New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-28
PURITAN REPUBLICANS.

PURITAN REPUBLICANS.
Cur religious neighbor, the Morning
Star and Catholic Messenger, shows bad
temper over the result of the New Hamp-
shire election. It says '.New Hampshire
has gone Republican with increased ma
jorities, in honor Of Babcock and Bel
KNAPP" and asserts that Maine has gone
the same way, SO far as local elections
have been heard FROM. It wonders what
must be the feelings and notifications Of
the Democratic members Of the House Of
Representatives, calculating, as they
did, ON the exposure of the wholesale vii
lainies Of the Grant administration as q
trump card of the highest grade" to see
their work made to do duty on the other
side?
The Stcr says the Republican party is
the legitimate offspring of the Puritan
facti on of New England. The accusation
is not so serious as to give offense to Re-
pu blicans who are not ashamed to own
the mselves to be descendants Of Puritan
and Pilgrim fathers. Regarding the Puri-
tans as the pioneers of civil and religious
liberty in this country, the promoters Of a
better civilization, education by free
schools and Protestant religion, the
Catholic organs charge that the Repub-
ican party is the legitimate offspring of
the Puritan faction is an imputation not
grievous to be borne, though Catholic Re-
publicars may be disposed to dispute the
question of origin. But the Star is not
content with the Puritan charge on the
Republican party. Because New Hamp-
shire has declared against Democracy, We
are told that all New England is likely to
be found guilty Of sustaining the national
administration. The church paper says:
Judging from the Belknap affair, all that
il necessary to secure New England over
whelmiugly and iIresistibly for Grant, is to
prove him by his own confession a success
full robser. an unprincipled speculator in
powers which had been contided to his sup
posed honor.
now JuDIlaUL OTouU, DaUCOch, DtlAUdp,
Schenck, Robesop, Shepard, and all tho
White House ring must be over this Puritan
endorsement
campaign that the battle was not fought
on national questions. Republican speak
ers confined themselves to discussing the
corruption and abuses Of the Democratic
party in the State, and on that argument
oil honest voters decided how to vote, and
they voted the Republican ticket for the
best interests of the commonwealth. 1t is
true that the Democratic National Cam
paign Committee at Washington worked
uo case calculated to influence the New
Hampshire election, and the stump speak
ers of the Democratic party talked Bel
KNAPP, and tried to distract the people from
the main question at home; but the ex-
pertinent was a miserable failure.
We confess, Notwithstanding the Stars
imputations, to an abiding faith in the in
tegrity Of New England. Her sons are gen.
orally found on the right side when ques-
tons of Importance are before the people.
They had something to say in the war of
the revolution, and they were not back
ward in furnishing men and means to put
down the Southern Democrats engaged
in the late war of rebe llion. And, then,
too, the people Of New England have ez-
cellent free schools for the education Of
all classes. They love money and make
money; but when the people of Louis
lana and Texas suffer from foods New
England charity is dealt out with
liberal hand. Puritanism is cold and
sober; but it is healthy, and in the
New England States compaigns are not
con Quoted with shotguns, men are not
murdered for holding political opinions
at variance with the gunners, and there is
prevalent certain law-abiding DISPOSE
ton particularly agreeable to fair-minded
people. When the men of New Hamp-
shire elect Republicans to Office it is pre-
sumed they know what they are about
and what they want; and until they do
something worse it is not reasonable to
charge them with total depravity.