New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-20

piratical cruising of the Alabama against
merchant shipping-to the assassination
of President Lincoln, as final desperate
blow toward the establishment of a con-
federacy based on human wrongs.
The Republican party, with few Dem
ocrats not hardened to crime, saved the
American Union which we rejoice in this
centennial year, and for fifteen years have
guarded and controlled it. Time effaces
the ugly scars men make. Nature has laid
fresh green carpets on the worn battle
fields; bitterness has subsidized In the minds
of soldiers who were wounded for the
Unions sake, and through magnanlmlty
which has been the worlds wonder, the
seeding States are given full powers, and
they who were foremost in treason repre-
sent them in Congress.
The House of Representatives, with its
eighty Confederate officers Of high rank,
has Democratic majority. The mildest
apologists for rebels say the secesslonlsts
made mistake. If the Democrats gained
wisdom by their defeat in disunion move
ments they do not show it in the body
! where they are strong by Republican
clemency. The Confederates in Congress
have had glorious opportunity to partly
wipe out their black record and enter
| upon an elevated degree of craftsmanship.
BY endeavoring to strengthen its admins
tration they could have shown that they
lad buried all hostility to the United
States government; by advocating meas
ures for the protection of the freedmen
they could have shown that they no
| longer make war to enslave the
blacks: by striving to make better
free schools and better laws, and encour-
aging Northern enterprise and capital In
the South, they could have shown SIM
| cerity and honorable reform in improving
and upbuilding the Southern country.
But when we look for honesty OF purpose
and wisdom in the Democratic party we
| look for what it does not contain. The
organi zation of the House was ali effort OF
the Democrats to reinstate themselves IN
power. 1t was grand Democratic dive
for small offices, turning out Union
soldiers and putting those who had fought
| to destroy the Union in their places so far
as could be done, and the Confederate
pill grims from Texas, Louisiana, Missis-
sippi and Virginia are given cheap whisky
in Washington, and inspiration to sing
'The Grey is On Deck Again. True
craftsmanship is wanting, but there
has been no lack OF active,
! petty minds and measures to waste
the valuable time of Congress. The
| great questions are not grappled with.
Dem ocratic leaders have proposed to re-
| duce the army while Texas is crying TOR
soldiers to protect her borders; economy
is ca He'd for, and they propose to pay Viz
| ginia towns for losses of the war; their
eloquence is spent in abuse ct Repubh-
cans, and above all in defending Con-
federate men and their pas; Infamous
measures In times OF peace the men
who do the talking are looked to as the
| leaders of party, and We see the blather-
skise Hill leading his humble followers
and by defending traitors and anathema-
thing Union men, placing his party
SOU arely il the position of indorsing and
uphold ing rebellion. A few timid DEM
| ocrats who smile as Buchanan smiled
when he saw treason rise up and failed to
crush it, rebrke Hill, and say his zeal
| takes Linn too far; but they only tremble
for the safety of the party.
They Iii fer from the hot-Lead in
expediency, but not in principle. The
| Democratic lions lie down with the Con-
| servatiye lambs, and this time child OF
the devil leads them. We see everywhere
| in Confederate territory small Democrats
breaking up schools, driving Northern
men from Southern homes, numbering ne
groes and fighting against universal sui
frage, and in some States attempting to
overthrow State governments; but in this
centennial year, and on the eve of cam
paicn to vote the Democratic rabble for q
man whose record must show that he gave
aid and comfort to rebels during the war,
we look in vain for craftsmanship in the
Democratic party, or for the advocate OF
wise measures of national importance