New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-19
The Opportunity of the White South.

1t is every way unfortunate that go
grave and delicate q question as this of
the colOred mans civil rights should be
knocking about, the merest political foot
ball between thetwO parties. All thought
full people are agreed about that, North and
South. The spectacle is an unpleasant and
disqnietirg one. The best and wisest
friends of the newly enfranchised citizen
are the most disturbed by it, and the most
anxious to see an end put to it. They are
looking beyond this game of selfish and
lnsincere politics, now playing in the Cap
itol, to the probable effects of it all upon
the fortunes of poor Sambo; and the pros
pect is anything but reassuring. Here is a
question, it there ever was one, that calls
for statesmanshjp; and it is being kicked
hither and thither underthe feet OF scuffling
partlsans. 1t is not an encouraging outlook
for the cOlored voter or for the country.
We again appeal, with the earnestness of
a sincere good will, to the white people of
the Southern States 1t is quite within
their power to do for themselves. their
col0red nelghbors and the country in this
crisis whattheir friends at the North can not
do for them. We know that the grossest in
justice has been done them in this. matter;
that their feelings, and motives, and acts
have been shamefully misrepresented; that
their good has been evil spoken OF; that
large proportion OF the current outrage
literature is either wanton exaggeration
or pure fiction. But we also know, and
they know, that this exaggeration has q
kernel of truth-that this fiction IL founded
on fact. AS people, they are not the
prosecutors and murderers which it suits
the game Of desperate partisanship to
represent them. As people, notwithstand-
ing all they have undergone during these
first years OF tremendous experiment., We
believe them to be as kindly and Justly dis
posed toward the colored citizens, according
to their lights, as the people of Massachu,
setts. But there has been persecutiOn; there
has been murder; there is no doubt or ques-
will pretend to deny it. And if the South
ern whites, as . people, have been uniustly
and cruelty held responsible for the crimes
ofimbruted individuals, for the worst crimes
committed by organized gangs of whisky
crazed desperadoes. for the foolish and wick
ed utterances OF this public man and that
newspaper, they have themselves partly to
blame for it.
We do not ask them to waive any honest
objection they may have, upon constitu.
tional grounde, to the bill now pending in
Congress. We do not even ask them, at
this time, to walk courageously up to this
spectre Of "s0cial equality" and satisfy
themselves by closer and cooler inspection
what an idle bugbear it is that has shaken
the nerves Of bravo people. But we do
ask them to make new, systematic, per-
sistent effort to convince the people OF the
Northern States that the political and
purely civil rights of the negro, the un.
doubted, conceded, guar anteed rights, are
entirely safe at their hands. If in any
State there still fingers an unjust discrimina-
ton on the statute book let the peOple of
that State, through their representatives,
make haste TO wipe it out. In the con-
servative States especially let the legisla-
lures, the political conventions, the news
papers, declare with one voice that the col
Ored citizens shall have as free aud tranquil
access to the polls, as fair play in the
courts, as ample and vigilant protection for
his life and property, as good schooling for
his children, as are enjoyed by his white
neighbor. If additional State legislation is
needed to make these pledges good. let the
legislation be promptly forthcoming. Let
taxpayers unions, open to both colOrs, take
the place of the White Leagues and other
like organizations at the earliest possible
day. Let the same people of the South hiss
down such crazy orators as TOombs, and
starve out such Notwithstanding journals
as the Shreveport Times. UDdiscouraged
by past failures, let them redouble their
efforts to convince the colOred people Of
their sincere friendliness. and 80 to bring
about a better state of feeling. Above
everything else, let them from this time out
show such energy in bringing the cowardly
scoundrels who perpetrate outrages upon
these poor negroes to swift Justice and con-
dign punishment, that the United States
marshals aud officers shall find their occu-
patton gone.
In this way, and in this way alone, can
the white people of the Southern States
etfectually turn the tables upon their enc
mics ana slandcrers in Congress. disarm
partisan legislation may be passed
Of it's sting, benefit sbemselves incalculabiy
and at the same time bring the whole coun-
try int" their debt. Will they DO it,
SUriu0feLd ReDubiicun