New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-03
LETTER OF w. JASPER BLACKBURN

n LETTER OF w. JASPER BLACkBURN
The following letter appears in the Was
y ngton National Repubtican of December q
HOMER, La, December II, 1874.
To the Editor of the National Republican:
"A SIR-As a natl ye Southern Republican
" having every opportunity to know wha
"a justice demands and what is most neede
& here at home, and with record as an oil
editor and politician which even the biteres
Il political foe will hardly presume to say ha
a not been q sincere desire for the good o
my country, deem it my duty to send NJ
j to Congress at the present juncture candle
q statement of the true situation in Louisiana
with fervent prayer that Congress will, a
the commencement of its present session
take some definite action on Southern affair!
generally that shall improve the future and
make it more tOlerable than the past, anG
more especially so as regards the State OF
Louisiana. ! can assure you that had Con
gress done this at the first session after the
general election in this State in November
1872 it would have saved hundreds of lives
and been an incalculable blessing to all
parties, and peace, quiet and prosperity
would long since have blessed our disturbed
and distracted land. 1t seems to me most
strange that Congress should have failed,
or even hesitated, to do so for surely the
question is a very plain and simple one.
President Grant understands it. and has
stated 1t SO plainly and inpartially in his
late message that no one who can read and
comprehend plain English and plain com
mon sense can fail to understand.
Indeed, the question has too long been
compromised over and dallied with. 1t is
only necessary to state that no honest and
candid man who understands the situation
and condition of things mere will attempt or
presume to say that there is not in Lou
isiana a fair Republican majority OF IRON
20, 600 to 10000 votes, and hence we all
know that whenever the returns of Il State
election here are counted out differently, it
is simply a fraud and cheat.
The Democrats well understand this, and
many of the more fair minded and candid
among them do not hesitate to acknowledge
it in private conversation. In 1872 they
went into the contest with the open and
publicly avowcd purpose of being ''mani-
pulated" into power regardless OF the will
of the majority through the treachery of
Governor WarinOth, whom they had
captured for price to do their dirty
work; and we all knew from the
start OF this programme that SO far
as the State count under his manage
ment was concerned this result would
be attained-for he has been known to
declare that under certain circumstances
he would not hesitate to testify to a false
hood under oath. This, l say, is the man
hat "Governor' McEnery and his crowd |
bought up with the promise of the United |
States SenatOrship to count them into power |
bver the will of the people; and then when |
hwarted in this dishonest and treacheroIs
purpose, they rendered themselves still |
more infamous, if possible, by going back
bn the "infamOus WarmOth," and failing to
barry ont their pledge with him as the
brice OF fraud and blood. No one need at
Tempt to deny these facts, for they are of
record too plain and indelible to be sue
tessfully cOntrOverted. 1t was q most foul
ind infamous plot, most brazenly and in:
budently avOwed-the more brazenly and
mpudently because they did not imagine
hey could be IN any way successfully |
heckmafcd. And they would not and
Ould not have been only through the en-
Drcement of the Congressional election |
NV, which prompt and timely interpOsitiOn
lone saved the State from passing into the
ands of those who thus openly confess
themselves most venal and corrupt; and all
he calamity" that could ever see has be-
allen the country at the hands of Judge
purell was in his having rlghteously ad-
linistered the laws which brought this de-
verance. This seems to me all. And we |
republicans down Lere who are environed |
nth SO much perilous persecution and I'M
easonable hate can appreciate such del.v-
rance. and can pronounce only blessings,
nd not concentrations. both upon the law |
nd its prompt and firm, and, as we think,
lat minister.
This, repeat. all seems to the Repub-
cans OF Louisiana q very COMPREHENSIVE |
fair-u plain and very vital question: and
Q are exceedingly rejoiced to notice
lat the President has reached ont and
lken it up and eliminated it in snch plain ;
al 4l,,,t
pne could hereafter doubt or hesitate as {
the side of right and propriety; hence we 5
ave hone that Congress will act at once !
bd in a decisive manner. {
This could alone save the President from !
rther embarrassment and avert further a
bd perhaps increased bloodshed.
1t will be useless to hesitate and say that q
be people OF Louisiana are oppressed, and /
at the Democracy are in n majority, and S
IN power would bring relief. Each pro- q
Isitlon or assumption but the first is false. t
The people are oppressed, and the turbG- v
nt and murderous Democracy are mainly | t
blame for every sclntilla OF .eXtraordi- a
Try hardship that is upon the people-a t
rty which, being in a wellknOwn MINER v
II minority, openly seeks to regain power II
murder and assassination. and other C
ii and tiendish means-not with any a
hsonable show or purpose of relieving the e
ople, but with a Evolutionary certainty OF
II more expressing the masses. C
All this is well known and well under q
od here. ST
But it is not for the purpose of making
heral arraignment of the disreputable HI
mocracy that | write-the country is II
eady ~ell enough posted on that score 81
/ l wish more especially TO invite the to
ention and immediate action of the pl
sent session of Congress on the "Lorisi- bs
case Both justice and mercy demand bt
III the reconstruction measures are just IL
hey are mOre than an irritating farce
them be enforced. And let the constitu. al
pal amendments, especially the fifteenth, al
e1fOrced. Let the enforcement act of til
.. with amendments, be executed This cl,
III we want and all we ask. Without N,
az President Grant has well remarked to