New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-08
7.-infamy of the Presidential Campaign
of lS6S-DemOcratic Honor and abe
Democratic Conscience.

7.-infamy Of the Presidential Campaign
of lS6S-DemOcratic Honor and abe
Democratic Conscience.
come now to the most infamous political
campaign that ever transpired IN America.
or in any other country-that is, the presi-
Dental contest of 1868, when Seymour and
Blair were the Democratic candidates,
candidates. The rascalities and heathenish
brutalities which enabled the rebel Democ-
racy of North Louisiana to carry the vote
for their candidates, have been plainly fore.
Swallowed in the preceding chapters of these
sketches. The land had become dotted
with the new-made graves Of loyal men,
mostly negroes. who had been murdered
and assassinated in cold and fendish blood
by those who had taken a midnight secret
oath that colored men should never again
vete, unless they voted the Democratic tick.
et--who had taken mean and cOwardly secret
Oaths to murder their political opponents
in cold blood rather than be OutvOted on
graves, which dotted in reproach and dis.
grace almost the entire land of North Lou.
isiana, hundreds if not thousands more had
been thus slain who had been denied even
the most humble burial, but who had been
thrown into pools, sink holes and turbid
streams, as food for reptiles. wild beasts
and the fowls of the air-poor creatures
who had been more dishonored in their
death than those who in ancient times were
adjudged to die the death of an ass and to
be dra wn and quartered and cast forth he.
yond the gates of Jerusalem.
Dishonored, did l say! Not SO. The dis
honor which was intended by their assassin
slayers was to them all honor. 1t was their
browning glory and should be remembered
of them as the best commentator among
all honorable men. To die for the right at
the hands of the assassin may be reproach
to the human character in the aggregate
out it is no reproach nor dishonor in an in
tividual sense to the victim. The best of
Snen are sometimes murdered at the hands
OF the basest. In such cases the memory of
che dead is hOnored and revered. while |
the assassin and sneaking murderer is |
Ioathed while living and execrated when |
dead.
But the wonder is that men calling them. |
selves honorable, and who are educated |
and refined to high degree in some sense, |
and move in what is termed the highest |
circle of polite society, should in any way |
or to any degree indorse or countenance
such infamous conduct. 1t is when con-
this deplorable fact that the
fermentation Of wonder naturally comes in
and the deplorable romance Of politics in
the backwoods is verified and demonstrated
when we remember that these things occur.
and are countenanced, if not perpetated,
snd openly Endorsed by the so-cailed better
Glass of our country, simply and solely be
cause of the difference of political opinion
and that, too, upon the poor, helpless and
portion of the community
The unlettered and unarmed freedmen, who,
Cor ages past, toled unrequitted and
without a murmur, and nursed, ard even
uckled many of those who have thus
sain or permitted them to be slain. For
have been murdered in the bloody days
since the war in North Louisiana and
throughout the South. And l should have
mentioned the fact, when recording an ac-
roent of the massacre in the parish of Bos-
sier. that on that noted occasion some gal
can't young men took two or three poor,
and totally helpless colored
women into the woods and hanged them to
death. This most disgraceful and damnable
fact was, if | mistake not, sworn to before !
m investigating committee. And it is | ;
enough to make every decent white man in
he South hang his head in very shame
'nough to make him PROSTATE himself upon
he ground, with lips in the dust, and cry, I
Unclean, unclean ~ ,
And what should the Northern man .
hink or say for himself who stands altar I
II, at safe distance, with acts or words :
hitch would or could in any sense be con- t
.rued as indorsing, or in any way or to T
ny degree countenancing, such damnable t
ltamy upon the human character! What t
lould the world-the civilized and Chris a
anized world-say or think of such man v
think such character should be cursed in
me and damned in eternity. a
1t need not be attempted to be denied o
at colored men and white men have been q
murdered by the scores and b