New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-26
MINORITY RIGHTS VERSUS MINORITY
RIFLE

1 -O>
people. The question is one of genera
as well as of special interest. 1t involve.
in its general aspects, the entire American
theory Of representative government. /
involves in its special aspects the fate O
Republicanism in the State OF Louisiana
and through Louisiana the fate of the
Republican idea of the rightfulness and
wisdom OF government of the people, as
this idea has been applied to the recon.
struction of the late slave States of the
American Union.
The importance Of minority representa-
ton in government is unquestioned.
This is especially the case in popular
government The presence Of the mi
norlty forms salutary check on the ten
dency to despotism which an unrestrained
majority always develops. The minority
is generally the representative Of conser-
vatism, and in popular government is
likely to reflect the property and higher
educational devel opment and social cul-
ture OF the community. No enlightened
Republican desires to see this element of
culture and property responsibility with
| drawn from the affairs of State or from
| legislation. But minority representation
is a very different thing from minority
rule. The first is conservatism-th sec
ond is despoti5m, for there is such thing
as despotism under the name of liberty
just as there has been constitutional free
dom under a rule OF law which men have
denounced as tyranny.
The Confeder rate party in Louisiana
plants itself on the doctrine that the mi
nority, by reason Of intelligence and
property, have the right to rule the
State. If the consequences of this mi
nority rule wele confined to this State,
We might afford to let the issue 20 by
default, more espe cially as Northern Re
publicans are giving countenance to this
minority rule idea. But the question
reaches beyond Louisiana. It is vital to
the whole plan OF Republican recon-
struction in the late slave States of the |
Union. If it triumphs here it will tri- |
umph in the Republican States of South |
Carolina, Mississippi and Florida, and it |
will of necessity in time wipe out in every
Southern State all vestige of the Repub-
lican doctrine that the negro, because of
his manhood and humanity, and tax
producing and tax-paying labor, pos
sess the right to voice in the laws which
govern him, and which are to regulate
his citizenship, educational and labor
rights.
First, we take the ground that the idea
of minority rule, as advanced by the Con-
ederate party Of Louisiana, is anti
American. The rule Of the minority, be
hat rule bolstered by the most plausible
'retext, is of necessity an aristocratic
ule. Believers in the American idea Of
we can not recognize this
theory. We believe in educa-
ION, IN labor, in savings, in homes and
and for the pc ople, and we are promoting
hem as rapidly as possible. But the his
Dry OF the world has demonstrated that
he neart has as much to do with popular
overnment as the well filled purse and
le highly cultured brain. Laboring men {
ordinary intelligence have often stood !,
y the cause of equal rights when the {
ch and cultured have joined the banner
f tyranny. The intelligence and prop t
rty" Of the South organized the late war e
gainst the protest Of tie ignorance and ]
overly of these States. The Confederate v
ar had not advanced one year before it was o
'und necessary to force the poor ignorant y
hites of the South into the armies of O
1T Davis. In the light Of philosophy, Il
all history, and especially of the recent J
lie Of the intelligence and property of k
the South at Richmond, under the i,
avis despotism, the Confederate leaders q
ould be careful how they throw stones ii
the American idea of {. government of =,
e people, for the people, by the people. t;
ne American government, in its human NJ
lations, is based on faith in man as man. So
e believe that the self-interest, general h
teiligenee of the poor and uncultnred Il
any form o wiser rule Of government ia
an the wisdom of the few. When ie
nerica abaudons this popular idea of
vernment we shall cease to be repub- a,
an. We must as Americans hold fast 81
this solid foundation rock upon which o;
r institutions rest, and add to this foun- ii,
ton all that education and social pro- "I
ess and culture can give. OF
The policy of minority rule as now ad-
Gated for Louisiana, will, if sustained, 10
We but one result, as it has in our opin- n
| but one object. That result will be h.
, complete subordination of the negro 40
the white man. This subordination -,
! be political as we'll as social. TIE -
,ro in Louisiana will, under this minor =,
rule, become political serf as we'll ~,
Z social mental. -
f this purpose is accomplished by the su
or consent of the North, it's sweeping NJ
'ct upon every Southern State is mani GA
. If the colored citizens of Louis &c
a, representing a majority of its tn,
oulation; representing its labor,
therefore its wealth producers, &C
resenting rs the laborers of the State, wi
source from which the taxes are of
wn representing eighty thousand yes
ldren in the public schools, repre- Gle
ting Q social culture and refine lsl