New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-10

blood their devotion to Republican prln-
ciples, and declare that they are ready to
take up arms in defense of their chosen
State government, provided that course
meets the sanction of 3 majority of the peO- /
pie of the United States
This declaration is made to repel the |
charge that the oolored people have not the |
courage to fight for their principles. The |
meanness of this charge is exposed by the |
citation of the fact that the Organiza zation of |
colored militia has always been heralded to
the country as the inauguration OF war Of
races. 1t is asserted that the oolored people
have refrained from even the show of mill
tary force out of q patriotic regard for the
best interests of the country, and in the
hope of peace between the races. In CON
clnsion, they denounce as "nefarious' the
proposition to trade off the Sta+e of Louisi-
colOred people to the Democratic party
for any consideration whatever.
The address is excellent in tone, lucid in
statement and strong in argument The
same utterances coming from the whole
body of the white legislators of State Of
this Union would certainly have great
weight with the American people. They
certainly ought not TO have less weight
coming as they do from colored legislators.
The appeal is addressed to the people, but
it must be considered by the new admins
tratiOn. If it be true that there IS in the
minds of the e0lOred people so strong de-
sire for education that, in the few years
that have elapsed since the edict of eman-
cipatiOn, intelligence among eOl0red chill
dren has become almost universal, then, in
deed, the time has fully arrived when the
fathers of these children are entitled to be
heard, not only with respect, but with def
ereDce. 1t may be assumed as certain that
the educated children of the colOred men
and women of Louisiana, when they shall
N1,aa -, oc e. -
dOoile under oppression than their fathers
and mothers now are. 1t may be assumed
that they will remember with horror the
| scenes of intimidation and assassination
surrounding their early days. 1t is net at
all improbable that they may seek revenge
for those injuries inflicted upon their kline
folk and race. Think of 1T, four Thousand
oOlOred men, women and children
| asssssinated and massaored in sin
| gle State in one short decadei We do not
| ask that the men who committed these hOr-
rible deeds be hunted down at this late day
and brought to punishment. But We do in
| sist that the wounds of the c0lored race
ought to be healed, if healed they may be,
| by the most positive assurance on the part
of the government that murder for opinions
sake shall from this moment cease alto
| gether. There not only can be no peace at
\ the South so long as cruelty on the part of
the whites toward the blacks continues to
be practiced, but there is trammeled up in
| its continuance an awful retributiOn TO the
prosecutors themselves. Unless the deadly
| blows that have been so long showered
upon the colored people soon cease to fall
| they will be returned, and returned with
intrest In the turbulence of the past few
years at the SOnth there is no doubt that
| the whites have been the aggressors. IL is
the eOlOred man who has been robbed and
murdered, and it is the white man who has
committed the robbery and done the muir
| der. 1t will not do to commence the work
OF pacification by assuming the contrary.
It will not do to deprive the colored people
of certain rights already secured as means
| of binding over the white people to keen
the peace Peace depends upon the SUI
premacy of the Law; let the law, therefore,
| be enforced as the frst essential preliminary
to reign of tranquility.
Per contra, the St. Louis Republican,
Democratic, says:
Our New Orleans correspondent is un-
donbtedly right in regard to the circum-
stances under which the address of the col
ered members of the Packard Legislature
| to the people of the United States was pre-
pared and issued. Nevertheless it il 9
! document of very considerable Importance,
sad may be the prelude to events of very
considerable magnitude.
The address is nothing more or less than
an emphatic protest against the conserve
| tive policy which, it 10 said, will be the ini-
| tial point of the new administration. An
tome and his associates insist that the Re-
publican party owes its victory to them;
| that the oOlored vote carried Louisiana for
| HAYES. and that the Endorsement of the 40
tion Of the Returning Board by the Elec-
! ioral Commission can not be &C ,p.srnreted
as to let in q President and push ont q GOV
ernor. If, they say, Hayes 3 entitled to the
presidency, Packard is entitled to the gov.
ernorship; and r. depfive the latter Of the
office s-.,cn Eightfully belongs to him would
gs an iatolerable wrong which lle, nelthe,
the col0red citizens nor their Arlend'
at the North are disposed % sub
init to. In short, the address BRING
the Republican advocates of the c0nser
vative policy face to face with an exceed
inRly grave question which can neither b.
dodged nor tided over, and which muat De
sauarely met and decisively settled withn1
unnecessary delay. The argumehts uses
are unanswerable, so far as they relate s
the hAgrant inconsistency involved ID ths
proposed abandonment Of Packard. Al
attempts 70 show that such inconsistency
merely imaginary are utterly ridlculous
: and might Just as we'll cease. The friend
! al well as the enemies Of the conservative
policy know that it can not be ent0rce
| without throwing q nyhb blHnAucMnt ~ Y
/, upon the fatal weakness OF Hayes csedei
4 tials, and that whether Pacb.rd il drive
ont or permitted to 'fs',s out ~ the popnla
mind VIII noS - % see that from . retuKs
8 Tag oeA1 and eleet0ral commission stan
po..ss he has been harshiY dealt VIII q
kas lust cause for complaint. Ihefet9fe,
this policy Il 70 be adopted the burden
Inconsistency must,be accepted for the ga
Of tha substantial good which It puRehas'
9 IL Il far more important thas the people
It Iouislana should be rid OF carpeteags.
= than chat Hayes should be consistent.
= peace and prosperity Of the naeon ere
- vastly more consequences than the n4t49o
M Of q barry, and Q patriot ought n9f e re-
fSts i6ne aatWeen the dem ads q patti
ai isn3 ana tIle demands Of ianAI.1 I.1lam.
az But it IS becoming mere evident cN.
dav thaf e 4a1 - attends % give 2 Fe't
- nant d0iatae IS tae Southern a1eH ll4A
1a + Gus rla1 stiIica tf eii4. la ANaI ~
I1INfH
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