New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-02-22
For the Crssesnt.
Our Political Condition and Prospects.


In continuation of the subject lately preached
in communication published in the Pieayune
of the 18th inst, now beg leave to hand you
for publication, if you think it worthy Of a
place in your paper, the relation of another
conversation which | have since had with the
same old gentleman therein alluded to.
On meeting him, he good natureu observed,
$50, my young friend, you have thought proper
to give publicity to our last conversation
Well, be it so; / can have no earthly objection
that, for want of more impressive one, even
my own feeble voice be heard on matters of such
moment to the best interests of our beloved
country. Had l, however, been appraised of
your intention, / should certainly have gone
deeper into the subject, and, in support of nay
remarks touching the disgraceful proceedings
at our polls, should have cited some such incl
dents as the following A worthy Irishman who
had been appointed as Judge of Election at one
Of our city polls, deprecating the other day the
degraded condition to which the ballot box had
been reduced, related to q friend Of mine the
following incident of the last election which
had come under his immediate observation !:
The polls, said he, had not been opened for
more than an hour, when l espied one of my
poor countrymen, who, apparently had but
just reached this country, coming up to the
stand with a ticket in his hand. Something in
the demeanor of the man created suspicion in
i
he had not already voted. is it votin' you
mane' Be COSTA | believe ye. I've done that
same onst already and name to do it over and
over agin, many q times this blessed day"
The Judge had conscience enough to reject the
proffered vote. but could do no more. Beyond
that act Of jnctce his moral courage tagged ;
and, such is the perfect training of partisan
ship in our politics, he burst not cause the poor
deluded wretch to be arrested.
As illustrative nf the lenpths tn which these
fagitious infraetions of our laws are carried,
shall mention another circumstance which
accidently came to our knowledge, Strolling
in the suburb ut the close of last election day,
came upon a party of dutchmen clustered in
front of q g beer haus'' just as one of them
claimed t'das ish elm fem gontrie; Isch made
dis tay twalf thaIers - How p inquired
another Ivy Isoh foted ocdt times, at one and
an half thaler each time, das make twalf thai
ler."
On the same day, just at the closing of the
polls, one of the understrappers of elections ac-
costed friend of his, and showing him a hand
full of silyer--'there, said he, Z" is what remains
of three hundred dollars, given to me this
morning for eleetioneering purposes-the day
is ours; ail0ns diner, Guec celia nous ferons
IN repaS digne de Lucuifusttt'
Now for $ touch above the vulgar" Not
one hundred miles from New Orleans, delegates
had been appointed for the purpose of nomina-
ting the candidate of the party for the peoples
choice, Out of the three persons who had de-
clared themselves candidates, two were known
to divide pretty equally the goodwill of the
delegates, and both were sanguine as to the re-
suit. To one of these q message was sent on
the eve of the day upon which the delegates
were to meet, apprising him that six of these
delegates were ION the fence" and that three
hundred dollars i'd ut fifty dollars piece would
secure them. He Indignantly spurned the
offer, and-his opponent was nominated !i
So much for our boosted liberty and for the
purity of our elections. Are the much talked
of sc rotten Burroughs of England at all equal
to this disgraceful state of thingsi wonder
how many Of the members of our legislative as
semblies would retain their seats, were we pos
sessed of but 1.-THE of the ''sensitiyeness as
regards corrupt practices in elections, lately
eyinced by the British House Of Parliament:
Depend upon it, my young friend, we are on
the high road to anarchy; and what alarms me
the most, is our supineness in presence of such
imminent peril. When saying this, you, more
than any one else, must know whether there is
anything in or about me that sayors much of
the :" cid croaker.'
After this, our conversation turned to other
topics, such, for instance, as the free oolored
people of Louisiana. His opinions on this sub
ject would s'read q lesson to our every good
have spun his paper to a much greater length,
than would, possibly, have been desirable, they
shall be communicated to you on a future day,
if you say so.
Respectfully, A LoUIsIANIAN.