New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-24

in Chicago out of the county. after hav'
ing forced them to resign their oficesl
Suppose, then, that these Republican
bulldozers had ridden through Bridge
| port in armed bands nightly for twelve
months prior to the election? Suppose
7 that during these night rides they had
shot thirty or fifty Catholic Irish; had
whipped couple of hundred more; had
driven from the county Perry smith,
General Cameron, Miles Kehoe, Captain
Connect, Dave Thornton and every other
prominent Catholic Irish Democrat in the
city?
Suppose they had broken up every
Irish Democratic club2
Suppose that they had burned several
Irish Democratic houses?
Suppose that they had united IN
league to refuse every Democratic Irish
man employment
Suppose that they had threatened to
discharge every one of them that we're aI-
ready in employment
Suppose that they had sought to COM
pei them to join the Republican clubs by
making that condition of their I'M
munity from further persecution, calling
this protection.
And then suppose that the Republicans
owned all the property, tie stores, the
banks, the railroads, the telegraphs, the
newspapers, the schools and everything.
And suppose that the Irish Catholic
Democrats were ignorant, upeducated and
poor, SO poor that they were in absolute
dependence from day to day upon their
employers for their rations of bread and
meat.
Add this to the illustration above,
and it will be somewhat of a parallel with
the cases in East Feliciana and some other
parishes in Louisiana.
may be allowed to add that in my
judgment the gravest feature of the situa-
ton as to our State and the whole coun-
try is this: The issue, to my mind, pre-
sented by the two political parties in
this section of the country to the rest
of the country is this: Shall two
political parties be allowed to SUBJ
sist in this State upon the same con-
ditions that they exist in other States
that is, shall the right of every citizen
and suffragan to participate in the gov
eminent on election day. to assist and CO.
operate in societies and clubs and organi-
cations of his political party be recog-
mixed, guaranteed, and made an honest,
actual fact, SO that whether it be white
man and a Democrat, or black
man and Republican, each one shall be
allowed in the most perfect freedom and
security to join and act with his political
associates, as his own interest and wishes
or prejudices shall induce him, without
other influences being brought to bear
upon him than are brought to bear upon
a citizen and suffragan in any other State2
In this case the black voters would be
treated just as the white, Irish or German,
or Scandinavian voters in any Northern
State No extraneous pressure no conspir-
acy to force them to vote against their
predictions or wishes; no attempts to
compel them to vote against their wishes
in the interest of their employers would
be allowed. If not allowed, this State.
and several other Southern States, are
honestly and lawfully Republican by
large msjorities.
On the other hand, if the attempt Of
the Democrats to obtain control Of this
State in q manner similar to that in which
the control of Mississippi has been gained
should be successful, We shall have then
the spectacle before the country of a
solid white vote marshaled and led by
the most extreme and bitter elements Of
that vote, and having under their COM
plete control dark mass of semi-serf,
black voters, voting uBder orders as they
used to work under orders. In addition
to this, that control once having been OBJ
tained, we will also find large respect
able white element, composed of conser--
vative, abiding, peaceful white bust
ness men and citizens, who by the same
order Of terror which drives the negro
to vote against his wishes and for
his master, will also compel them
to keep silence and tacitly to submit to
condition of things Of which they hon.
estly dlsapprove.
Should this latter condition of affairs
obtain, there will then be solid white
South governed by the leading ultra
spirits Of that section, keeping in hand
and under subsection the white conserva-
i've element by threats of ostracism in
business and society, and having under
perfect mastery and control solid black
south, voting, as they used to work, for
heir masters AID owners And
his combination will dictate to
he Democracy, and the Democracy will
dictate to the country, and the solid
white South with the solid black South
will govern the country more absolutely
han it did in the palmy days of the slave
empire.
Respectfully yours,
HUGH J. CAMPBELL.
AnecdOte Of President Grant.