New Orleans Republican., 1877-05-30
A Word 70 Gorsrnor NIchoIIs.

From tAe Ohio State Journal General
Comley's psper-May 25:
The Governor of Mississippi has allowed
the Chisholm atrocity to pass with such
feeble handling on his part as shows that
he does not fully apprehend the force and
effect of what is called "the Presidents
Southern policy" 1t will be bad thing
for you if you make the same mistake.
Did it ever occur to your excellency that
the Presidents policy" has such an ef-
feet as this, for example: u makes the GoU-
ernor of Louisiana and the respectable
tohite element" at his back responsible as par
ticeps crinlinis after the fact for euery po-
litieaL murder hereafter TO be committed in
Louisiana, for lohich no adequate effort is
made TO punish the criminal It makes the
Governor OF Mississippi responsible to-
day, in the eye of the whole civilized
world, for the most base and cowardly and
brutal murders that have ever dishonorec
the name Of Southern gentlemen" and
stained it with infamy. All, Governor!
The "carpetbag" plea is no longer avail
| able! You did not think Of that, perhaps,
when you accepted the executive trust in
Louisiana. Did you think of it. that by
that act you pledged your faith and
honor, and the faith and honor Of
all ''the Oldest and best, that the gay
! and convivial assassins of Feliciana should
hereafter, when they shot down Radicals
and niggers, bring upon themselves the
vengeance of the State executive for their
crimes? Did you think of it, that any fail
ure hereafter to punish such murders,
swiftly and inexorably, would put you in
the position of q dishonored accomplice of
assassins, with gentleman's faith broken
and gentleman's honor in pawn beyond
redemption? H.
Louisiana has "home rule" now. Her
''oldest and best" are in charge. There
has been murder most foul and atrocious
committed on feeble old colored man,
for political vengeance sake, in East Fe-
hciana. James Laws has been assassi-
mated for presiding over "Radicar
meeting. Others have been threatened,
In the picturesque fashion of the bull
dozers, cofins and rifle cartridges have
been left at the doors of citizens as hint
that their absence is the only thing the
gentle bulldozers will tolerate. Let nc
one suppose that the humor of the bull.
dozers will exhaust itself in these playful
demonstrations with cofins and car.
tridges. They do these things better il
Louisiana. The grim joker means bust
ness of the deadliest sort. There is dis
|, order-there is murder, Governor-iI
East Feliciana. Your honor as a Govern
or and q gentleman is under special
pledge, voluntarily assumed-a pledge
over and above the official obligation We
have already mentioned-to stop these
murders, TO visit the places where they
are committed, in person, if need be, fol
their punishment. Theirs can be no diff
ficulty as to discovery, in the case o
Laws. The murder was done openly in
crowd. We are waiting confidently
resting upon your reputation as soldie
and gentlemen to see your pledge re
deemed, We believe undoubtingly tina
, it will be redeemed. It is necessary as
! proof to the world that the ''decent whit
element" of Louisiana is capable of gov
erning. 1t is necessary as proof to tn
! eowardly brutes who shoot down unarme'
and feeble men and women, that the.
shall be punished in accordance with tn
; laws of civilization, and no longer pro
! tected according to the lawlessness Of bar
barism.
The Governor of Mississippi is dis
graced and dishonored among all civil
lied men for his imbecility and cowaFdic
/, in the Chisholm affair. He is as much
! felon in the eyes of the whole civilize
! world, as the men who did the murders
= We do not believe that Governor Nichols
the brave soldier and gallant gentleman
= will follow such an example.