Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1853-10-08
aAvailabilitv.S


We despise that word araiiabIiiu. Howey-
er much in any former period of our editorial
existence we may have abandoned the duties
we w to the public and the high and emo
bling calling of our profession, in being the
instrument in assisting to elevate merely arail-
able candidates, wo trust no occasion will ever
again arise when VIC may think ourself forced
into such an extremity. There is something
revolving in the very thought that, through the
detrimental policy of "avaiIabiIity," we support
men for Office who are unworthy of the dis
t]inctions conferred upon them.
1--WE ~reiterate our detesfation of the word
which is the caption of this article. We wish
that the whole rank and file of the Wing party
would consentto have notbing more to do with
it; and not only tie Wing party, but we wish
that the Democratic party would do so like
WISE The welfare of the people and the puri-
ty of Inc Government demand it. If so de-
stable an object could be accomplished, we
then might have some hopes of securing mem.
bers of our State and National Legislatures
who would be an honor to their constituents
and to theiv country.
There is no man certainly in this State, who
has paid any attention whatever to the subject,
who will not acknowledge that with both par
ties, of late years, Availability" has been their
motto and their cry, and towards which all
their genius and efforts have been directed
And what has been the consequence? We
will not particularize names to prove the deg
radiation and wrong which a course like this
has inflicted upon the State. But look to our
Legislatures for years past, our.ffths of the
members Of which were nominated and elected
through availability. Has any State III this
Union been worse represented! Have the
laws and proceedings of any legislative body
in this country shown less ability and ~talentq
Has any one who has been present during the
sittings of Legislatures in other States, ever
witnessed a more reckless disregard of duty
(and our last session we cite as an exanple)
than that which has been evidenced in our (e-
neral Assemblies for years land all through
q blind and wiIful adherence to arailaJuiu!-
without inquiring or caring whether they had
my virtues, a particle of talent, or a single
qualification, that recommended them to q post
of so much honor and responsibility. Is this
the true course of our Republican government
to secure the permanency Of its institutions,
and that they shall descend undefled to the
latest generation? What should be the re.
ward of high integrity and lofty talents? Is
that they shall be passed by unDoticed and even
trampled upon, that some more "available'
Notwithstanding through the most des-
picable of reasons-may be crowned with dis
tinguished political preference, regardless of
moral character and Intellectual worth.
Let that word Availability" be done away
with. Let this be the strsight- forward deter
mination of our party, and our defeats, if they
come, will be far more glorious than victories,
if they have to be purchased at the expense of
every principle dear to a true. hearted and pa.
triotic citizen.
And what are the qualifications, the talents
supreme, the matchIess abilities, which consti>
tute the availability of the present day? We
may form some idea from remarks which we
frequently hear, such as-"I don't like him
he don't mingle enough with rag, tag and bob.
tail,'" the scurf Of cr~eation-"he don't p!ay
the demagogue enough"-"don't scatter his
money liberal enough among the grog shops
--"he don't play the fiddle, turn around and
jump Jim Crow and make a fool of himself
generally, and we might add, "don't know
how to lie to perfection" These latter, how
ever, are thoughts rather than remarks, and are
some of the objections nowadays to many of
our best and most intelligent citizens, should
they happen to be mentioned in connection
with a political Office. However brilliant their
intellect and worthy their past life, such quail.
tiles must pale before the degraded ones allu
ded to above.
But we trust, that for the sake of our coun-
try and the permanence of its blessed institu~
tons, that the present era of political degene.
racy will not exist much longer--but that good
and able men Of all grades of life, will grow
up so rapidly in the lard as to be the means,
by the mere force of numbers, to erase from
the political vocabulary, that heinous word
'arailabihfy."
Our Relations wM Merico.--The Wash
ington Sentinel remarks: "From our geogra-