The Opelousas courier., 1857-07-25
NO. 81.

the fact of its organization exists. and we
cannot do better than turn our attention to
the party as we find it here. It has been the
boast of our Republican Government, that
whilst in the old world public order is main
tanned by the force of standing armies, here
the Constables staff in the hands of the citizen
is alone sufficient to meet the highest exigen-
cIes of the State; that whilst there every
change IN government, every inauguration of
new policy, is forced upon the people by the
bayonet, here the organic form of government
are modified and every grand question finds
Its solution in the free exercise of suffrage at
the ballot box. It may not be questioned that
In o Government such as ours the ballot box
is the palladium of our liberties. To main.
tain it in its purity is the highest duty of the
citlzen-to destroy that purity is the highest
crime of the traitor. What then shall we saw
OF party which systemically seizes upon the
ballot box, and like the vilest gamester who
packs the cards to cheat his too coDfding ad-
yersary, audaciously uses it to perpetrate o
fraud upon the country? What shall We say
of that party which, to carry its ends, sets all
law at defiance, surrounds the polls with bands
OF armed mercenaries, and with the weapons
OF the assassin, drives the peaceful and unof-
tending citizen from the exercise of suffrage
guaranteed him by the Constitution The
predominance of such party cannot but be
subversite of all law, order and good govern
ment. That the Native American Party of
the South are responsible for this state of
things, the past history Of that party will bear
US out in affirming. Louisville, Baltimore
and New Orleans, and later still, the abortive
effort made in the city of Washington to con.
troll the polls by ARMED bullies imported from
neighboring city, shows at whose door the
blame lies. In each of these cities the blood
of the citizen was shed, exercising the dearest
right Of the freeman. In New Orleans city
OF 10000 inhabitants, as in Paris in the
darkest days ofthe reign of terror" small
band of organized assassins hold in their
hands the liberties of the people. They have
made the exercise Of the right Of suffrage a
mockery and reproach, driving from the
polls with felon hands such men as Thos.
Slidell late your Chief Justice, and your late
Attorney General W. W. Elmore, and dis
franchising citizens by thousands.
In the country parishes we have less knoll
edge of the fruits of Native Amerieanism, for
the calm and regular pursuits of the people,
the knowledge which each has of the other,
the habit of independent individual action
confirmed by agricultural pursuits; and we
may add, the higher moral character of those
who control the operations of the party, pre-
sent such results as we witness in the large
cities Yet, it has its fruits antagenistical to
good government, for it is Guided by no prin-
ciple other than greedy lust for power. In
this Parish what do we see A party whose
motto is "rule OF ruin.' and whose actions
are faithful to its motto. To attain the con-.
troll of Parochial affairs it has disfranchlsed
Ward after Ward opposed to its sway !; and
The control once attained ID has used it in
wasteful and extravagant expenditure Of the.
public monies increasing the burthen ftaxa-
lion from $4,000 to more than $26, 900 per
annum. Now reduced by the action of the
people to an Insignificant minority, it can
only hope for success by the divisions in our
own ranks. Fortunately its efforts thus far
nave been unsuccessful and we are led TO hope
hat their objects, new fully known, will ever
oe defeated.
The Democratic Party has outlived all the
great National parties raised against it's pro-
yress. 1t has carried the country triumph
antly through two wars. It has extended our
Territories to the shores of the Pacific. It
has subdued the wilderness, and made every
land and every ocean tributary to our coun-
try's greatness. For more than half GEN.
fury, with but three brief intervals, it has
controlled the destinies of the Republic, i'm.
pressing its peculiar principles on every act Of
The government, like the stamp on the coin of
the Union. Prominently party of princi-
pies, the Democratic Party relies upon its
principles for its aseendaney It makes no
appeal to the prejudice Of caste, the prejudice
Of birth place. Or the prejudice of religion. It
would hold up the man who would pander to
such preJudices as its worst enemy. It re-
cognizes as one of the cardinal maxims that
all men are Of right free and equal" Il die.
tinctly afirms, that he is the best man who
serves his country best, be ne Catholic or
Protestant Native or Naturalized. Confident
in its reetitude, confident IN the position it
before the country, and confident in
its hopes fer the future, the Democratic Party
is founded on eternal Truth, and it invokes
your aid and support It calls upon the peo-
pie of this District, and upon the people Of
this Parish to rally around its standard. 1t
calls upon them by the right and moral force
of their opinion to rebuke the blood stained
faction which controls our Commercial Me.
tropolis. Andit calls upon them to vindicate
the law against the lawlessness Of mob violence
at home and uphold the Constitution against
the vandalism Of Northern aggression abroad:
J. BACHMAN LEE,
JNO. G.. PRATT,
JOEL Ell. SANDOZ.