New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-15
NEW ORLEANS REPUBLICAN, FRIDAY JANUARY Is 1875

bank presidents, and certain of the clergy
of New Orleans hit up their voices to con
demn the modest dispatch Of Sheridan q
| President Grant, is inexplicable. That dis
| the armed White Leaguers," ''the leaders
! Of the banditti who murdered men here on
the fourteenth Of last September" Now,
unless these bankers. insurance men,
| preachers, and cotton brokers come under
these Designations. they are going out OF
| their way to abuse Sheridan and to indorse
| outlawrJ. If they do belong to the classes
| referred to by Sheridan. they are outlaws,
| no matter how sanctimoniously they talk,
! or how prominent their social position may
| be. IL is noticeable that nothing can occur
III Louisiana, if perpetrated by individuals
| OF either clique, which is bad enough to
awaken any protest from the members of
that clique. They seem to think they must
hang together or else hang separately.
They manufacture and sustain by this plan
very damaging esprit du corps that is
damaging to themselves.
Do the clergy Of New Orleans really
mean to uphold "the banditti who muir.
dered men here New Orleans) on the four
teenth Of last Septeln ber:' II not, why
do they abuse Sheridan, for i. is to these
men specifically that he refers in his dis
patchito the President. If they do mean to
uphold these men, the fact that they are
clergymen only increases their guilt. They
add the sanctions OF religion to a reign Of
terrorism. and sanc'ify murder by an apps.
tolic benediction. Protested ministers have
done such things before. hu: it is not pre-
cedent that it is sagacious to follow in the
present state of civilization.
SO long as the people OF Louisiana are
true to their own interests their just cause
will never lack support and its triumph
will neither be distant nor doubtful. But,
ii they suffer themselves to be beguiled into
following after or defending the hot headed
irresponsible red republicans a. whom the
dispatch of Sheridan is aimed, they will,
from the nature Of the case. be confounded
with the banditti in public estimation. 1t
is the misfortune of Louisiana that she has
no yeou amy, no great middle class of hard
headed, common sense conservative men.
Her population consists of ex masters and
ex slaves, carpet-bagging element and
minority Of native whites neither ex.
masters nor ex slaves, but educated in the
faith that to be one or tho other is the
normal destiny of man. Many Of tho ex.
masters. deprived OF their slaves. rendered
desperate by decaying fortunes and scorn.
ing useful employment. have leisure and
disposition to do nothing else except stir up
rows-on the principle OF the green appren.
tice of the blacksmith, who failing to ham.
mer an ak out Of the molten iron. plunged
it into d tub OF water with tho remark that
he could at least make a sizzie."
General Sheridan sees clearly that these
breeders of riot must be extirpated before
there can be any guarantee of a republican
form Of government for all the citizens Of
Louisiana. Once and forever crushed. and
there would remain chance for the growth
of that kind of manhood without which
self-government is AN impossibility. When
the voters Of that State are absolutely 60.
cure in the expression Of their opinions,
they will take pains to have opinions, and
to seek reasons for holding them. Now,
the negro witness at Vicksburg tells the
whole story: 1--WE vote" said he to tho
congressional committee. ION the strongest
side" Men never will become fit to rule
themselves until this terrorism is abolished.
and the dominant force in the State is
exercised to protect alike the weak and the
strong, the minority and the majority.
1t the cotton brokers, insurance inen.
bankers and clergy Of New Orleans would
devote themselves to forwarding the realiza
ton Of these obvious truths, they would
help their friends and themselves far more
than they will by abusing Sheridan and
making common cause with "the banditti"
who form N EARNED White Leagues" and
''who murdered men" in New Orleans "on
the fourteenth Of last September