New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-27
NEW ORLEANS, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER II, 1874
4 Review Of the situation.

A Review of the situation.
we condense from the Chicago Inter-
Ocean of the twenty third the letter OF its
special correspondent. dated the Eine-
| teenth:
Were my pencil able to write all that
see and hear in this city. the whole North
would believe as i do now, that the oid
roots OF the rebellion are terminating
| again, and sending up their shoots all over
| the South hear treason every hour OF
| the day: read it in almost every paper 1
pick up, l sec it in the faces and
| in the actions OF the men meet. At
| may no: be so elsewhere il the South, but
| know how it is il Louisiana. Tne con
| tlict OF Monday was but an accidental in
| suyrection-a premature outbreak OF the
wax that the reDe: sympatnizers IN the
| Soutl. had prepared TOR inauguration just
before election. 1t came too socn; its sud
denness paralyzed them, having found
them not quite prepared. and now they are
creeping back to their places and covering
the fires OF their vengeance till the indIsna,
! ton of the North mad subsidized, when
think they will break out again.
The results Of reconstruction here are
! very small and very unsatisfactory. and
peace will not be known in Louisiana I'll
| another and different generation mas
growr up to take the places and cast the
votes OF the men OF to-day. The State
should be put under . barrel, like young
! tomato plants, as Dean Swift advised N
the case of opstreperOus young boys, ana
left TO grow till it is big enough and decent
enough to care for itself, then the barre! can
be knocked away, aud the full grown stats
should have freedom and light TO groW IN
it's own direction. Those who know New
Orleans know how much like Paris u is,
and this simi,ituGe extends to the temper
| of the people as we'll as to the roofs OF the
houses, the signbOards and the harrowness
I OF the streets.
The citizens OF this State are no: 4: 20
| govern themselves any more than :he
| French are: they no more understand the
| uses and the value of a republic. These
old shareholders, these Southern arstocrats
( must rule, or they are uneasy; they must
I be able to beat a ''nigger,' Or life Is ilvl-
low mockery 70 them; they can not cit
I quietly and see one OF their old slaves
paradipg himself as their social equal and
! official superior any more than Northern
| housewife could wash the dishes under
the Biddy'e directions. 1t is a moral
impossibility, under the circumstances
| in which they were born and educated
I can understand how CALLING it is for
I an old planter who used GO have hun
dreds Of slaves at his bid and beck. - nave
those slaves taunt him with their ilicOn-
ceived notions of their position. The blood
Of four generations of Oberln aboli-
| tionists runs III nv veins. but 1 know 1t
would curdle If the man wEo used 70 oiack
my boots should treat me as some OF these
|. | negroes do their old masters
And on the other hand, the newly made
! citizens-the plantation slaves OK the South
are Just as incapable Of proper use oi their
! franchise. Within the last few days have
| seen enough 70 convince me that the co!orec
/. | Nan, generally speaking, for there are noble
exceptions. has not yet reached that degree
of education and intelligence that will en-
! able him 70 properly govern himself. 10 say
nothing OF the ability 70 govern otuefs.
The Legislature of Louisiana. for instance.
is composed IN two-thirds part ot black
. men. the most Of whom were formerly
slaves. and nearly halt can not write their
. own names. They feel their advancement
| in the last few years, their political position
| and power. with a pride and presumption
that makes them Odious. 1hev nave q
, power to which they are unaccustoned. and
! it makes them tyrants; the change from
| eervitude to power has been too rapid too
| radical for their own good: they mistake
| their position. and even their best l.en-
tions are sometimes based on fases; and
most ludcrous grounds. They are suscep-
tible to tiattery, and easily become the :ools
, OF designing men.
+ AsI was going to say, the outbreak of
Monday was a premature elimination OF
long laid plans. The old rebel element is
, | tired of negro rule: the White League was
. organized to overthrow it, and the move
| ment was planned to take place just before
election. Arms and ammunition were being
! received quietly, ana distributed where
. they were needed bands were being organ
lied all over the State, with course OF
, | conduct minutely laid down to them, and the
whole conspiracy was to end in regular
blowout when it would do the most good. But
) several cases of arms, sent from New York
to this port in boxes labeled ladies boots,
were captured. the trick exposed. and the
White Leaguers 60 exasperated that they
, went of. as the boys say. half cooked
The public knows the result. Momentarily
} they were triumphant, but, awed by federal
! power. they have retired. and things Will
20 on as they have done, until the White
League trigger is pulled again. These little
disturbances you hear Of all over the State
are but the flashing of caps and the ex-
plosion of cartridges which had been fixed
for this same ante-election outbreak-pre-
! mature discharges.
The Democrats did not anticipate such
prompt federal interference. They thoug
! as they published for two or three days
after the fight, and proclaimed in their con.
gratulatory,, speeches, that Gran; as
!, tired OF Kellogg" They pressed the Pres.
ident with amicable dispatches and resolu-
} tions. and sent a committee Of business
men, on to Washington TO assure him that
the people were satisfied. But the man
WHO conquered them once was ready 20
conquer them again. and they saw ne
meant to do it.
referred to General Longstree. just now.
As every body knows, he is thoroughly re.
constructed; he has been federal officer.
surveyor Of the port, and has been a. active
as any in this war of races, commanding
| the colored men against his old comrades of
the rebellion. For this he receives, per-
haps. the most intense hatred of any. and
myself have heard men say that they
"wOuld shoot Longstreet on sight The
papers have demanded his life, and they
| call him "a recreant traitor" "the betrayer
OF the dearest interests Of the South" and
| all that sort of thing.
While Penn and Kellogg and Lon ngstreet
and Casey were talking just before that
conference of the factions that lasted most
all of yesterday, Penn spoke of the quiet
of the city, and Kellogg asked if he thought
his lKellogg's) life would be safe if he went
into the street.
II think So" said Penn.
"Would you dare" said Kellogg, 'walk
down to the State House with me on one
arm and Longstreet on the other ~
"Well, don't know" hesitated Penn.
1T would be risky business if Longstreet
was along"
So the old General has to keep pretty
close. Did you ever see hint A tail,
portly, digniied gentleman of the old
school, who wears rufled shirts, and fob
chain dangling on his nankeen trowsers.
Grayish sandy side whiskers, and a head
that is just bald enough to add TO lis dig
nifty. A deep set, small blue eye. with