Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-11-25
AAIeexauoria 6azGtte
MONDAY EVENING, NOV. %. 1878.


Playing with Fire North and soufh'
A private letter from lady in Louisiana has
been put into our hands which throws strong
light on the folly AID wickedness OF these
Northern politicians who Insist on trying to
blind the Northern people to the faott what
thew represent as a social war at the
South is really struggle Of the vice, igoo'
rance, poverty and laWessnees OF the com uolty
against its virtue. intelligence. thrift and order,
and 10 DO true seCse of the phrase struggle OF
the black race against tho white, Ihe writer
Of this letter found herself 10 the leart OF the
late riots 10 Louisiana, having left New Orleans
gith her family to escape the yellow fever. She
saws that all the trouble in the region round
sbout her home was tomented By the harangues
of the lower grade of republican politicians, who
qreW'desperate when they saw the more respect
able classes of all coors deserving their ranks.
These men actually assured the negroes that
thew were Ia danger of being re'enslaved, and
that if they wished to preserve their liberty they
must kill the whites and burn their property.
They deluded blacks were further told that
Northern opinion would uphold them 10 plllsse
arson and murder in such cause. a ce1talnCap.
tain Polk went, according to this account to re-
monstrate with one of the leaders among the ne
proes aud was shot dead as be approached The
house. A report was instantly spread that
five hundred whites had gathered 10 aVeDge
Captain Folks death, wbereupon three or
four Thousand negroes armed "lsh Ola OnHea
States nuskets, pistols and shot guns. surrGurd
ed WATERPROOF ac6 occupied all the roads lead
ing to it for niles, 'the whole ntighbcrhood.
az the writer says, "prtssntloe the appearetco
of New York during the ribs" These crowds
declared that they wouldn't every white man,
woman aud child 10 the town, and sll ettcrlS al
pacif,ipg them met with but partial success.
Imagine women with several young daughters
ia the centre of such an excitement. Happily
the militia from Natchez appeared before any.
thing worse than the burning OF a mill and some
cotton had been attempted. The truth seems
to be that the least reputable Ct tho negroes,
under the dcmoral2l0g lule OF rscousluclon,
have had things their own way 50 long IN re-
gard to politics end labor contracts that 10 tie
rural regions they have become lrtolerant OF
opposition. 1t is cot the Instinct of race but
the law OF self protection which is GTi4IGS all
the better clements Ct the community into
union against them. 1t is cot because they are
black that they are dreaded, but because they
represent actual d!eness and impending anarchy.
Setting aside the coior question altogether, can
anything be uore mo1a;Eous aud absurd than
to find Northcra speakers and writers hound
ing On black laborers into n social war against
the Weather and ,Eo1c intelligent classes at
the South, willie they deeolce every sign ci
unioo AID CO operation among the white labor
ers Of the Ncr.h rs leading directly to agraran
ISM and communisr? Who ere so Loud 10 their
c'amor against the Southern people to-day
IS those who most enthusiastically called for
grape and canister during the social diStur Dances
Cf last year 1T the North 4? Peolls who watch
such men IS Schwab and EesrEey with ajealoGS
anxiety, waiting only tor a single transgressiP
of the lsw to make examples for them snd ID cir
followers are not ashamed to array themselves
against all the elements of oder and go06 gov.
ernneut st the South as allies OF class compared
with which every clement Of our Northern pop.
ulation, blsck or white alike msy be considered
wall equipped for citizenship. IL ever there wss
a case Of playing with fire this is such case. 1t
may no. BIO impossible to kindle the war of the
poor against the rich even in this country, which
our fathers fancicd would be forever exempt
from such trials. Blu: ,he flames of such con-
testlighted at the South will spread inevitably
TO the West and the North. Tho philsnthro-
pists who are moro than suspected OF putting |
the suffrage into the hands Of the freedmen ofthc
South rather es weapon asaiEs. the Southern
whites than ss an instrument Of Southern pres.
tuspcion Of attempting to take the sutfraga out
of the hsndG Of the lsboring whites ofthe Il ORTIZ
Iftherignt to rule States IS claimed for ls negro
aborer d: the South not because he is 8 iaborer
but because he Is negro, il may not be long !
before the right to Eulo States is asserted By tho
white lsboTer st tho North, not because he IS !
white but because he ia laho.e-; and it would |
be hard to shoT tbs. tia second claim is not g !
far sounder claim and far mora compatible with
the interests OF society and Of civilization than
the formerly. 7. World.