Year: 1876

OlVsiuB With SVmPun nVn VI AcbVIl


10 the Kobold.


1t is hardly necessary to tell th'
people OF Louisiana who the Hon. W
Jasper Blackburn is. To the outel
world he is introduced rs the Republi
can Representative In the State Senate
of the Twentieth Senatorial District
where for many years he has edited.tht
Homer Iliad, fiery Radical sheet
which at times has evinced much power
on the part Of its editor and proprietor
The Hon. w. Blasper Jackburn, as he
is sometimes called, having given un-
mistakable signs OF disapprobatlon at
the composition OF the Radical State
ticket, was sought last night and inter-
viewed by DEMOCRAT reporter. The
interview being long one, the intro
duction is made short. This Is what
occurred


Ouestion-Mr. Blackburn, will you tell
us something Of your history, and how II
il that from being an ardent Democrat
you became rank Radical?


Answer-I am native OF Arkansas,
and since 1843 a citizen OK Louis
lana. where have followed the profes-
sion of a journalist / will be fifty
six years old on the oath inst. i
was q Democratic editor up to the break
ing out OF the war. / supported Doug
las. / was opposed to secession for two
leading reasons: love for my whole
country rather than for section, and l
In the next place, / instinctively
hated slavery and believed secession
was gotten up to perpetuate 1t. did
not believe in the forcible abolition OF
slavery as Northern men did, and was
willing to let 1t have its run in the South
as It had In the North. l opposed
secession the more because l knew II
the South lost the result would be the
forcible freeing OF the negro something
/ dreaded, because l thought it would
bring bad condition of affairs among
both races, especially the colored,. re-,
embering what Mr.. Jefferson had
by force the power that freed them
would seek to place them on an equality
with the whites, and 1t would result in a
war of races and the extinction OF the
colored race. When the war closed,
seeing the negro freed and left
perfectly helpless, with no seem
ing protection except the arms which
had freed him, | naturally became
Republican, looking on that party as
the only national party Of the country,
and the only political power in the land
which could adjust civil rule in all the
States upon just and equitable basis,
and perhaps save the helpless and de-
fenceless colored element from that
oppression and determination which
had been predicted.


Q.-What do you think OF Republican
rule in Louisiana in protecting the
negro and securing their common rights
OF citizenship, from the point Of view
which made you enter the lists in his
favor?


Al think very poorly Of it, indeed,
and am free to confess that 1t has not
come up to my expectations by any
means. The reason Of this is found
mainly in the bad personal material
which has led In our governmental
affairs. It has so happened from causes
which would be too long to enumerate,
that very irresponsible white men have
manipulated and controlled the colored
element so as to keep themselves in
power, and have used their power more
to enrich themselves and plunder the
people than for the common veal. A
class known as carpet -baggers have
been kept in power here by the colored
vote, and have been fostered and pro-
tected In both State and national official
positions by the administration OF Presi-
dent Grant: who, In the main, seemed to
have no sense OF propriety or justice to-
wards members of their own party,
much less for the common respecta-
bility and welfare Of the State. And
with this class Of white men, hav
ing no common interest in the pros
perity OF the State, few 80
called leading colored men have Joined
in and partaken of the disreputable
plunder-colored men, many Of whom,
like their white allies, were unknown to
our people before the war, and who have
no common sympathy with the masses
Of their race, and have no purpose in
view In obtaining political and official
power and place but to enrich and glo-
rify themselves.


Q.-What do you think of the i'm
pending contest?


Al think it somewhat mixed the
chances decidedly in favor OF the Dem
ocratic or native white element Of the
State; and am not sure that such re-
suit would not be best. l am inclined
still to hold to the belief that it would
be best for the country, from a national
point of view, that the Republican
party for at least one more presidential
term, should win. In this, however, /
may be mistaken, but could give many
reasons why 1 think l am right. My
opinion Is, regarding the pending ma
tional contest, that it will be strictly
sectional, and that Mr.. Hayes will carry
almost every Northern State. while Mr.
Tilden will likely carry every Southern
State but let the national contest result
as 1t may, think the country will have
more quiet and prosperity in the next
four years than in the last eight years Of
turmoil and strife.


Q.-I wish to know particularly your
opinion OF the Republican State ticket
and the result Of the election In Louis
lana, whichever way it may result?


A.-Well, / must admit that the Re-
publican State ticket Of Louisiana, as it
Is composed at present, is bad. The
Republican balance Of power rests en-
tirely in the Fourth and Fifth Congress
sional Districts, comprising the regions
OF the upper Red River and Ouachita,
and the hill country between the two
rivers. The native white Republicans