New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-01

THE APPEAL" OF FIVE CLERaYxEH.
Whenever Democrats in Southern State
are badly worsted in their attempt to
screen their political system Of murder
they straightway invoke the "beneft OF
clereymen" and q published absolution.
They did this q few weeks ago in South
Caroline, and some three years since here,
when even old Bishop Wilmer was led by
political Deacons Mari and Ogden before
congressional committee to anoint turbu-
lent psrtissns as meek and pacific citizens,
who only lost their temper once in while.
The clerical gentlemen who subscribed q
card yesterday, entitled IAN appeal to
the nation, are respectable by their CALL
ing. their personal character, and in sew
! eral cases by their talents. But it must
be borne in mind that they are the last
persons in the world who are apt to know
the facts which they attempt to disavow,
except, indeed, the bank and insurance
presidents, q few of whom likewise SUBJ
scribe the appeal" A clergyman lives
in other than secular atmosphere, and
is environed with it when he moves among
the laity. Much of his time is spent
in his closet and upon his homilies;
the residue is especially devoted
to those within his clerical charge
and not to the world at large. In this
intercourse his garb and bearing publish
the minister wherever he goes. Scores
of men and women in his flock who daily
indulge in unchristian and malevolent
terms against Radicals forbear such ex-
pressions in his presence. In no city in
the Union is the household more enven-
omed than it is here against the '.nigger"
and the Radical" but its cumulative
conscience forbids Incorporate utterances
while the parson is within earshot. There |
is much ribboned and kidded piety for
Sunday display in New Orleans-of |
course, it feels under spiritual bonds to
keep the peace when the visiting parson
crosses the threshold and improvises q
moral pulpit from the easy chair. In
fact, wherever he goes between Sundays,
there is q hush upon the lips that are
busy at q political rubric of hatred dur
ing the six days. The ethics of Modoc
are so inconsistent with Sabbath profess
sions that to vindicate ones moral integ-
rity, one is 10th to admit even to
ones parson that one accepts
the ten commandments only with
certain liberal reservations. We see
then that neither in the clergyman's in
tercourse with the world nor still less in
his closet, can the inner temper of the
element in our local politics be
well known to him. The clerical SUBJ
scribers to the "appeal" remark, indeed,
that they have consulted with none of
the class known as politicians. But un-
for their claim, we note sew
eral co-signers who. while not politicians
in the sense of being permitted to lead
The Democracy and occupy Offices, have
exhibited lively interest in politics here.
They have now leaped from their COM
Portable presidential cushions in few
banks and insurance companies, consti-
uted themselves not only sponsors for q
State they have not traversed for years,
,ut moral Returning Board of an cleo
ion the results of which they know moth !.
ng about; and then called upon their !,
espective credulous pastors to certify to
statement which all of them, presidents
nd pastors together, can not verify in any
rise whatever.
Rev. Mr.. Palmer had the same sscon- !;
lotion that Louisiana is loyal to the I'm =
On" when his fiery utterances stung thou ;
ands of men to rush with their rifles to >
be field of war to vindicate the constitu- =
on by destroying the Union whose char :,
II it is. No clergyman in the South was !.
, valuable lieutenant of the Confeder- :,
y as was he. Rev. Mr.. Thompson, who
as just returned from Europe after an =,
Icursion of several months, and who
rst entered Louisiana barely year ago, y
IN certainly know little of "the people :;
Louisiana" save as he has been advised
? his Democratic co-signers. He GER
inly knows nothing by observation of :. :,
70 "bulldozer," the ''good-faith" of the u :.
;ceptance by the whites ''of the status u
which the war left the colored people," !"
the genuine character of the ''late can 'e
ss, J" nor that ''large numbers of colored p
tiers changed their political convic- ~
'ns." He has either been cruelty i'm ~
'sed upon or has surrendered himself as -
o many Northern men surrender :"
emselves to win social favor. If III
g latter be true, with what al
spect will his political masters and con- u
egation regard him hencefor.h. If the W.
former be true, as we hope and be- q
We, it becomes him at once to examine cr
issue for himself, and to sign no more AZ
rds that a few rickety old politicians 'e
~ thrust under his nose. We have IN
yer impeached the entire Democracy of II
'uisiana as being disloyal, but we have ha
clared, and now declare that it is so WI
'ciplined bya factious and aggressive
ment that it dare not demonstrate wi
ainst the crimes and cruelties of that pc
ment. Eliza Pinkston's story of wrong "a