The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-08-07
1.-THE Negro i'm Politics.
from the New Orleans Times.

} LllSO L In "a INV ~OS"t
exaggerations of facts as regards the
larger portion of this State. The dis
position it cOmments upon it's sWeeplngly
assigned to the whole community, and
indeed to the whole South, and is, when
so applied, one of those reckless misrc-
presentations for which the Times is not
a little famed. Apart from this, the
article is worthy of attention as a strong
expression Of opinion from an inttucn-
tial journal on a subject that deeply in
tercsts this section:
It is sufficiently evident that the cOnk
try has not seen the last of the negro i'll
politics, and is not likely to see the last
I of him for many years, He figures as an
important element" in the third-term
: talk. He is counted upon as "sOlid"
for Grant. Not the less is he most cor
daily hated by those Southern white
men who have declared themselves i'll
favor Of Grants reelection. The negro
is the central political figure in the old
slave States. Strangely enough, while
there seems to be an undying enmlty (at
least on one side) between him and the
Southern white a they seem to be
united in favor of Grant. The negro
wants Grant because he thinks that
Grant freed him, and will protect him.
The white nan wants Grant because he
thinks that Grant will veto the civil
rights bill, if he ever has the opportunity.
Even Mr.. LOchrane, eX-Chief Justice OF
Georgia, faYOrs Grant on this ground.
and in the course of u Grant argument
saws: "This land would become Il des-
ert before the features of that bill would
be recognized or acquiesced i'll. The
blood of the people is hotter than their
brains, and come what may Ill cOnSe-
uuenceS, Summers legacy will be q leg
acy of tears to his friends" The negro
likes Grant because he doesn't like the
men who talk as LOckrane does, and
thinks Grant will take his part against
them. The curious state of things evil
IDENTIFY results from a misunderstanding,
and may, therefore, not last until 1876.
Wherever in the old slave States the
party hosts are, setting themselves III
battle array, the negro is the white mans
objective point. In Louisiana there are
white leagues engaged in prOclaiming
been made familiar, that this is Il white
mans country, and nobody but the
white man must have Il voice i'll its af-
fairs. These leagues put their right
hands on the hut'S of their pistols and
swear great 0att. that the negro shall
be put where ht tclungs and kept there.
1t has not appeared that black leagues
are organizing and swearing counter
Oaths. 1t is only certain that the para
mount political issue with the white men
is the "dam-nigger."
And so it is in Mississippi. Nicksburg
papers are firing the Southern heart by
serving up the threats, real or imaginary,
of negroes, to the effect that they in
tend to massacre the white men, while
the wenches murder the white women
and children. "FOrewa1ned is forearm
ed is the cry, and fOrearmed Is proba-
bly, the fact.
1t is represented that i'll Texas the
"war of races has already begun. The
papers tell of a Chicago man, Gesner by
name, who has been driven off by amob
for the high crime of teaching in a negro
Sunday school. They tell also of q Mr..
Washburn who was brutality beaten by
! a band of armed ruffians, and Informed
that all white teachers o day or Sunday
schools who taught negroes would be
driven off; that no negroes should be
taught, and that the blacks were to be
reduced to their old condition. These
stories may be exaggeratiOns, but there
seems to be no reason to doubt that the
Southern white people intend to "agl-
tate" the negro question III their pecu-
liar way as long as they a see any
prospect whatever of putting the d-n
| niger where he belongs. s'. -
The opinion prevails in some quarters
that this revival of the "agitatiOnH .af-
ter the manner of 1866, is due to an opin-
ion prevailing among Southern white
men that a great change has come owe
| public sentiment at the North. The
House failed to pass the civil rights bill.
Tt was supposed that the President
would veto it in the event of its passage.
| The measure was opposed by a number
| of Republican organs Carpet-bag and
| negr0rut has been severely criticised
of late by nearly all the Northern pa.
Ders." The suppositiOn is that the ire
| conciIabIes of the Southern States infer
from this state of facts that their OpporA
tunity practically to re enslave the ne
Gro has arrived. This suppOsitior may
be made for political effect. However
that may be, it appears'to be true that
the irreconcilables arc a good deal more
| active Just now than they have been for
several years, and are bent on making
does not misrepresent the state OF feel
ing which widely prevails in the South
ern States when he says that, the blood.
| of the pieople is hotter than their brains,
and come what may i'll consequences,
Summers legacy WILDE a legacy oftears
to his friends -. 81. al Eh"3f'+'- us'r.
But if Judge Locfrane and the people
for whom he speaks go upon the as
| sumption that a great change of public
sentiment has taken place in the North,
people are prepared to sympathize with
them in the persecution of the negro,
they will find themselves grandly mis-
taken. A repetition OF. the massacres of
1866 would unite the Northern people
more firmly than ever. They are tired
enough of the everlasting negro ques-
ton, it is true. They have other things
of importance to attend to at home.
But they have not altered their resolu~
ton that the negro shall be a. citizen,
and that he shall be protected in the en-
joyment and exercise of his, human
rights. "#+. "
The Southern people have it in their
power to put IN end to this squable Over
the negro by simply letting him alone
and treating him as a human being with
human rights. If they had done that
eight years ago, black and white parties
would have been unknown to-day in the
| Southern States the blacks would have
been divided among parties, and the
whites would have found themselves
| exerting a controlling influence even in
the negro States of South Carolina and
Mississippi. The whites have. suffered
greatly from misgoverpment, and they
have the sympathy of most Northern
men. But it cannot be forgotten that
the fault is largely their own. Had they
shown themselves the friends instead of
the ~implacable enemies of the negro,
parties would not have been divided on
the color line, and the native whites
would have enjoyed almost absolute