New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-18
THE WEEKLY REPUBLICAN
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE
SOUTH.

iStan0, In tho HOUSE OIL heprcseutas
tives, Wednesday,, Juno =, 1876.
The House being in committee of the
whole on the state of the Union.
Mr.. Nash said:
Mr.. Ch4irman-It was not nv purpose to
crave the indulgence of the House during
the present SESSION, in view of my mex
perience in public egislatiOn, and especially
in public speaking, but the recent speech Of
the honorable member from North Carolina
(Mr. Yeates) is snch an extraOr binary pr O.
ductiOn in its reflections upon the existing
State government of Louisiana and the
character OF many of it's citizens that feel
that l would be false to my public tTust
were / to remain silent and tail to refute
the many glaring misrepresentation Of the
distinguished gentleman's production. The
gentleman from North Carolina has given
the caption to his speech, ECONOMY. re-
treuchment aud REFORM" and the House
now being in committee of the whole on
the state Of the Union shall follow with q
like caption a. the text for my remarks.
The gentleman from North Carolina in his
speech says:
II could 20 through the Southern States
and select leading secessionists Of the coun-
try whom the Republican party has Rugged
to its bosom long ago. There is one dis
tinguisbed hero and leader, General Long
erect, whose fiery columns were felt on
every battle field but few years tince. and
whose name was worth thousand men to
the cause of secession. Where lie he to day
and where has he been for the last eight
year,! He is on that side, and they think
him a marvelOusy proper and good pa
triot."
Now, sir. General Longstreet needs no
defense at my handr, being q represen tarive
man Of that class of our reconstructed citi-
zens who, Immediately after the close of
hostilities, periodically came to the front,
accep'ed the situation, put their shoulders
to the burdens and responsibilities OF bring
ing order out of chaos, by re-establishing
the practical relations of the insurrection-
airy States and the people to the federal
government. He had political sagacity and
independence of character to be among the
advanced guards in this patriotic labor of
reconstruction. The Democratic party, in
like spirit and for like purposes, rs evil
denced by the remarks Of the gentleman
from North Carolina, has made General
attack. The gentleman admits that General
LOngstreet performed valiant services for
the COntederacy, and l will tell him that he
has done equal service for the reconstruction
ofthe federal Union; and l do not understand
why he should be specially assaulted for
the performance of his duties as citizen.
But it seems the special pleasure Of the
Democratic party to assault the character
and impugn the motives of all white men
who act in concert with the policy of the
Republican party in the Southern States, as
we'll as to doubt the integrity and ability OF
the few colOred men called to the perform
once of the public trusts therein. | can
better explain my position to the House by
reading q portion of the recent report to
this House made at the last session of Con-
gress bearing on the subject, and known as
the HOar Louisiana report, in which the
honorable chairman Of the committee (Mr.
Hoar) used the following language:
Charges Of corruption are made by the
Conservatives against Republican officials
without the slightest discrimination. They
assume that the acceptance of Office is a
badge of fraud. No matter how high the
position hitherto occupied socially, how
spOtess the reputation, the moment of
acceptance OF office witnesses an entire re-
verse. The gentleman suddenly becomes
BLACKBOARD, the honest man thief"
Mr.. Chairman, comment by me is I'M
necs ssary. The language of this report
gives to the world the true secret of the
Ostracism and menaces of the Democratic
party against such worthy citizens OF the
South "a General LoDgstree,; SO will dis
miss all further reference to lhstportion Of
the debate.
Again, the member from North Carolina,
j.,
uses the following language: .......
Now, Mr.. Chairman, to be perfectly &c.
rious, we all know that the Republican
party did not start out in the war with the
aim Of freeing the cclored people. 1t
declared 10 its resolutions in Congress and
in the proclamation of its President that
that was not the object. But, sir. the col.
ored man was freed, in spite both of the
Northern and Southern men, by the will of
cd. ehn
that. AnothiDg thing, the Republican party
did not willingly give the colored man his
right to vote.
A Member-Wh0 did
Mr.. Yeates-I will answer that question.
They undertook to pass the fourteenth
to the constitution of the United
s tates, and said to the Southern people,
''Vote for that" You are fresh out Of the
war. now turn around and abuse and curse
not do that. Ii the Republicans could have
got the white people Of the South to have
voted with them they would have let the
,OlOred man go on forever without . vote.
But when they found ont that the Southern
people, though defeated in arms, still rOse
pure aud strong In virtue and could not BE- |
beaten down in that way, they threatened |
Us that they would let the col0red people |
vote. Is not that the history Of the times
50, in due course of time, when they |
Gould not get our votes then they turned
The colored people loose and let them vote
What else did they dol They multiplied
'fices and filled those Offices with 10000
,arpet- bsggers, who came down and preju.
Iced the coiored people against us. y
They poisoned the minds Of the colored
'eople; they left the country bowling
vsste and wilderness; they destroyed lib
'tates whore they had tho power to do IL