Of cotton was often very little more than
the interest On tho value Of the land on
which it grew, and Of the negroes who
worked it.
Mr.. Greeley undertook to disprove this
proposition OF cheap labor by the simple
statement that 1000, 600 slaves cost
So, 900. 900, COO. while the same number of
free people represented in themselves3that
value. and SO cost production nothing il
the vested capital.
Alabama had an honest and economical
government. before and during the war. The
bonded debt Of the State when the ordinance
ot secession was passed was only about
$4,000 900. II during :he whole war there
was Il" failure TO provide Tor she interest on
This. cotton being ser. through the blockade
for that purpose. Taxes we're low. and good
cotton and were WORTH from $50 to so an
acre. ....
The decentralization Of che whites was less
only in degree than tina. of the negroes.
The first IDEA o: freedom which the negroes
received was that they were 20 live q life of
idieness as they had seen so many OF the
white people doing. aud that all their wants
would be supplied by the United States
government.
The manner in which the negroes flocked
into tho own in the summer of 1868: how
the government found it necessary to feed
them. and how they died by the thousands
is now a matter OF history.
But even if the blacks had been DISPOSED
to work Immediately after they were set
free. they were as dependent upon the
white people for employment as the plan.
ters were upon them for the labor. They
had no land. and very few OF them were
capable OF accomplishing anything without
the direction ard support Of the white
people.
With this acknowledgment that all TIE
past ideas and assertions Of Horace
Greeley We're wrong and ~ruinous. the COZ.
respondent. who says that he was himself
an advocate Of the reconstruction meas
ures. goes on to show the physical and
moral decline Of the Southern blacks. and
this chapter would prove the way Of eman-
cipation to have beea a criminal error on
the par. Of those who wageI it and !
tata! evil to the people whom it set free.
Here is q result Of the wal as stated:
The destruction Of capital. the impover-
ishment Of the people, the changed re!a-
tons which the two races Dor. to each
other az the close of The wa.. the new and
unfamiliar duties that both were called
upon 70 perform, the Generalization OF
labor. and. in short. the sudden aud violent
revolution that had taken place in the legal
status OF one race and in the financial CON
dition OK the other-cailed iov = calm. de-
~iiberate consideration by Congress "t every
measure that was to affect the South.
The reconstruction acts were necessary
to protect the freedman:
From that time the reconstruction meas
ures We're framed and passed. not because
they would bring the greatest scot to all
classes OF people ip the South. BIT: 70. the
purpose OF establishing the Eew State gov
erDment>O on . 'Republica1 basis" and "s
guaranteeing 70 the negro the full enjoy-