Year: 1877

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Is IT EMOTIONAL Oh ILLoeIoAL7 -


Some newspaper correspondent vexed,
perhaps, with some failure of the admin
islration to fulfill his telegraphic predic-
tons, has applied to its policy the epithet
emotional" To this we have no objec-
ton. If the acts of power are inspired by
brave and kindly appreciation of human
acts and personal character, We have no
fear from a motive which has entered,
alas, too little into the practice of parties.
We should have fear of the administra-
ton, however, if any one could properly
apply to its conduct the term Illogical
Our reason is this: The election of our
regular Republican State ticket was, in
our opinion, formal and final 1t was
left by the Republican administration to
military capture by its opponents.


The justification of this abandonment
was that the personnel of the Republican
officials was unsatisfactory to the people
of the State. Not to put toe fine point
upon it the reason assigned by the admin
istration, its friends and its immediate or
gans for non-intervention in the support
of Republican government in South Car
olina and Louisiana was the necessity of
closing out the carpet-baggers. 1t was
the policy of scalding the cat to kill the
heas. Well, what was the programme
o0nouoaad ~, haholc of A. o5ro;,;o4,o
ton? To restrict appointments to men
who had lived in or emigrated to the South
before the war. The Republicans of the
South accept this policy. They are dis
posed to clean the roots of the ulcer, and
let the political ofense heal by granula-
ton of sound material. They are willing
to take the best men, and will accept
no other, to organize and direct the
party. They wish the State Central Com
mittee, and all its parish affiliations, to
compare and compete with any others in
capacity and character. Is this the reform
desired by the administration We have
now to express the hope that the Admin
istration will pursue the logic of its doc
trine, and appoint none to principal or
subordinate Office except such men as we
have described. But 1t will be said that
there may be Republicans who aided the
administration in carrying out its policy
by discouraging the Republican Legisla-
ture and tempting or terrifying its weaker
members into the recognition of Gov
ernor Nichols.


We admit that such Republicans are
about as much entitled to reward as was
Judas; but shall this reward be paid them
at the further expense of Republican Lou
isiana1 Shall the alleged evil which in
duced the administration to break down
the Republican State government be
recognized and reinstated? Such would
alike be an illogical, almost a suspicious,
departure from professed principles.
What, then, should be done by the ad-
ministration for these its agents2 Pay
them, certainly, if there be any claim on
the government; but do not pay out the
patronage legitimately due TO .the recon
struction Of the party on the basis pre-
scribed by the administration. We wish
an account stated showing the proportion
OF. Federal patronage to which the Repub
| icans of Louisiana are entitled. We
should protest against employing this
patronage to reward any who are not
legitimately chargeable on it. If
there be Republicans not in the
line of reorganization prescribed by the
administration, in the disavowal of the
Packard government, let such be pro-
vided for by the government elsewhere
than in Louisiana. To such applicants a
salary in one place will be the same as
in another. Certainly a salary ia any
place viii be more acceptable than no
salary at all. Wesa then, give to Louisi-
ana Louisianians, and assign such others
as we have indicated to the postofioes or
customhouses of Boston, Chicago, San
Francisco, or elsewhere. The burden Of
supporting such Republicans as the Pres
ident has disapproved has fallen too
much and too long upon Louisiana. It
should be divided among and borne by
the national Republicans. If the admin
istration meant Carolina for Carolinians
and Louisiana for Louisianians, then it
may be emotional" to appoint aliens in
interest for their services to the admins
tration, but such policy would undoubt-
edly be illogical.


A SINGULAR AND SIGNIFICANT DooU-


MENT.