Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-05-31
The Apathy of the American Party.

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Next Monday is the time fixed by a Legs
lative Convention for a Convention of Dele>
gates from the several Electoral Districts of
the State, for the purpose of nominating Elec~
tors for President and Vice President, pledged
to the support of FILLMORE and DoNELsoN.-
The Convention will be held in Baton Rouge.
From what We can Judge from the news
papers throughout the State, there will be
but a thin meeting. We are sorry for this,
but it cannot be helped. We doubt very much
that there will be any State organization
whatever, worthy of the name; and no efforts
made to accomplish, in this State, what may
be termed a practical impossibility. In this
parish it is quite evident that no exertions
whatever will be made by those who are OPP
posed to the Anti-Amerieans, but let every
thing of a political character go by default
Many of them here are retiring altogether
from the political arena, and appear to be per-
fectly Indifferent to a result which they seem
to think is inevitable.
This evident i~nertness on the part of the
American party of this parish and the State, is
in a measure excusabIe. When it is remem-
bered that in this State there were twelve
thousand out of forty-lhree thousand votes, at
the last election, which were placed in the bal
Iotoboxes by foreigners, who stand together
as a unit against the American party, connect
ed with the fact that the naturalization of vo.
ters are now going on at an unprecedented
rate in the Courts of the State, what hope can
that party have of success? In the election
last fall, WICKLIFFE received twelve thousand
votes of native American citizens against TWEEN.
ty thousand that DERBIGNY received; yet. the
former was elected, in consequence of the aid
of thirteen thousand votes which his foreign
ally gave hin. This presents humiliating
state of affairs, and is enough to sicken every
American heart in the State. whose political
sympathies are the result of education and an
honest conviction.
We, therefore, can see but little necessity
Gf nc organization is effected or interest felt
in the Presidential election in this s~ection) of
keeping up a regular political fire.
We shalt live in hope, however, that the no<
mination at Cincinnati will tend to brighten
American prospects in this State, and infuse
something like energy and action in the breasts
of all who are pledged by every sacred tie to
sustain the principles of that party, We are
not one of those to make a "huIabaloo" about
certain victory" and all that, when observa-
ton and experience teach Us the reverse. Mo-
thing can be more hurtfuI TO a political party
than to boast of an easy triumph, when such
orators or editors are assured that the reverse
is manifest. The American party should
know at once the obstacles which obstruct its
onward march and if it has the spirit that
should animate a great party, conscious of its
patriotism and its purity, it will exert itself
with the greater vigor to crush out of its
way such impediments. Whatever the suPe~
riority of the enemy, the motto of DAvY
CROCKETT should never be forgotten:
"Be sure you're right, then go aheadw