New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-03-09
4 rHE sESg ORLEANS nLECTIoN mt

. 4 u
This unnecessary uncalled for and oppressive mea-
sure ii pretty generally denounced By the press and
the press is the only reliable exponent of public opn
ion in Louisiana the United States. In the city,
The press is all but unanimous in its denuncation
and in the country, so far our means of observa-
ton have enabled US to arrive at correct Judgment
the opposition is strong, hearty and unqualified This
lie not to be wondered nt for the bill contains pro-
visions unparalleled in the annals Of American legsa
ton, and wholly at war with every fundamental prn
ciple Of American repnblicanism. s l5
The Hoama (Terrebonne parish) Ceres, of the 7th
inst, has wellconsidered and able article on the
subject from which we propose taking several ex-
| tracts. Says the Ceres. in regard to this bill
Our readers are doubtless aware of its character
and of the almost unanimous reprobation which it
has received from the press of New Orleans. Suffice
it to say, that the act, if it becomes law annhi
lates all guarantees of free suffrage and substitutes
the capricious and armed despotism of one man and
his chosen satellites, and stiles the expression of
popular will. NJ casy E5..{i Eg7-f5
10 whatever excuses the passions of party may
have led IN our metropolis (and God knows that for
years they have been Of the most heinous character
nothing can Justify our legislators in attempting to
ensaye the people of the city. Exceptional legsla-
ton is always odous but when it goes to the extent
Of obstrnetng or endangering the exercise ofconst
tutiona rights, those who are to be affected by it
may well ponder whether the right of revolution has
not accrued to, thems a 5si 4l. IA
There is much in the foregoing paragraphs to
awaken the close consideration Of the most dspas.
sonate minds. 70 such minds we commend the
propositions set forth. , IA
Then the Ceres observes: zs f,3r
The Ceres has always remained a strictly neutral
observer of party politics. and it is therefore with the
greatest reluctance that raise our feeble voice in
Of the legislative iniquy which nothing
yio1
duced This bill, in attempting to remedy the cleo.
tora evils which incidental to all large cities win
fail Of its object for it but change the locaty Of
tne disease and render more viruent. Under our
present system OF government all men are free and
equal and the voters of New Orleans are entitled to
the that principle and protest against
and resist measure which would establish hatef1l
distinction between them and the suffragans Of the
country. -
Our cotemporary is right--strictly right. That
election ages-although magnifed in the Legis-
lature, ten fold beyond the warrant Of truth-haye
taken place here is most true but election outrages
are common to all large Cities and have been so for
the last quarter of century. In this respect New
Orleans is not whit worse than any of her CONNER
cia sisters possessing equal population subject to
hesame Influences The record of this city honestly
and intelligenty compared will show fayorably along
side the records OF New York, Philadelphia, Balti.
more and Cincinnati We will goa far as the farthest
to remedy this nntoward state of things. In COM
mon with all good citizens deplore its existence
but, while deploring, we are constrained to protest
against the adoption of socaled remedial measure
which will inevitably aggravate every evil under
which we are now laboring, without producing a
solitary good result The bill before the Legislature
can have no other effect.
In continuation, our Terrebonne cotemporary re-
marks
We appeal to the representatives Of the people in
the name Of that principle Of free suffrage which has
elevated them to the station they occupy to pause in
their career of retaliatory legislation Better the wild
tyranny OF mob than the despotic oppression Of a
saaried mlnion of the Executive who under the title
OF superintendent Of Elections could be nothing
but the tool of the power that created him. Let the
Legislative majority also remember that political
powerin cities is ever changing hands that popular
opinion is as caprcious the winds; that the party
who now hold undisputed sway in the Crescent City
may forfeit the confidence of the people, and thereby
lose that sway. The measure which they now ADOPT
will then reeoil upon thenl and its oppressive weight
renew the lesson taught by all history that they who
scheme injustice and oppression become the ultimate
victims OF their own Vaccinations.
Very true throughout. Ably and candidly put.
Political power in cities constantly changes hands
and had the representatives of the party holding un
disputed control of the State government at Baton
Rouge concluded to take sensible view of their ad-
both in State and Federal respects and kept
civil tongues in their heads they would only have had
TO wait few months or year so to take posses
sion Of all the Offices that not now in their ha nds
As it is, we think they stand smaller chance than
ever before SO far as this city concerned simply be-
cause their acts and attempted acts have aroused
deep and repressible feeling Of indignation that will
sweep all before 1t at the next election The 'recoil
will surpass all precedent, unless indeed the remain
derof the session is characterized by equity dness
and conciliation, of which we entertain little or no
hope. s3. = 5sgii. i54
81 The conclusion of the article from which we have
quoted extensively, reads as follows: fi1
The fact cannot be disguised that outrages are per.
petrated at the polls Of the city But are those abuses
something new The purity Of the ballot-box in
New Orleans When did it exist? If electoral evils
in that city have OF late grown so enormous as to re-
quife the desperate remedies sought to lie applied,
then abolish the elective franchise establisha straight
out honest despotism but do not, in the name Of
Freedom, proclaim it by a creumlocution and estab.
lsh it through circum6endibus.
There was more rascality, perjury and crime COM
mtted at the election Of November 1858, than have
been committed at any and all the elections since but
as the old Wing party was then injured by such COM
mission, and as the members of that party never
whned or complained, the matter seems to have been
entirely lost sight Of We only mention the fact to
| refresh the general recollection.
H., s.-------- -ir
! CRESCENT jon OFFicE.-We would remind any of
legal mercantile friends any others who may wish any
JOB printing DONE that Messrs & Brisbiu No. 20 Camp
street third story, the their orders to- The
hrst merit of the jobs of these gentlemen their ueauess and
beauty the second merit is the dispatch with which they are
executed and the third merit is the cheapness their prices
The card Of Messrs G. b. another column should