Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1843-11-25
For the Gazette.
LoCOFoCOISM, ANCIENT AND Nc
DEnN.

LOCOFOCOISM, ANCIENT AND MO.
DERN.
Mr., EnIToR.--If you have a spare space il
your columns | should take il as favor the in,
%sertion Of the following historical facts, ant
the comparison and comments which present
themselves 10 my mind. In the fourteenth
century during the minority of Richard III
Litlgard says that there was a deep and ex-
~tensive %fernlent among The people, and that
by union they sat at defiance the severity oil
the law. These are bis words. TO this re.
s~istance they were encouraged by the diffusion
Of The doctrines of WiekliHe that the right oil
property was founded in grace, and that no
man; who was by sin a traitor to his God,
could be entitled to the services of others. AT
the same time an ~itinerant preacher sedulots.
ly inculcated The natural equality of mankind,
and the tyranny of artificial distinctions, and
the poorer classes still smarting under the
exaetions of the latter reign Chat of Edward
lIl) wore by the imposition of The new tax,
wound up to a pitch of madness thus the
the materials bad been prepared. 1t requir-
ed but a spark to set the whole country in a
blaze. Another fact, John Ball a seditious and
heterodox preacher placed himself at The
head Of one hundred thousand insurgents and
harangued them at Blackheafh in a discourse
which had for text. fss =sa .ssHs
When Adam delved and Eve span.
Who was thenthe gentleman.
And IN which he declared the above doc
trlnes. and recommended the murder Of the
archbishop, the earls and count, the Judges
lawyers and quest-mongers.
This hearers made him, in spite of his own
doctrines archbishop ofcanlerburv and chan
ceilcr of the realm.
The moral ! would deduce from these facts
is simple-knowlng that there is at present
amongst us a sci of men (Locofocos) and
who support Che religious party excepted,)
the doctrines Of the fourteenth century rebels.
| think that the public ought to be made
aware OF the pernicious and pestilent charac-
ter OF their designs. and, by learning from his
tory and experience the sad and horrible eff
fects proceeding from such mad opinions,
render these impotent for evil, it is useless
for US to close our ears and eyes upon the truth
A strong. growing, and dangerous faction is
being formed in this country, which, if not
checked by law and energy will renew tho
dreadful scenes of the minority of the weak
and unfortunate King Richard. Their object
appears to be TO draw down to their w level
" ndt0NO u dppfS titIlf ~ EeHuef what IS set
tied, unstable and huctuating, and under the
speclous guise OF love of country and natural
rights to unite power and riches in their own
hands, and then, like the Blackheath insur-
gents, make some foul and bloody demagogue
the archbishop of their orgies. God grant
that IN these ominous and distressing times
those whe have the power and the influence
may prove true to thei r trust, and that the
voice off PRESIDENT and patriotic press may be
heard throughout the land. Exposing the mon-
ster of anarchy and INSTRUMENTATION in all its
naked d%eforni'y and crushing the corrupted
and designing leaders of the party by the
tones of truth and sound sense.