The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-03-17
The Ostracizcd.


his woes to the attentive congressman on
detached service as an Investigator, or re.
healsing the story Of,his trials and tribl.
lations in the truly loyal newspaper, closes
the lnournful litany of the miseries from
which he seeks deliverance by the start
ling declaration that lie suffers from social
ostracism. He knows of divers negroes
who have been spirited away like Kline
ny. He has heard of others who have been
murdered with every grim accessory OF
cruelty. The lesser outragcs of discharge
from service, intimidations and midnight
tiagellations TEEN in his fertile memory;
but as to his own individual woes they
are all summed up in the Zone word ostra-
cism. The only trouble with him person
ally is, that he has been let severely alone.
His manly beauty has, as it were, exhaled
its charms unappreciated, as the poet says,
like the flower that withers in the desert
air. No shy adlniring glances from liquid
Southern eyes have followed his stately
and imposing form whenever he has
delgncd to promenade the streets in his
store clothes and boiled shirt. His airs,
graces and alluring chances have been in
var'abiy met with cold reserve, and he
has, at times, noticed the tips of Cauca-
sian noses turned up in derision, as women
gather in their skirts to let him pass. His
gay and festive disposition, his exuberant
imagination, his lively wit, his wonderful
facility as u racOnteur are utterly thrown
away. There are very few to love him
and none to caress. He is ortracized. In
large family mansion across the street
there are lights and the sound of revelry,
guests are throngiug into the front door
by the score, and yet whenever he pre-
sentS his card he is met by stony and
unhospitable stare. In the noisy bar-room
he sees sociable fellows step forward in
groups of two or three, and leisurely sip
their liquor, hut his most jovial attempts
to make himself agreeable on such Occa-
SONS arc discouraged, and he departs
without drink, OF else has to pay it him
self, which is an outrage upon one who
has come South to despoil the natives
On the steamboats, he is left to sit smoking
his cigar, while groups of mutual acquain-
tances discuss the markets or the river or
beguile the time i'll the national game, of
which our minister to ST. James is the
apostle. All attempts to be condescend-
ingly familiar are in vain, for the South
ern character has grown suspicious of
strangers of late. He can strike up chat
with the stevedores-with the colored
people or the mean whites-bnt the ele-
giant, the refined, the wealthy, seem to
shnn him. He does not consider that
these classes are somewhat squeamish in
regard to picking up strange acquaint-
ances.
He does not realize that they may
have reasonable objections to allowing
into their home circles fellows who
have trick of carrying blank warrants
in their pockets and filing them out
with their neighbors' names, or of wri-
ting letters to the Chicago Inter-O Ocean.
He does not dream that tax payers may
have natural repugnance to an official
who is stealing their money. He only
remembers that he is ostracized and
turns out the whites of his eyes and ell
evates the palms of his hands in horror
as he tells the dismal tale. Among the
colored people whose cause he is sup
posed to represent and for whose eleva-
ton he processes to be striving, he is,
of course, hero; and yet, curiously
enough that does not satisfy him. Tc
them. he is leader in politics and a
model in social refinement, and why
should not that content him? Why
should be ask for the approval of mere
rebels, or hunger for their companion
ship. or sigh for the clasp of theil
hands? o wondrous inconsistency OF
human nature! The Southerners are
villains and banditti, whose morals and
customs the carpet-bagger has been
brought up to despise and dcnounce,
and yet he whines in misery because he
does not find favor in their eyes. II
the stories which he tells Of them arc
true no honest man should associate
with them, break bread at their tables
or touch their Alood-stained fingers
and yet this immaculate patriot cont
plains because these tiends do not take
him into their families and make much
of him. He presents the strange ano
maly of 3 man desiring to appear as the
champion of one race while he j;
ashamed of its fellowship and seeks tht
courtesy of the other. He despises his
friends, and finds fault with his foe:
for despising him. The term ostracisn
arose la Athens, where it was used il
regard to method of Punishment by
which 4 majority of the citizens sen
some distinguished public man into ex
lie. The very nature of the punishment
made its sentence a distinction, ant
once when the vote was taken for thu
Punishment Of Aristides, hard-handet
Athenian threw in a she'll marked fol
banishment simply because he wa!
stirred of hearing Aristides called the
Just" TO be ostraciZed was therefore
no disgrace. If the carpet-bagger Ii
the South be what he preten1s he is
the apostle of freedom, honesty ant
peace, why should he care about thu
frowns or smiles of those who are tin
enemies of all these? Why does he no
90 on in his consciousness of rectitude
careless whether he is asked out to tes
by the first families or not? If he il
working for social popularity he know!
how to get it. If he is working for eter
nal principles why is he not conten
with the reformer's usual reward
This novel political problem of ostracism
as presented by the carpet-bagger, is Ger
tainly difficult one to get at by legisla
ton. The more southern state govern
ments that are bankrupt, the more law
| fully elected governors that are turned out
the more force bills that are passed, tn,
worse the ostracism appears to get. Moth
ing short of direct legislation on the sub
ject will have any effect. Special sumptu
airy laws will have to be enacted, giving
ali well known carpet-baggers the entre'
to the leading houses in each city ant
town, making a few decent restrictions il
regard to the political martyrs boots ant
linen. 1t would be we'll also to enact thai
no marriage ceremony shall be legal unles
carpet-bagger give away the bride. Thi
would bring the ostracized class into TIN
closest contact with the Southerners il
their most genial moments, and would pu
them on intimate footing in every house
1t might also be ordained that in case o
any funeral having taken place in re
spectacle family without carpet-bagge
officiating among the pall-bearers, tn
corpse should be dug up and given to tn