New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-27
BISHOP WILMERB DEF NsE OF LOUISI-
ANA


clothed in soft velvet, while the milk o.
human kindness professedly oozes from
every pore Of his benignant face. AS such
he will be regarded by the adherents Of
the Confederate party-those who claim
for the limited class to which they belong
the divine right to rule without regard to
their condition as minority or the est.
nation in which they may be held by their
neighbors. Bishop Wilmer has just written
plea in behalf Of himself and friends
which is a strange compound of apology,
assumption. concealment, assertion and
undemonstrated conclusions. Like most
theologians, who depend rather upon the
ignorance or complaisance of their hearers
than their ability to make plain those
things which are hidden, the good bishop
assumes all his premises to be true, and
begs every question he agitates.
He has the old Puritan idea localized:
"The earth belongs to the Saints, and we
are the saints" All who were original Sc
cessionists and have not apostacized,
their posterity and adherents, are evil
IDENTIFY classed by the bishop as the very
elite, the chosen of the Lord, to whom
should be committed the monopoly of
government and the enjoyment of the fat
| places. In his opinion all the ablest men
in the State, and, a .fo'tiori, the best, are
| confined to the little class for whom he
breaches and writes. The rest are ne
groes, csrpet-baggers renegade natives,
adventures, and everything else that is
low and bad. In this manner two-thirds
Of the people of this fair commonwealth
are waved into back seats by the Pod
snappian hand, and all the sympathy of
God and man invoked for the bishops
elect. Thus we see that in politics as in
certain kinds of theology, there are some
souls to be saved and others left to take
their chances.
This defense of Louisiana is in fact an
apology, and very poor one, for the po-
litical excuses of small portion of the
people. 1t should rather be styled plea for
an oligarchy, since full realization of
Bishop Winners cherished idea of repub-
lican government would disfranchise
every human being who does not cling to
the old tenets of the Confederates. The
New Orleans Reuien, which would
probably have been very popular here
century ago, takes up the bishops PAM
phlet in highly laudatory manner. The
editor almost adores the priestly political
writer, and even improves upon many of
his palpable heresies.
1t is not a hopeful sign for Louisiana to
see such manifestation of narrow minded
selfishness as is set forth in the bishops
defense and the comments of the Re-
rier. Two-thirds of the people of the
State, including the bulk of the wealth
producers are coldly and cruelty told that
they are either ignorant barbarians. or
adventures and thieves, whose only OBJ
ject in life it is to prey upon the life blood
of the State.
This is said of the men to whom alone
the bishops governing classes can look for
that patient and enduring toll which pro-
duces all the wealth upon which the sue
cess of the 'proprietors of the soil-men
of our race and Lineage" to depend
for bread and meat, for raiment, and for
the means of educating their children
and thus continuing the heritage of
aristocracy in the old families. Verify,
African supremacy of muscle is a lovely
thing in a cotton or cane field, but sue
cess in that sphere is not sufficient to admit
the toiler to the halls o.. legislation, to
The bench or the pulpit! The good old
maxim that the laborer is worthy of his
lire is to be restricted in les application to
he linen of our race and lineage, unless
hey happen to turn out to be natives SO
'ase as to sympathize with the "bar-
'arians from Africa, or the carpetbaggers,
Who have not lived SO long in this State
II anywhere else as the good bishop
whose wrath they have unwittingly in
urred.
The justice loving statesman does not
bus arbitrarily divide the people off into
lasses. Before God and impartial men,
very person stands on the same footing.
IL are alike entitled to consideration ac-
ording to the amount Of good they can s
reduce. In our judgment, the patient,
ard working man, be he black or white, ,
no produces five bales of cotton, is 8
lore honorable than he who cheats him ,
ut Of the proceeds and consumes bar T
Ell Of whisky. We must look at results
! governing State. We do not under a
alue men of letters, especially when they s
Re honest we would not run all to utili- t
but we rate the man who raises y
We bales of cotton a year as infinitely SUI {
erior to the elegant idler who does moth $
g but raise mischief. Some of Bishop II
Timers ablest men are far from being n
,od. They are selfish and cruel, false n
I'd treacherous. In competitive con- t
st for the distinction of barbarism, they Il
ould bear away the prize against ward i,
II of honest tillers Of the soil, whether i:
bite or black. The people at whom the b
onfederate party aim their shafts of out I
geous abuse are simple minded COM S,
ons. Strong in muscular development, W
ltiring in their endurance, and true in it
cart; they are the very flower Of this O