The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1857-04-11
TIE X. N. ADDRESS,

iu order 10 punish the American party. Such Il the
devonring appetite to crush out our party there !;
such Is their ravcing propensity to ced upon the
slaughtered victims of their rage and malice and
they have passed a law which would disgrace the
reign OF an absolute dcspot and which it is mpossi
bic that American frcemcn can submit to-"
address Of Me american members Of the Legislature 10 tie
people Of Tie State Of Louisiana.
Now the law to which these wise men of the American
party refer, in this passage was never passed There
is no such law. These gentlemen were shooting in
the dark. They were aiming their blows ut what
they took for granted would become n law, but
which never did. So their fat is all in the fire.
They went off half cooked They were so eager for
the prey that they could not wait for the animal to
die. They were anxious for the Democrats to
pass the law, to which they referred that they act
ally took 1t for granted that 1t passed, ana so
spoke of it in their address.
These wise men of the X. n. party, profess to be-
lievc that every measure passed, attempted to be
passed by the Democratic party of the last and pre-
cccding Legislature was particularly aimed as pun,
ishment to the American party. This forciply re-
minds us of the story of the man who had stolen his
ncighbors axe and the mode of detection instituted
by the Rev. Lorenzo Dow. Having announced to
his congregation, the fact that such one had lost
his axe and that the was present who had taken
it, and that II was his intention 10 hurl large
stone which he held in his hand at the head Of the
offender and made on attempt MS II to do so, when
nc saw one man In the crowd dodge This was evil
dcncc to him that he was the guilty man. and 80 pro-
claimed which proved to be true by the confession
OF the man and the restoration of the axe to the
owner Now why do these American gentlemen
dodge every time the Democrats attempt to pass laws
to promote the public good and to protect the cit
zen In his rights, It they did not feel that they were
something in alike predicament of the man who had
stolen the axe. Their course of conduct amounts to
confession of guilt but they hold on to their sto
len property. They know full well that the people
of New Orleans have been dcfrauded of their right,
by the lawless portion of their party there and
that 1t has enurcd to the benefit, in every instance
of the American party. These advantages they do
not like to give up. Hence the struggle to hold on.
II would seem that It never once occurred 10 these
wise men of the X. n. party, that the members of
the Democratic party could be actuatcd by any other
than party motive in all that they did during the
two sessions of the last Legislature Such thing
as lcgisatng for the public veal. they profess to
believe was entirely out of the question Now there
is an old saying, and generally very true one
"That you measure my corn by your bushcl" These
Senators and Representative Of the X. N. party of
the last Legislature have measured the conduct and
action Of the Democrats by their own, and hence
their conclusions. They had no higher motive in
what they did. than the promotion of party ends,
and consequently presumed, that the Democrats were
like themselves. This is fair and legitimate con-
clnsion from their own premises, and mode of reas-
oning.
If there had been no violations of laws in New Or
leans; If the people there had not been thnggecd
assasslnatcd and otherwise deprived of their rights
II no great and crying evils did not exist there nm
remldicd then they might indeed say the Democrats
had lcgislatcd only for party purposes and to pro-
mote their party ends But these things are
known to all who are not hopelcssly ignorant these
wise Senators and Representative Of the X. " party.
can with fairness, ascribc such motive to the
Democrats of the last Legislature. Having done so
however, the charge carries with il an admission
that condemns themselves They charge the Demo
Gratis with Lcglslatng to put themselves in power in
New Orleans and thereby implicitly confess that they
were actuatcd by party motives themselves, and OPP
posed the election law, which they were pleased to
term the army bill on party grounds alone. They
may pretend otherwise. but the thing is too plain,
not to be seen. Instead of being opposed to this
measure or in favor of it because it was right or
wrong, just or unjust, constitutional or unconstn
ional, expedient or improper, they virtually confess
hat they opposed 1t because ii was measure gotten
Up by the Democrats to put down the American par
y in New Orleans. These gentlemen do themselves
10 credit by making such an implied admission.
These X. N. gentlemen knew full we'll that the
of passing some law to correct the
wills that existed in New Orleans rested upon the
Democratic party of that body as they had MAORI
y in both Houses. No law proposed by the Demo
rats, however free from objections, would have re-
eived the support of these gentlemen because their
ny hope of getting into power in the State of Lon
siana is by the omissions of duty the part of the
Democrats, and the commissions of error in their ]
administration of the government. They know that !
heir own peculiar principles have been most signal
y condemned more than once by the people of thi
tate and by every southern State except Maryland
hey must be convinced that their peculiar prnci-
lies are wrong by this time. Neither oaths obliga Q
ions or secret promises could bind the freemen of
his State or nation to support organization whose
vowed object was to prescibe felow-citzen on i
ccount of his religion or his place of birth. These O
ncn know that this thing is odious in the sight of
he American people, and becoming more so every