Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-08-01
Correspondence OF the sentinel.
GRAND RIVER, July &c, 1885,

Editor Of the Sentinel:
DEAR SIR perceive by your paper and
other sources, what appears to be something
of a desire to prescribe you in certain quarters
because of the independent and honorabIep-
sition which you have assumed, and whidT
consider you are perfectly justified in dons
even from facts of a party character that Ian
cOgniZant of, and others that have come to nv
knowledge, to say nothing of the Legitimate
right which you have in declining to purue
where there has never been, | may say, evn
a respectable organization (f there has ben
any organization at alp Of the party you a.
hered to, and which you advocated in a max
ner as to deserve the respect and lasting graf.
tude Of its friends.
The misfortune is, there has never been an
head 10 the American party in this parish-and
a body without a head is likely 10 run hsel.
into numerous difficulties, which tend to shat
Ter and dismember it. A party cannot be said
to be organized unless it has such a head; in
other words, unless it has its actual active and
influential supporters-kading men for ward
organizations, and lending men for a parish orr
ganizaiion. Such head a party must have, or
it is no party.
With perhaps the exception of my ward and
one or two others, the American party Of this
parish has never shown anything like an or
ganization, or had its active, influential sup
porters and "material aid't contributors, and
this was mainly the cause of its failure here :
but it is quite doubtful, in the face of The ex~
traordinary exertions and admitted talents of
leading, influential men, and the great liberali-
ty of the Democrats as party, that the Anne.
riean party ever could have reached a com>
handing position in this parish under the most
advantageous circumstances.
am a warm and ardent friend of American
principles, but only an humble supporter. In
stead Of opposing you noac, | conceive that you
deserve much credit for the manner in which
you advocated the party heretofore, a0hen ne
did not KNOB whGt aoe noW kno,U, and that if you
now chose TO leave a partizan position, which
is useless, it is far from sufficient to induce the
to quit you on that account. | can easily con-
ceive you friendly to principles which as an
editor it would be impolitic for gou TO advocate
in q rabid partizans manner; and | trust and
believe that your present course viii not only
ensure for you the continued support Of your
old friends, but the support Of every good and
conservative man in the parish, whatever his
political bias. A coed parish paper is the main
thing, and you have proved yours to be worthy
Of that name. You may be g%ratified to learn
that the Sentinel is the paper in my neighbor-
hood.
have no new to tell you with regard to
the crops, our main staple Of production here,
getting 0u timber, is about as fourishing as
usual at this season of the year-muSguitoes
the only drawback or impeachment to a suc~
eessful season. Corn we have in abundance;
but it is worth its value TO watch our fields and
drive the crows away. They fly into the fields
by hundreds, each alighting upon an ear ofeorn,
while two or three Of the gang, perched upon
the tops. of high trees, act as faithful s%entinels
for when you are creeping up to get a shot at
the depredators, "caw! cawr' You suddenly
hear from The tree tops, and away fly the gang
TO settle down in some other quarter of the
field. An acquaintance of mine has lost fifty
barrels Of corn by the depredations of these
Southern black republicans.
Yours, with best wishes,
CASIDOR.