New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-17

which generate fevers in the body polite
under which the State will decline, sickei
and die. The party that deserves supper
by al good citizens in Louisiana is one ths
is not based on any of these considerations
and whose principles and measures ar
and promote the interests OF all: ana Wnioi
at the same time are best suited to build NJ
and develop the State. !,
After all, the chief consideration for tn
citizen here in determining to which party
he should attach himself, is, 'hOw are w
best to put ourselves in accord with thu
ideas and measures which have been made
to prevail rs q result of the late war, anC
thus secure speedy and lasting peace Il
this Southern section, and especially to thi!
distracted and disOrdered State OF L0uisi
anal' For take it that these ideas, prin
ciples and measured, which most directly
sffact the South, can never be reversed, de
feated or successfully evaded by any Pc
litical party to which the Southern white!
may attach themselves, however much sucl
party might be disposed to do so.
The great objection to the Democratic
party in Louisina is that 1t is exclusively &
white mans party, and ls in accord witt
the national Democratic party, the repre-
sentative of reaction, which has kept up ar
unwise agitation of the questions that LED
w hUA hdNS iCEultCu mum lhO 1ACAi
which evil only can result to the South, Al
evil only has resulted from the Democratic
Confederate alliance ever since the ter
mlnation of the war. l believe now, as
believed in 1872, as between Grant and
Greeley. with u belief confirmed by Obser.
walton and experience, that the welfare OF
Louisiana does not depend on the election
Of Tilden and Hendricks, and ip the return
to power of the Democratic party, bnt in
the continued supremacy Of the national
Republican party, and that the way OF
safety for all parties in Louisiana in this
or,sis is through the election Of Hayes,
Wheeler and Packard.
WHAT THE MATTER Is WITH LOUISIANA.
That our State is in bad way nobody
will deny. Not hopeless, as / believe, but
distressing enough TO excite our fears, and
To call for the efforts of all her sons. native
aud adopted, for her speedy restoration.
For ten long weary years peace has been =
stranger 10 her borders. Federal soldiers
have been quartered upon us, armed
bodies OF either soldiers or citizens in arms
have constantly paraded orr streets; bloody
conflicts have occurred, while massacre and
assassination have run riot through the
State; immigration turns away in alarm;
fear, while industry langnishes and COM
merce declines. These things show that
there is something radically wrong. They
show that there is something more at the
bottom of our troubles than the ordinary
contests of political parties struggling tor
power. The truth is that Louisiana ia In =
condition. The elements that
compose the body polite are not in SYM
pathy and do not cOhere. Antagonizing
forces are at work, (which, if not speedily
must land us along side Of
A -
States. II is not the government, but society,
that needs recOnstructing. Government is
but a reflex of society; if society is not in
harmony the government can not be; if sO-
,ieIy is demoraIized the government will bo;
t one section of society if disposed to tyran-
lize over another it will pursue the same
purpose # it gets possession of the govern.
nent. And right here is the real difficulty
n Louisiana and some Of the other Southern
States. Politically the white man hates
he negro, and the negro fears the white
nan. The social and economic questions,
rowing out of the relations or the two
aces, are the real questions which should
ngage the attention of the Louisiana
tatesman. In short, it is the race question
With which we have to deal. The question
) grave and difficult, but, in my opinion,
ot insurmOuntable. At any rate ii is one
hat must be met ard solved in some man
er. 1t is well to talk about reform and
God government ard to deuOunee thieves
nd scoundrels of ali kinds, but the frs. |
ues ion for LOUISIANA to settle is the race
uestion. In many Of the social relations
'hlch the nature and necessities of society |
reate, there is gulf separating the races |
Ihich can not be safely passed. Bat that |
'hites and blacks may occupy the same |
vii and political plane in peace and har- |
lony ia altogether possible. The distinc-
on OF color may as we'll exist in society as
le distinction of sex or age. No human /
'ciety has ever bsen organized from ex-
lily the same material. There may be |
tference without discord, graduation with
/, collision, majority without tyranny.
here may be equality before the law with
1t equality Of condition in society. There
ay be negro suffrage without negro
premacy. Equal civil rights for the black
an does not imply any Infringement OF the
VII rights OF the white man. Equal OPP
,rtunities for the black man and his chill
en- do not imply the denial of any oppor-
nifty to the white man and his children. |
There is no substantial reason why all |
o elements OF Louisiana society might |
It be harmonized and peace secured.
mere is nothing in the way but prejudice
ID selGshness.
THE GREAT MISTAKE OF THE SOUTH
There is reason to believe that Ill the end
the war, if the great Lincoln had been
AIRED {" complete the work of the revOlu-
n which had been commenced, Southern
,iety might have been better adjusted 10 |
3 new order Of things, snd out Of the
parently ineongruous mass new and bsr-
,Dious communities might have been de-
ioped. Lincoln was firm, but wise and
'derafe in action, and had the confidence |
the North, while he enjoyed the respect
the South. Both sections had passed
,Ough long snd exhaustive struggle, and
tn were ANXIOUS for peace. l believe | ,
gro citizenship and negro suffrage were | ,
, logical sequences Of the war; but they
ght have come in eater form. The
dest relations existed between the races,
4 mutual confidence prevailed Those ,
atloDs were patriacchal, and had som = !,
ng Of the endearmerts OF tine family. !;
g negro WAS dociie and plastic. and could
ye been nodded and directed at will by !
old master class. If negro suffrage
| only been accepted instead Of opposed. G
ould easily have been controlled Blu $
tead Of this, what do We find Foe war I
nos long ended before We tiud the two &
IS SCI by the cars, and bitter sntagon
laanguraLed between them. l see Ia Il
speech delivered in Congress 70 u
tiy by Mr.. Lamar. Of Mississipoi, | G
charge is made that it was due t. the L
tr0verey between President Crimson , !
the Republican party that better p
ltion OF these race questions had not g
q made al the South. Here is tie adj r
sion OF a rising Southern leader that il ?
possible for the two races to occupy o
same civil and political plane and live 9
ether in harmony. / do not, however, Il
all the history of those times AMI lay b
blame where Mr.. Lamar does M, nv 5
thern friends, let the truth be spoken. | cl
vas not any controversy between j chr |! q
ana tho Republican party that caused II
troubles. 1t was the attempt of A
hson, through what WAS known ct thu 5
as my policy" with his Democratic b
wing in the North and in the South. n
oh was the true cause OF all your p
ibles. No sooner was johnson installed | II
a tha 7, ti1,Ia Of Si.t LII n [.