New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-02

/ IollOW.cluZo0 OF the Oldest extraction, on
of the most intimate and honorable asso
ciates, solely because he has been ten
dered the confidence of those whose sym
pathies and interests were identical will
his own, though their political existence
demand their devotion to Republica,
principles.
DEMOCRATIC INTERFERENCE WITH TIL
SOLID SOUTH.
One of the greatest party blunders O.
the last Congress was the introduction ii
the House Of Scott Lords famous resolu
ton, declaring in the preamble that all
citizens, without distinction of race, OF
class, or color, are entitled to the protec.
ton conferred by the fifteenth amend.
ment to the constitution of the United
States. Scott Lord was an honest old
Democrat from the pent-up Utica of New
York He had listened to Southern ora
tors during the session, and heard time
and again that the solid South was full of
peace and fairness; that there was no dis
position to bulldoze, intimidate or deprive
any man of his rights at the polls. Mr..
Lord, as Q Democratic statesman, took
the orators at their word, and conceived
the idea of putting the sentiments ex-
pressed into q resolution. He believed
the resolution would silence Republicans,
while, if Southern Democrats were hon
est, it could not hurt the Democratic
cause. The resolution. after citing in
preamble the assertion that the object of
the amendment had been defeated in
some States, notwithstanding the efforts
Of all good citizens, reads as follows:
Be it resolved by the House of Represent
terror, intimidation Or otherwise to pre-
vent tho free exercise of the right of suf-
frsge IN any State, should meet with certain,
c0ndign and efectual punishment, and that
in any case which has heretofore occurred,
or that may hereafter OCCUR, in which vio-
lence or murder has been or shall be COM
mitted BY ono race or class upon the other,
the prompt prosecution and punishment of
the criminal or criminals in any court hav.
ing jurisdiction is imperatively demanded,
whether the crime be one punishable by fine
or imprisonment, or ono demanding the
penalty of death.
This resolution. adopted August 10,
1876, fell into the solid South camp in
Congress like hot shot. 1t created
panic. 1t came from q Democrat, and
not from the gun of an enemy. The idea
of Furnishing man with death, inprison-
ment, or even fine, for committing cleo
ton frauds OF intimidating a niger, was
too much for Southern chivalry. How
could Mississippi with its Republican
majority Of 10000 votes, Louisiana with
a Republican majority of Is, OOo Alabama |
or South Carolina be carried by the Dem
ocrats without intimidation and murder? |
Scott Lord did not realize the difficulty.
He had listened to the eloquence of Mr..
Lamar and he thought his resolution was
all right. He had innocently sprung trap
to catch the crimes of the solid South, and
there was no way to get around it. It
would never do for Southern Democrats
to vote solidly against the resolution,
md declare that Republican voters were
not entitled to protection, and the Nasty.
resolution of Mr.. Lord was
cursed heartily. But two members, re-
,ardless of Bland, of Mis-
ouri, and Reagan, Of Texas-voted
against the resolution, while ia men,
'ers voted for it, and 100 were recorded
IS not voting. Mr.. Levy, Of Louisiana,
'oted for the resolution. Mr.. Levy has
lot been renominated by his party. Mr..
Ellis and Mr.. Gibson are put down as not
oting, also Mr.. Lamar, of Mississippi.
hey can not be accused by their consti-
uents of favoring resolution to punish
Following the spirit of Scott Lords
Democratic resolution, the President has
rdered troops to South Carolina to pro-
sct voters in their rights and make it
ossible for law officers to execute the
mandates of court. If the law is upheld
Louisiana the Democrats ought not to
omplain, The Scott Lord resolution
as not one simply embodied in Demo-
ATTIC platform, to be read to the people
I'D put away until another nominating
invention calls it up. It was a seri-
Is resolution Of Congress which made :
'ery Democrat dodge or show his hand. I
is dead letter in the North, where
ates can be saved without it, and where E
rests are not hindered by mob influence;
1t in the turbulent States of the solid
'uth the case is very different, and the 7
frying out of the spirit of the Scott
ord resolution has already set up howl
nong the Hamburg murderers of South
'rolina. What is sauce for the Utica :
ose is not relish for the Southern gan
+. The solid South stands as it stood
1861; it wants to be let alone. And
there is the Democratic resolution of
OFT Lord, adopted by Northern Demo- >
Its and Southern Republicans, recon-
ending the speedy punishment of those in