New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-06-01

care Of those who are allied to them b
the traditions of the past" That is, t
their old masters Thus he expects tina
''idleness and intemperance will be re
strained, domestic virtue will revive,
SCHOOLS will be opened, ''and the youn,
be educated in obedience" etc.
| Now if this be not a political pamphlet
we would like to know what is; and W.
say that all these acts of the benevolen
prelate to which we have alluded, and al
the Quixotic views which he here ex
presses, are enough to prove him poll
tician, and not the least violent nor tn,
wisest Of his party, his own disclaimer tt
the contrary Notwithstanding.
We can not believe that the bishop will
after mature reflection, adhere to the DO
sitions he assumes in his address. He
must know that the amendments to the
constitution are parts of the supreme law
Of the land, and that his allegiance is
primarily due to that law. He must
know that these amendments have Sc
cured to all citizens the equal enjoyment
of all political rights. and especially Of
the right Of suffrage, regardless of race,
color or previous condition of servitude.
He should be sensible that this grant is
| beyond the power of revocation, except
by change in the fundamental law,
which no reasonable man can expect, and
which no man attached to republican
| principles ought to desire. When, there
| fore, he would have the freedmen ''meek-
ly accept the change in their condition,
contented with the naked gift of free
DOM he but whistles against the wind
That meekness which would tamely yield
rights thus auth oritatively conferred, and
so long and SO unjustly withheld, it is
unreasonable to expect from freemen.
There is no force in the statement that
'for every negro admitted to Congress
there is an increase of many hundreds
admitted to the penitentiary." The same
ASA0aA n 40. uoG do u uC WILL Ic1tIcuCO W
every white man admitted to Congress,
and it would be absurd to urge this as a
reason why white citizens should not be
admitted to the national councils.
The complaint against those Repub-
icans who refuse to counsel the freedmen
to become zone in sentiment and in
power" with their former masters is an
attack upon the liberty Of free speech and
of free press. Every man has the right
to advise his fellow-citizens fairly and
openly to adopt that course of political
action which, in his judgment, will ad-
vance their interests and protect their
rights. For the exercise of this privilege
he is amenable to God and his country
Any sbridgment of this constitutional
right is unlawful and proscriptive.
The defense of the massacre Of Grant
parish is excusable only upon the hypothe-
sis that the bishop has neither heard nor
read the evidence adduced in the trial. 1t
is confessedly based on private letter
from clergyman to bishop, and not
upon the facts proved before the jury.
But the bishop would have the freedmen
''relegated to the care Of their former
masters. This means that their votes
should be at the same time subjected to
the same control. Now, we have already
had this experiment tested. In the Legis-
lature of 1866 and 1867, where none but
Contederates had voice, We were fur
nished with a system of slavery, under
the mean disguise of apprentice and va
grant laws, which illustrates the scare Of
those allied to them by the traditions of
the past" 1t is to this system that the
bishop would have the freedmen :'rele-
gated" The laborers of the planter un-
der that system might be marched in
solid column to the polls, to the cheerful
and inspiriting music Of the crack of the
overseer's whip But the freedmen are
too wise to be seduced into acquiescence
in any such ''relegation." Years have
rolled by since they were rescued from the |
cruel purposes of reinstatement contem-
plated by this legislation. They compre-
bend these purposes, and it is idle to sup
sose that they will ever voluntarily accede |
to their being carried out.
In conclusion, we advise Bishop Wilmer
to unroll his sleeves; to confne himself |
10 the prerogative Of his Christian Office;
to continue to do good to all men, whether
white or black, within the circle of his
ministry; to teach them the lessons of |
peace on earth aud good will toward
men, to inculcate the doctrines of charity
md liberation of honest differences of
opinion; strengthen men in the love of
he Union and in the blessings of repub-
lean government, and, without taking
tides in political dissensions to devote
lis energies to the continued service Of
hat Master of whom he has been so
worthy a disciple
RELIGION IN A THEATRE.
Why not? If God is everywhere, and
,,,, ,oo1c III iva of Coj,c |