New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-10-01

| necessary TO explain why 6OutnoEu mo
should be the advocate OF assuring to the
colored people equal political rights. ecu
ostionl- sdyantaaes, moral and sreliRious
training. with industrial employment Ct
compenSatipg Wages s You gill say this -
but q compliance With a great Humanitarian
duty. Perhaps So / am perfectly con
WINGED it is for the best interest OF the
In Achieving this objsct there is an al
most ineuperable obstacle, which any fre.
man in your district of Moyamensfng will
spDre ciate. 1t consists in race repugnance.
This antapopism resembles in some respect
other phases of human prejudice. 1t, how
ever, does not compare in intensity with
the former hatred OF Christian for He.
Thus tar nothing in the Southern States
has equaied the t0rture and oppression
inflicted in other times upon the Jews,
nor the religious devastations of the Pro-
testants during the Thirty Years War.
When the Israelite had no rights, civil or
religious; when he was clad in the color of
| the pest-hcuse, and the quarantine of race
and faith compelled him to retire to parti
cular quarter at Q given hour; when he
was as absolutely secluded from intermar-
riage with the Christians as if he had been
blacker than Othello, that prescribed race
protected itself and overcame one BY one,
all the degrading conditions which priestly
| prejudice had imposed upon it, How has
this relief from social and political dis
abilities been effectes!
There can be- no hesitation in asserting
| that the accumulation of wealth, the cul-
ture of the arts and industries, Q courageous
devotion to their defense. scrupulous
| obedience to the laws of their adopted
country, have combined to compel the
respect of those who differ from the Israel.
ties in race and religion. The rights which
they enjoy in Europe are due solely to the
utility Of their capital, their industry, and
their intelligence. The separation Of the
| upper and lower classes OF France proves
that social animoeities exist independently
of race or religion. The infuriated mob
which Effected the overthrow of monarchy,
aristocracy. and established religion, were
of the same race, faith and language with
their victims. 1t has been only on the
basis Of recognized lights and indispensa-
BILE utility that this frightful war Of classes
has been appeased. The economies of in
dustry have paid the ransom OF France
from tho power OF her enemy.
There has been di covered no other SOL
vent of these inscrutable animosities,
whether formed in physical or sentimental
causes, than the mutual end reciprocal
u ility of the antagonists to each other. 1t
would then follow that the most effectual
method OF establishing the political rights
and social safety of the emancipated con-
ssts in making them more moral, more in.
telligent and more useful as the equal citi.
zeDs Of q common country. 3 e. ss..,..
Fortunately for the cOlored people, they
possessed within themselves q sufficient
means or protection from any violent mode
of solving the new relations 90 suddenly es-
tablished between the two races This pro.
tectiCn consisted in the ability to make cot
tor, sugar and rice; to produce tar, pitch
and peanut; to handle cotton hooks, roll
bales and drive drsye; to cook, wash and
do household work; to nufse tick persons
and young children. This great element Of
productive labor has been liberated to the
equal access of all The planter, before the
war, could only employ labor according to
his command of capital to purchase tho
lab0rers. The man VII has NO other CAPT
tai than his enterprise can now hire the
free labor in cOmpeti ion with the capitalist.
The Confederate soldier who was not for
merly able to purchase the iaborer may
now recruit labOrers ap0n the assurance
alone of adequate wages, and, perhaps, of q |
crop made in common with the labORers.
This enlarged capacity for competition |
among the employers has given the freed |
men the protection of force once almost |
inimical, certainly Indifferent, to his safety |
or to mis- welfare. The restored weights of |
the cotton product may be attributed to
this fortuitous union of enterprise and |
labor.
It ia true that no one In the South would |
ever again take the risk OF rearing or the |
charge of maintaining slaves; but this open |
market fer liberated labor will also furnish |
q guarantee against the labor monopoly of |
actual bondage.
The mercantile interest finds profitable |
commerce in exchanging the commodities
which perish in the use at satisfactory
profits for the specie staples produced by |
r antn Ilh II los, mad |
fessiCns find them of account in defending
their Iights or wrongs, and curing their
diseases, Race, Prejudice excluded them
from facilities of travel, yet Steamboats,
have been fitted MP for their comfortable
accOmm odation, while the railroads, and
es peciaiv the street railroads, make no dis
against the dividend derived
from the-cclofed fares e'I % s1-A- ,..'-l9
1t may be added that in the improved
ability Ut the colored people as consumers
of amore abundant and better supply of
than formerly there is fur
nishe ID q far better home market for manu-
factures in the South, the advanced tastes
and enlarged necessities of free labor hay
ng created q demand for a better style and
larger supply than formerly. 1t is an es-
innate. of my own that the exchange by
cotton, sugar rice ard tobacco against mer-
,handise has been increased by this cause
more than $40 600, 900 per anDum. In ex-
changing at home the product of the land
For that of the workshop values are capt
taliz-d, and kept at home, which otherwise
would have been exported, and the me-
,hanic is again shown to be a beuefactor to
'oeiety.
1t would display ruinous prejudice if
my Southern politician should oppose the
domestic manufacture at the South and
hall prefer to continue the Southern tribute
n NOR OpOly 10 those to whom they have
attributed SO many calamities. The South |
rn people are not actuated by any such
ntIquated or sup, rstitiOus animOstles. 1t
3 expressly affirmed that the relations be.
" cen the white and cOlOred races are in |
he main friendly. They are especially 50
'etween the iormer slave owner and the
because that class appreciates
he value of labor, and desires to establish
afistactary relations between land and
.bor. There can be no doubt but that
hose relations may be strengthened by an
improved and increased capacity for social l
setulBess on the part of the cOlored Gill {
lis. In such development they will tiud
odlti0Aal friendship and protection.
Suppose, then. we assume that the col. | I
RED people OF the South are capable, in
dd!tloD to their services in the field and
ne household, OF rendering themselves
selul IL manu- actures, In mining, in naviga. i
on and In coumercf, will not this develop i
lent OF a new usefulness bring its addi- g
Onal guarantee May it not lead to
tactical recognition of political rights | {
hich all tho power of the government has t
OF yet assured TO them! Such are the {
uniments OF mutual usefulness which 0
rOiect capital ard labor and hold the q
hierarchy of races" under the control of c
lmanity and interest. r
Ii at all successful in proving that the t.
cial safety of people, separated from t.
cir fellow-citizsns by pal pable distinc.
On of color and by inherited subordlna- O
IN, depends upon their mutual utility. it i,
Duld follow that directly in proportion as a