The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-17

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any movement designed to supplant it.
Do not imagine that, in speaking OF tn,
restoration to the States of their rights OF self
government and control over their domestic
Affairs contemplate any such thing as 6
restoration ofslavery. However wrongful ane
unconstitutional we may regard the measures
by which slavery was abolished. we all recog
nize the fact thatitis abolished, it and that it.
restoration, even if desirable, is physical
|impossibility, and l know OF no one OF ordl
nary intelligence who has thought OF re.
establishing. We do, however, maintain thai
no good government can exist in the States OF
the South unless under the control OF the
white race, and we are resolutely opposed to
all attempts to establish social equality De-
tween the whites and blacks.
| We believe that in establishing the marked
distinction in color and mental and physical
organization of the races, whether 1t Was done
| in the original creation or by some subsequent
radical change in part of the human race,
our Creator m anifested his intention to keep
them distinct, and we believe that 1t is not
only wicked, but impossible, for man to
| tn wart his designs. If the Almighty intended
| the races to be equal in all social, civil and
political rights, then why did He make them
80 different? Therefore, while We are willing
to deal kindly with the negroes-far more
Justly and kindly than those claiming to be his
peculiar friends-we can never be reconcied
to the Civil Rights bill or similar measures nor
to the Africanization of any OF the States OF
the South, all of which were settled and built
up by the whites. 1 must add that we can
never accept any reconciliation that requires
us to acknowledge tia, in the struggle
through which we passed, we were traitors
and rebels, and are now repentant for our
misdeeds. We are as firmly convinced now
as ever that we fought for the principles of
our fathers and of the Constitution estab
lished by them. Any reconciliation on a
basis that requires us to abandon that convic-
ton would be hollow mockery.
There have been few individuals ready to
make any recantations or acknowledge
requisite to obtain Office, and there are some
time-servers who temporize in their principles
in order to go with what they suppose to be
the popular current; but the sentiments that
have expressed are those entertained by the
great mass of the Southern people. 1 pre-
sumo that you could have no respect for US,
and am very sure that we would prove our
selves utterly unworthy of any rights under
any government, if we were capable OF az
knowledging that we had been guilty Of
wicked rebellion against o government to
which we were bound by solemn obligations,
and that had infringed none Of our rights or
liberties.
We can readily become reconciled to gov
eminent that accords to our States and to our
selves as individuals, equal rights and protec-
ton with all others; but we can not consent
to become reconciled to a nominal confeder- |
alton Of States in which one "section is
pinned to the other by bay onets alone.
History teaches us how hard it is for con- |
quered people, while treated as such, to be- |
come reconciled to their conquerors, and |
- - l1ST Tel L r0vn &o1
and still presents spectacle OF chronic dis |
content with her rulers, while the distant |
colonies of Canada, Australia and New Zeal
and enjoy, under the British Empire, the |
blessings of most liberal and benign self-gov-
While we find ourselves branded by the
Federal Government through all its depart
ments, executive, legislative and judicial, as
70 rebels" and by the highest military officials
even more opprobious terms are habitually
applied to us, it cannot reasonably be ex-
pected that we will be very gushing in our
devotion to that government. Nor, while the
act stares us in the face. that SO few of the
advantages of Independence supposed to have
been secured by the revolution Of 1776, re-
main to us, can it be expected that we shall
De very eager to participate in the centennial
celebrations designed to commemorate the
events of that struggle.
We are often charged with being in a
chronic state of rebellion, because we have
lot received with open arms and admitted to
ur firesides the adventures commonly called
who came among us while
'ur legitimate State governments were super
eded by military satrapies, in order that they
night plumber us by arranging against us the
Whole of the negro race, upon whose igno-
ance and passions they have so operated as
o succeed, with the aid of few renegade
ative whites, in establishing in some of the
'tates of the South, governments which are
disgrace to the whole country and to civil.
alton.
These people, the carpet-baggers and
calawags, have done far more mischief than
ands of incendiaries, robbers and burglars
ould possibly have done, and yet they have !
cen sustained by the whole power of the
'ederal Government, civil and military. As
vell ask the citizen of Boston to receive into
is family the incendiary or burglar who
rowls around his house at night, as require
US that we shall extend the light hand of ]
s.lowship to our plunderers
You will please excuse the length Of this
liter, and accept my assurance that in writing {
have intended no discourtesy to your
slf, or the committee on whose part you
ave sent me SO polite an invitation; but !
fought it would be better that, when we !
ome to talk of reconciliation, there should
9 frank understanding of our relations to 5
sch other.
Again rendering my thanks for the courtesy |
ztended to me, | am, very respectfully and !
uly, your obedient servant,
J. A. EARLY.
RUSSELL H. CoNwELL, ESQ.
Michael Angelo ms a Workman. Ii