New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-25
NEW ORLEANS REPUBIlOAN SATURDAY. rs, 1876

erty. We have seen such ruin overspread
its trade as that very few of it's former
merchants have resumed or now appear
in business at ALL There has been party
hostility. repelling and expelling capital
and enterprise, unless upon this condition
Of political conformity. We pray our fell
low-citizens to reflect what would be now
the commercial situation of New Orleans
were she put under any such interdict as
the law of the United States now author
ICES? She would be utterly useless as
factor in the commerce Of the interior.
The Eastern Atlantic States would divide
the remnant Of her trade among them
selves, and while Tammany Hall might
denounce the Federal government for CEN
tralization and oppression, New York
would with her railroad system pump the
last pound of our traffic, furnish our GUS
toners with goods and money, and the
world way Of the Mississippi, practically
closed and disused for interior commerce,
may be ohliterated forever. When that
period should unhappily approach. where
will be the warriors and traitors who will
have dragged and driven Louisiana into
this terrible position where the trumpeters
of the press who have sounded the charge
and blown Justify throughout the conflict.
Many Of the first may, like their prede-
cessors in violence, betake themselves to
New York, Baltimore and other Demo-
cratic strongholds. But the press, now
so bloodthirsty and abusive, would in
that event no doubt continue to denounce
the Federal government, and would 60 to
the martyrdom of its opinions with firm
look and unfaltering step. We must speak
of our profession as we know it. A news
paper can not fly in the face of the law.
It has no power of resistance, and if its
utterances are contrary to orders must do
one of two things, either change its utter
ances or suspend its publication. Unhap-
PLY for the fame of the press, there are
few instances where they have persevered
in violation of law to the destruction of
their existence. We may allude deli
cately to the journals of this city,
which before the war applied to
Unionists exactly the same terms which
the last ditch press deems appropriate to
the Republican party. Two of these jour
nails persisted in their faith and went to
confscation. Some others, equally zeal
GUS in the disunion cause, preserved their
existence by conforming to the orders Of
the dominant authority. They still live,
it is true. They still display all their
hostility to the Republican party. but if
history does really repeat itself, we may
suppose that it any such consequences as
we have deemed possible should occur,
the violence and vituperation which now
animate their columns would be replaced
by temperate tone and an obedience to
law appropriate to the demands Of the
hour.
We have Swallowed the possible fruits
of vituperation and of violence. Let those
who have accompanied the last war, from
its Inauguration in politics through its
bloody episode to its sad finale in con-
quest and capitulation, reflect whether it
is not better to guard against the recur-
renee of these consequences by a little
more moderation of Ian guage and little
more justice of deed than that which ami
mates the Democratic provisional govern
ment and its organs at present.