New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-23
PEN PICTURES OF Louisiana.

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| PEN PICTURES OF LOUISIANA.
The Bloomington Paotagr1aph, pape
published lin Illinois, publishes in il
number of January 10 two letters fro1
correspondents, writing on the conditio
OF affairs here, SO directly opposite i
their statements and conclusions that W
are induced to make extracts from them
and comment on the same, for the pu,
pose of aiding in solving which of tn
two correspondents has drawn the tru
picture of affairs in this State.
The first letter is signed ''E. J. Lowrey
United States navy, United States steame
Shawnnut," and from its tone, he indicate
himself more of Democrat looking 70
Office than an officer in the United State
navy who fully realized his position t,
his country and his duties as an officer.
We make the following extract from Mr.
Lowrey's letter, dated New Orleans, Janu
ary 8, 1875:
Judging from the recent and scandalou:
dispatches of General Sheridan, one who il
not posted would arrive at the conclusion
that the people Of this city are a set Of ruff
fians and banditti; but being here, and
seeing how things are working would dis
gust any one With the recent acts Of the
government We have been here since the
twenty-tifth Of September, and have had
every facility for finding out the actual
state OF affairs, and the feelings of the peo-
pie, and state without hesitation that we
think the people OF this State are, and have
been, greatly imposed upon. Sheridan
states that there is no law here, and that
tho air is full of assassination. We have
seen no trouble here since we came until
the fourth OF the present month, but have
seen the law enforced in numerous cases,
and the city as quiet as any city of its size
IN the Union. l am not prepared to 20 into
the political troubles, but can only state
their effects without defining them. Taxes
are very high, any amount Of property for
for sale all through the city. the ordinary
channels of trade are blocked, and ruin
stares the people in the face.
The above extract shows that it's writer
did not arrive here until after the bloody
emute of the fourteenth of September,
and that he saw no trouble until the fourth
of January, and we are inclined to think
that if he had been where duty called
him-on board of his vessel-instead of
hobnobbing with Democratic politicians,
he could have seen but little of what ac-
tually took place on the fourth instant
But the most Objectionable part of the
above extract is that which relates to Cen
eral Sheridan. The writer OF it, an en-
ploye of the government, regards his dis
patches as ''scandalous," and expresses
himself disguised with the recent acts Of
the government. We do not wish him
any harm, and think the government
would be doing public as well as
private benefit to allow Mr.. Lowrey to
retire from its service. This writer fur
her says:
Captain Lowrey, of the United States
steamer CanandaigUa, was relieved by the
1epartment and his salary reduced from
$4,000 TO $500 per year, tor allowing some
u the Junior officers and men to make their
Jews public in journal published on the
hip.
Such men are as incapable Of doing
heir duty as officers of the United States
lavy as they are Of giving faithful pen
pictures Of Louisiana affairs.
The other letter in the Pantagral,h takes
[uite different view of the situation and
ellis. what the writer believes to be the
ause why ruin stares the people of Louis
ana in the face. One of the reasons
ssigned for the poverty of the Southern
eople is that all the necessaries of life |
re brought from distance The writer |
avs this is no new thing; that it was the |
ase in the ''good old times He also
sserts that all who have any knowledge
the Gulf States are aware that many of |
le real necessaries of life are not adapted |
the soiland climate; and that on every
ere planted with either sugar, cotton or
ce, with the same attention and labor
oplied as in any Of the Western States,
lie product would be worth at least four
mes, and in many cases six times that
any crop raised in the South. But the
lief cause Of the poverty here is attrib-
ed BY this writer to laziness. Here is
hat he says upon the subject:
The laziness of the people is one great
ason Tor their poverty; and this applies
both black and white, bat TO the latter
ore particularly. As to the whites. the
)rG laziness does not do them Justice, !
lything in the shape of hand labor they
We q terrible dislike to, aud consider it
meath the dignity of white gentleman.
icy consider that they ought to hold all
. offices, and do ali the business of the
antry, and that all who enngrate from
North or from Europe ought to come
wn aud take the blow and hoe and place |
emselves on the same level with the col
I'd man; that they should always cast
'mocratic vote. and never assume to en-
tain any difference of opinion in
gard to politics, or question the
racity, honesty or MODE of doing
siuess of the ruling class, but submit f
such enormous charges for buying, sell T
. and handling their products as to ena- =,
the white business man 10 live in high l.
lie and only keep his place Of business v
N SIX hours per day, and that only from T
II to five months out Of the-twalve. while =
poor white or black laborer tolls all
daylight hours throughout the year, s
y to be brought out in debt to the white Ii
'iaess man at the end of it. n
n many Of the parishes in Louisiana a
= have adopted plans which are the L
ence of meanness and intolerance, and "
cidal 10 the interest of the planter and G
State. as l said before. by seeking to o
Ike every hoe represent Democratic q
g, and to starve out all worthy men h
0 remain true to their instincts and pr,n- Il
les. II
he writer then alludes to the attempts 81
de by the Democratic party in many il
he parishes of this State, but particu-
y the parish of Caddo, to prescribe all al
BRING men who vote the Repuhlican ~