New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-06

safeguards around the ballot, then the
class that composes the majority Of the
people will pay for it with their blood.
Mr. White seems to forget that ton years
ago negro suffrage in the South was un-
known; that the then leaders of his party,
to check fancied curbing of its power,
plotted the obstruction of the lives" of a
large number Of colored people. There
were less than hundred corpses hauled
away from the Mechanics Institute, yet
the pistol crack of the New Orleans Dem
ocrats Of 1866 was heard from Maine to
Oregon. The public conscience was
aroused as it had never been before ex-
cept when his Bourbon friends fired upon
Fort Sumter. The question seemed to be
divided whether there had not been a
mistake made in ever rehabilitating the
South with elective rights after the
war-whether Huger, of South Carolina,
was not right when in the Congress Of
1904 he opposed the admission of Louis
lana into the Union Of States, on the
ground that her (white) people were inca
pable Of self-government; or whether to
Offset the power of the bad white men Of
the South the better plan was not to give
every negro man vote. The latter plan
was adopted, and, thanks to the Bour-
bons Of 1866, the disloyal element Of Louis
lana was torn away from power, where it
has remained ever since.
The gentleman lisa poor student of events
not to know that political intimidation or
threats of personal violence have been the
recourse of the minority party in Louis
lana politics for many years. 1t is no
secret to him how Louisiana was bullied
into secession by minority of her people
in 1861. He is needless of valuable
lesson when he forgets the memorable
language of Governor Hebert in 1856,
when he spoke Of the scenes Of intimida-
ton, violence and bloodshed that had
marked the late general elections in New
Orleans; '',hose great public crimes
which were committed with impunity in
midday light and in the presence of hun
dreds of persons
Or Governor Wicklitfs, the unprotest-
ing spectator to the acts Of the West Fell
ciana ruffians who drove out the German
month ago, who in 1859,
speaking Of the elections, referred TO the
rufians who committed acts of
violence on multitudes Of our naturalized
who dared venture to ex-
ercise the right of suffrage Or, perhaps,
another example may strike him more
forcibly. Forty years ago his revered
father, as chief magistrate of the Com
felt called upon to denounce
''the dispositions, fatal to social order, and
tending to substitute tumultuous violence
to the power and majesty Of the laws"
Hence the Senator from New Orleans,
sitting on the same floor with Irishmen
who as class were ostracised and muir
dered in 1859, and with colored men who
IS class were murdered and ostracised
in 1866, will find that he sounds no new
melody on his Bourbon bugle when he |
threatens violence and slaughter.
Mr.. White and his party of the |
minority have already been given
to understand that the Republicans
Of Louisiana propose, as far as
possible, to achieve such legislation
rs will prevent repetition of the Demo
cratic Straightforward performances of
1872, or the shotgun hastings of 1874.
They have offered terms to the Democrats
more magnanimous than they ever re-
,eived or hope to receive from |
hem. While they will insist up
IN a Returning Board, the DEM
ocrats will be allowed to name
,wo-fifths of the men to compose it-cer-
:ainly fair proportion, when the relative
strength of the parties is considered.
Mr.. White and his Bourbon allies can
either accept these terms or fall back on
the law as it stands. But, meantime, let |
them make no mistake by supposing that
any threats of theirs about trouble and
bloodshed will deter the Republicans Of
Louisiana from the performance Of their
duty to their party and their country.