The Portland daily press., 1878-02-22
Gen. Anders0n-His Character and Posi-
tiOn in Louisiana.

The New Orleans correspondent of the Gin
cinnati Gazette gives the following in gard to
the character and standing of General Ander-
SOD, member of the returning board of last
year, who has just been sentenced to the peni-
tentiary under circumstances which indicate
that his punishment is much more measure OF
political persecution than an attemp.to pro-
mote the end of justice:
General Thomas c. Anderson, q native of
Virginia, has lived for more than an ordinary
lifetime in Louisiana He has probably, strange
as 1t may seem, in view of the general repre-
sentatlons, as many and as warm personal
friends as any man in it. Nor are they con-
hned, by any means, to the lower or even
medium strata of society. They are to be
found here in New Orleans by the score, and
of the highest social grade. Gen. Anderson is
-une of the largest land owners in tue State.
He is known as one of the heaviest of plant
srs. He undoubtedly pays far more of revenue
TO the State in the way Of taxes than all of his
prosecutors combined. There is probably not
one OF them but would be glad to hold bis n-
dividnai bond for more than he, the Jealous
prosecutor, is worth. General Anderson, more
over, is recognized political power. He un-
questionably has far more of political follow
ing with the whites than all others of the So
called Republican leaders combined. He could
unquestionably, in aay political movement,
rally the masses of the blacks-the old RepuD-
lican rank and fle to his support. He would
be the man of all others in Louisiana, as a pos
sible Independent" candidate for governor, in
opposition to Bourbon Democracy The fact
is well understood as the main incentive to his
prosecution. He is probably the most indeperd-
eot man, politically, 10 Louisiana.
He has afollOwing that is recognized as peeu
larly his own He is credited, in fact, With con-
trolling southwestern Louisiana, as an "lpde-
peDdeqJ', pretty much at will. He has been
member of the State senate and house of repre-
sentatlves for better than twenty years. He
has held almost every position of importance
the people of his district could confer or Induce
bim to take. He has filled each and all to the
satisfaction OF his people. He has never baen
defeated, even as an independent" for any
position to which he might aspire. He could
De defeated only as a Republican. He thus
fairly walked over the track in the campaign
just preceding the last as an independent"
candidate for the senate over both the regul ar
Democratic and Republican nominees He
was defeated only as Republican in the last
campaign, in district overwhelmingly Demo-
cratic, BY comparatively insignificant MAJOR
ty, and that loo, with the public pulse at a
fever heat lie succeeded as it was, 10 his i'm
mediate parish By his own individual efforts in
the election of Republican representatives He
has become obnoxious to the Democratic lead
ers onlv as Republican. He incurred their
particular enmity in standing INTELLECTUALLY at
his post in the returning of the electoral vote
for Hayes. He is thus in the same boat to some
extent, with ex-Governor Wells There ia the
one uumistakabe difference however, IS be-
tween the status Of Wells and Auderson
The Democracy hate the one; they are afraid
of the other. They would consgn the one to
an iguominious doom; they would crush the
other as a political power.