New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1878-11-03
LrBERTrEs AHp rRANcH1sEs.

SIC capaole OF lnoulglng IN unmean-
ing clap-trap and senseles jargon
when he addresses his constituents.
When, therefore, he gives express
ion to ideas incOmprehensible to us,
we charitably conclude the fault
lies in the understanding of the au-
ditor rather than with the speaker.
We venture however, to ask in the
most respectful manner that the SEN
ator or somebody else who under
stands him well to explain what he
really meant the other night when he
had just arrived from Massachusetts,,
fresh from a wOrdy tilt with Gen.
Butler, by such a statement as this:
$50 long as Republican President and
q Republican administration exist, / care
not whether the chief be Rutherford B.
Hayes or any other, SO long will our lib
critics and franchises be endangered. The
only possibility of securing liberty and
the privilege of freemen is to stand by
the National Democratic party and pre-
sent an unbroken and undivided front to
the enemy on election day. [Applause. ]
When we remember that the gent
leman himself and hundreds of thou
sands Of other men of his political
faith have been amnestied and re-
stored to the franchise which they
voluntarily and contemptuously sur
rendered, by Republican Congress
and Administration, we are puzzled
to come at his meaning. 1t does not
aid us in the search to recollect that
the same Republican party conferred
liberty and suffrage upon about four
millions of people whom the Demo-
cratic party enslaved and fought to
maintain in servitude. Nor does it
throw the least light upon the re-
markable statement to call to mind
the fact that by adding two fifths
"Of all others to the representative
population by the same party. De-
mocracy has gained about a dozen
members of the House of Represen-
tatives.
The efforts of the Republican par
ty, to suppress liberty and franchise,
as recorded in history, may thus be
briefly summed up: n
l. More than half a million white
Democrats have been amnestied and
given back franchise which they
voluntarily surrendered.
2. About eight hundred thousand
colOred Republicans have been
clothed with the novelty of suffrage
and given the key of liberty into
their own hands.
3. About one million six hundred
thousand cOlored people have been
added to the representative popula-
ton of Federal numbers, thus giving
the South enough additional mem
bers of the Congress to dominate the
lower house.
When we come from national af-
fairs down to the details of State
and municipal politics, we find all
the most bitter and determined con-
tests between the Republican and
Democratic parties have originated
in an attempt on the part of the lat
ter to suppress and stife the right of
suffrage, as a means of electiDg their
candidates with only a minority
vote.
1t must be that there are two dis
tinct and antagOnistic ideas of lib
erty and franchise in existence.
The one asserting the universal
freedom of mankind-the other, So
licitOus only for the success of the
Democratic party. And when the
honorable Senator boldly sets up
claim on behalf of Southern Democ-
racy to the championship of fran
chise and liberty, he does well to Sc
lect a partial, if not an intelligent
audience. If he had uttered such
sentiments before a Massachusetts,
meeting, on the recent occasion of
unhorsing General Butler, Demo-
cratic, through it might be, he
would have been greeted with sup
pressed filters rather than applause.