Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1875-02-16
From the Portland Daily Pre-
1 NeiU Orleans Merchant on lie
Situation.


Situation.
We are permitted to publish the follow
inc extract from private letter wilIien
under date OF January %, 1870, by
prominent merchant OF Now Orleans TO
his brother. The writer is very Shrewd
observer. perfectly reliable aud entirely
nee from parlisaaship. His view OF The
situation is much more likely 20 be correct
than that OF any publicist OF either SIDE
He says:
have been intending writing YOU
lew line, uu The situation here, but nave
nat vet had time. will try 10 now. trSI
i'm regard 20 sherman, / am entirely sat.
lsiied from what have seen and heard
myself. and from what | have OF tue
personal experience OF E and others
that he tShvlidan) did not oversiate the
,aWlessucss existing IN this State al All.
/ t..gu that his despatch describing ihe
state OF affairs here was substantially
correct. though q polite man would no
doubt have woyded the dispatches uiutr'
entity. But while il seems clear iA'' it Is
absolutely necessary for protection OF
union men and the negroes, that sheridan
and Grant should be FUZZY suppoitcu'"nu
that [. :. troops kept here "a long rs
matters remain as they are nj present. l
think that il is equally clear that the he''
lsgg government is good one only
i'm comparison with what the McEnery
government would be. The cause OF the
troubles lies in an antagoniSm between
two extreme ClaSseS-the old slave
holders, including all the brain oil the
rebellion. representing capital IN large
part, ON one side. and the poorer whites
aud the negroes on the other. The tor
mer have suffered severely from taxation
and bad legislation, and their passions
are reused 10 such an extent that they are
entirely desperate and IA .his condition
they are struggling Tor Che cuntro. ol the
government. /. they obtain 1t the con
dItion OF The other class Wul be muvh
worse than either. under present circum
stances. aud Republican would have
about as good show here Is IN aOo.i.
zionist did before The War. On the Other
hand, The negroes have been given the
. ballot. As means OF sell protection
f They are mere children iu civil pohty,
and under the teachings OF Narmolh, las
followers and o,4r, ra>,a.S, ID is 40. 10 Oe
wondered 40 that this city and State are
,aldlcd With a debt that they are unable
TO bear. The present conflict Is *
. tremrly ruinous 90 AL The Interests OF tie
State. aud everybody IN 10. and IL alto
se,ucy iirepress,be, except perhaps
through some such radical measure is
suggested. It seems to Us AoIe also that
f Congress has shirked us duty iu not meet.
. ing the Louisiana case. taking DO action
itself, and large portion OF It condemn
4 ug Gran, aud Sheridan lor taking The
only action they possibly could take under
the circumstances. So far IS the military
interference" on the 9Th OF January Is
concerned. it Is thought by all Union
people here that Wendell Phillips hlt the
nai. Oh The head u hi, speech 10 Faneul.
Hall and these people who went against
secession and were Union men through
on. the war, are nov looking anAIousI(
Tor every indication OF public feeling 90
the Moth iu the strong hopJ that She'll
dau may DO sustained. q. course Jou
know that have no particular bias GA
either side but | have lried 10 state the
case lust rs see Il after cate!u. exam
inQLOn.