Year: 1873

The REPUBLICAN, can truthfully main


tain that the rich property-holders. tax


payers, ETC.. who have banded together


since the war for the purpose Of resisting


the measures Of the federal government
for the reconstruction OF the South and


the collection Of taxes in this State. are


the men who are really responsible for all
| the troubles tnat have accumulated here


since the frs: election Of Abraham .-in-


coin to the presidency. Their influence


drove the State into rebellion against the
voice Of the majority Of its people. and
finally oppressed and reduced that ma


jority to extreme poverty and distress.
This was the condition in which General
Butler found the white mechanics and


workingmen Of this city when he entered


and placed it again under the ample folds


Of the American flag. This was in the
second year Of the war. New Orleans


was then supposed to have population Of


one hundred and fifty thousand. two-thirds


of which had starvation staring them in


the face. Among these were the helpless


families Of men who had been forced or


gone voluntarily into the Confederate ar


mics. There was barely sufficient provi-


sions in the city to last thirty days. and


these were held at prices that placed them


beyond the reach of all but the rich.
The price Of flour was sixty dollars per


barrel. and it was difficult to obtain it at
that. holders asking even more, and, to add
to the bad prospects of the poor. corn mea!
and meat We're sold at correspondingly
high prices. and there was no work to be
had. To this sad condition had the con.
duct Of the rich property holders and tax
payers reduced the majority Of the people
OF this State and city in the short space of
year: and they were all white. for the
blacks had not yet been made free, and
were provided for by the rich men. who.
by usurpation. had constituted themselves
the ruling class. The colored man was
then regarded by the ruling class as chat.
tel and pronounced to have no rights that |
white man was bound to respect. This.
of course. meant rs freeman. Bu, he |
then possessed the right to food which |
his rich master would deny to the poor
whites who had been made poor by the
rich mans war to perpetuate and extend
slavery. In order to remind the people |
Of this country Of the condition in which
General Butle. found this city when he
took possession of it. we make the follow
ing extract from work published on the
subject:


The city taxes we're million dollars in I
arrears, and the city government, it was~J
,oon discovered, was expending its energies
and Its ingenuity upon business more con-
genial than that OF providing for the poor
namely, that of frustrating and exaspe-
'atlng the commander OF the Union army. |
n word, fifty thousand human beings in |
New Orleans saw before them a prospect,
lot OF want. not of a long struggle with |
but of starvation: and that i'm
morrow or the next day-and
Butler, welding the power and 6
esources OF the United States. alone could .
ave them.
To thisNtas ne addressed himself: it nee :
ssarily had the precedence of all other ,
TOrk during the first few d ays. If we con-
ne ourselves to this topic for short time. | r
D as to show in one view all that General | q
utler did for the poor of New Orleans, the
eader will please bear in mind that the +
general was By DO means able |