New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-10
PARTY MECHANICS.

u
tagonist some name comprehensive o
, popular contempt or Of personal defama
ton. As Gallatin street brawlers wouie
shower epithets of shame upon eaci
other SO do the partisan Democratic press
Representing the best of the public,
, adopt the same mode of ofense, though
their terms in Difference to public decency
are less offensive. Upon analysis it viii
be found that the motive being the same
the means are similar. There are few
minds so just or SO logical as to rely en-
tirely upon the weight of argument which
may be brought to bear on a proposition.
Almost every disputant prefers to bring
against his opponent some imputation
which will diminish the force of his state
MEETS. The practice Of bestowing party
nicknames has always prevailed, and
though it was natural for royalists and
aristocra,s to seek the support of the
lower orders by appealing to passion and
ignorance, we have had some right to
expect that men living under popular
government would have more respect
for popular intelligence.
The Democratic party of the South have,
however, added this proof to many others
that they have really no respect for the
intelligence or justice Of the people. Ira
dition tells us that long before the war,
if a Southern Wing advocated tariff he
was denounced as an enemy to his down.
trodden and tax-burdened fellow citizens.
He had gone over to the Yankees. If he
advocated compromise Of the slavery
quarrel he was set down es an abolition
ist."' Henry Clay, John Bell, and every
Southern conservative bore these nick
names and their odium to their last days.
They have resumed these tactics. The
President of the United States is stigma
tized as tyrant, q sot and fool. The
Governor Of Louisiana is an imbecile,
usurper and a corruptionist. If an Ameri-
can citizen comes to Louisiana to live
Dagger" for voting the Republican ticket.
If a mtive citizen of the South does the
same thing he is a 'scallawag." The in
justice of the frs. term is illustrated by
the fact that citizen coming from Ken
lucky to Texas and from Texas to lu-
crative Office in the city administration
is patriot. An immigrant coming from
Europe with stock Of few billiard
balls, or some yards of Bologna sausage
in his knapsack, may retain his foreign
allegiance and abuse an American citizen
who has migrated to New Orleans from
Connecticut or Chicago, as ''carpet-
Dagger"
1t is even worse than this. One of the |
most faithful and efficient soldiers Of the |
Confederacy laid down his arms at Apo
mattox. He is called ''scallawag" by |
people, some of whom were exempts or
blockade runners while this officer was
fighting with desperation or languishing
with wounds incurred in the defense of |
these non-combatants. The arrogance of
denouncing such men for supporting
Republican principles is even made more
conspicuous by contrasting the conduct
of the Democratic Leaders. The Southern
Democracy had declared the right of Sc
cess;on principle. Their political oppo-
nents regarded the loss of slavery and the
social dangers Of emancipation sufficient to
justify revolution. So all Southern par
ties, either in doctrine or irtent, united
in resisting the federal government At
the close of the war the subject and issues
had passed away. Yet the Democracy
insisted that the South belonged to them,
and stigmatized all who would no longer
follow an unmeaning banner as traitors
TO the South. In its emnipotent right to
10 what it thought most expedient, the
Democracy nominated Republican as
candidate for the Presidency. This Re-
publican gave notice that he had re-
no principle, and abandoned
10 policy. What were his principles?
lie was an original abolitionist. He had
Urged on the war of invasion. What was
lis policy? He believed in the duty Of the
government to protect selected industries
~ special taxation. He advocated every
appropriation Of public money or of pub
ic land for purposes of internal improve
nent within the States. He Was at points
With every single principle that Southern
Democracy had ever advocated. Were
hese Democrats ''scallawags" for this
lliance and support Of a New Hampshire
Yankee, an abolitionist and protec-
ionist? By no means. These South
IN Democrats were SO enlightened, SO
ure and SO high in authority that they
ould surrender q plenary Indulgence.
t, however, another Southern man should
ose for another Republican, even though
his Republican had never been obnoxious
, single objection alleged against
is Republican competitor, his South
m supporters were subject to a
democratic anathema, which cut
1em off from all political or social
The Democratic con-
lave exercised this exclusive vicegerency
, another memorable act The Repub-
can Governor Of Louisiana had been :
harged with the creation of all exclusive
atronage, with the accumulation of
linous State debt. He was stigmatized
y the Democracy as political and moral :,
riminal. His own party was COM 9
elled to palliate and to reform :,