New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-29
FIRING THE SOUTHERN HEART.

From the beginning OF the late canvass
We have witnessed the most systematic
efforts of the Democracy to defame the
Republicans, to excite the people, and to
prepare the way for party success or pub
lie anarchy. We need no. recapitulate
the evidences of this purpose. One Of
the most fragrant tricks has been to claim
the election Of Democratic candidates
long before any lawful returns could have
been possibly examined or certified, and
subsequently asserting that SO far as the
reports Of the lawful authorities differ
from the Democrats claims, these reports
are fraudulent and should be set aside,
even by force of arms. 1t is from this
device of stocking the returns that the
present electoral difficulties have arisen.
All the Democratic returns are held law
full. Connecticut, in which the election
of the Democratic Senator Barnum was
acknowledged to have been purchased, is
set down as an unquestionable result Of
an honest election. New York, whose
Democratic election frauds Of 1868 fur
nished the preamble to the present cleo
ton law of the United States, goes for
the Democratic candidate without impu-
tation, while every Southern State in
which the Republican party has had ma
iorities by the thousand is held to have
committed fraud in casting its vote for
a Republican candidate.
This creation Of local and popular
hatred to the Republican party has been
due chiefly to press which calls itself
conservative" but which omits no OPP
portunity Of sowing sentiments danger
GUS to the life and property of those from
whom these Conservatives differ. We
msy take the gas meter headings Of the
Conservative press which have for months
indicated nothing except injustice to the
Republican men and cause, with its per-
sonal abuse Of the citizens who are COM
piling the returns Of our late election, and
there can be no doubt the effect has been
to fire the hearts of the Democratic chiefs,
as to set aside, if they could do SO, any de-
cision of lawful authority against the
wishes of the Democratic Central Com
mittee.
AS an evidence Of the very small splin-
tiers with which this fire is to be kindled
we give the following paragraph from the
Picayuee of yesterday:
Caleb Gushing advises Grant 20 seize the
government as Louis Napoleon did when
he was about to go out of office, and estab-
lish himself as dictator Of the country.
The letter of Mr.. Cushing. which we
may suppose is thus referred 10. was but
expressive Of the view taken by the writer
in the event lapse Of executive govern
ment should result from recent complica-
tons, which would render the continued
exercise of executive power necessary by
the present incumbent. Should such a
state of things occur, can any one say
that the President has produced it 7!
Should question arise upon the political
wrangle over the spoils as to what au
thority should administer the govern :
ment until the interruption should cease,
will not the discordan. electors or
representatives be held responsible? Why
throw the shame of such a count upon
the executive? Mr.. Cushing is charged
with having advised the President to es-
tablish himself as dictator Can such a
charge be predicated upon authority OF
the latter? The opinion of Mr.. Gushing
is of no further authority than that OF
any other jurisconsult, and no one now
apprehends any lapse of the executive au-
thority which may not be corrected and
cured without resort to provisional ex-
ecutive. Still this improbable theory and
this incorrect statement is thrown in to
fire the Southern heart into disobedlence
if not into resistance, to the results OF the
popular will.
It seems to us that with the military
weakness Of the Southern States and the
undue proportion Of discretion in the
valor Of the Northern Democracy, j,