The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-07-24
"Patience, FOrtitude and Per-
severance"
From the New Orleans Times

r 81 IFLoAu' liz NEW OfieailS IlneS.J
These are the qualities commended BY
the Natchez Democrat and Courier to
the Southern people, under the circum-
stances in which they now find them
selves! The suggestion is made in an
article, the burden of which isa solemen
and earnest protest against the White
League movement in Louisiana.
Since the close of the war our State
has. unfortunately been thrust into ex-
tremei prominence through the political
and race contests which have arisen
within her borders, In every newspaper
and, indeed, at every hearth in this
broad land, the various Louisiana cases
have been, discussed. At first, not only
the prejudices but the honest political
sentiments of the Northern people were
enlisted in favor of the Just emancipated
freedmen, and every effort on the part
of our white citizens to secure for them
selves a'legltlmate exercise of the priv
ileges of self-goverment was resented as
the offspring of rebellious sentiments,
and was followed by a new twist in the
Federal touTniquet Ct reconstruction.
But at length the sentimental Juror on
behalf of the colored man and brother
continued in full force the emancipation
of the blacks had practically bourgeoned
into the e~nslaYement Of the whites. This
was more than the Northern people had
bargainedfor. The tide of their sympathy
turned, and the blood of the dominant
race began to assert itself as d thicker
than water" Wrongs which the op-
pressed Taxpayers of Louisiana had long
endured under therbandit rule of greed
and ignorance, became at length most
eloquent pleaders on their behalf, and
were listened to with respectful defer
ence. Indeed, the situation had SO
changed that the triune virtues of pa
tience, fortitude and perseverance were
alone required, by even the most
wronged and oppressed of the Southern
people, to make their@edemption sure.
Just at this fOrtuitOus moment, when
calm and wise counsels were especially
desirable, what should spring up among
League, followed oy tle Black League,
botlI threatening as their sole logical
conclusion an actual war Of races. But
even il this were averted, and our
White League, with the logic of num-
bers against it, should succeed in achiey-
ing a victory at the polls, our conserva-
tive eontempory of Mississippi does not
hesitate to predict that such victory
would prove ruthless, The reasons as
signed for this conclusion are, that ga
movement so proscriptive could not tri-
umph without involving, here and there,
a violent collision, enough of blood to
0 III new the active sympathy of the
people of the North for the colored peo-
pie, and to furnish fuel for a new cru
SADIE, and some new phase of Southern
reconstruction. The movement is Ger
tainly calculated to stay the growth of
that kindly feeling and sympathy for us
in the North which has Of late been so
frequently and conspicuously evinced,
and to produce q reaction against us
and in favor Of the colored people, out
of which no man can tell wat calami-
ties, strifes and expressions may quick
~ Gomez
This is the general tone of the con-
s~ervative press as well in the North as
in the South. While all unite in desir-
ing our too lone oppressed States to be
relieved from tie vampire grasp of mis-
government, and agree that between a
numerical Dreponderance of negro votes
in certain States and Radical misgovern-
ment, there exists the undoubted rela-
ton of and effect, still they are
not ready to encourage an issue so
dangerous as the one which the Leap-
uers propose. Even the Chicago Til