New Orleans daily crescent., 1857-09-28
- ClNyass N 1nE SECOND DISTRICT.
aLRNpY BURKE AND NILES TAYLOR AT DONALD
- 3sTFI snNvItTE. gsNs

! TnE CANVASS N InE SECOND DISTRICT.
! aIRSpY BUsKE AND MILES FrAYLoR. AT DONALD
soNyILLE.
The noble and fearless candidate of the American
for scat in Congress from the Second District
IGlen1y Burke, Esq, met his Democratic opponent
Hon. Miles Taylor, at Donaldsonvillc, on Saturday
10TH and spirited political discussion took place
Il A challenge to the discussion had been thrown out
BY Mr.. Taylor, and # was promptly accepted by Mr.
Burke and the gathering on the occasion included
members Of both parties, the Democrats, however
i predominating The meeting took place in the prin
cipal hall Of the town, and the programme Of speak
ing, as arranged by the committee, was, that Mr.
Burke should open and speak an hour, when Mr.
Taylor would have an hour to reply, and Mr.. Burke
thirty minutes to rejon. For any thing like full
exposition Of the subjects Mr. B. introduced, the time
to which he was limited was entirely inadequate.
He was compelled to hurry over many strong points,
and thus lose much of their real weight in his
ments But he spoke with spirit and earnestness,
and the indomitable energy of his mind was con-
spicuous. He received from the large audience,
which included goodly number of. ladies, both
patient attention and much applause. As general
thing, throughout our brief report, we give only
synopsis of his remarks
Mr. Burke opened by gracefully, and in very hand
some language, introducing himself as the nominee
Of the American party for place in Congress- from
the Second District He was bound to acknowledge
that his party had within year past, sustained a
terrible defeat, but the principles which its organ
izaton was based had suffered damage in the great
and disastrous contest, and would retain all their
purity and value if but one man remained true to
hod hair in
struggle which resulted in making us nation, they
were nurtured in the cradle of liberty, and there
Ia Spartan band still left even after the overthrow of
last fall, which would sooner later carry them into
the administration Of the Federal Government, and
make them the permanent corner stone of national
prosperity. The American party would do for Louis
lana what they would do for the nation, and he Mr.
b. indulged the confident hope that the principles
Of the party would prevail in State manage
4 ment. The grand moving principle of the American
party was reform of old and long endured abuses,
and, Of the crying necessity for reform in State
i nagement, there was mass Of evidence mountain
high.
{. Mr.. Burke would ask his audience to make hasty
review Of the history Of state affairs during the last
twelve years Of Democratic rule-to glance at the
numerous egregous errors and still greater number
j
would show that the Constitution had been repeatedly
trampled in the dust, the public lands lawlessly
squandered, the public schools neglected and the
treasury bankrupted. The object of the American
party, and its determination, was to drive these
Goths and Vandas from the places of power they
have so unworthily filled and institute an order of
things wherein the peoples consttutionally guaran
teed rights will be invioate, and the vast resources
f1oC Cfnfa Jo ia
high fortunes, instead Of passing into the hands
| of greedy and interruptions politicians.
Thirteen millions of acres of land had been donated
by Congress to the State of Louisiana, and how
rapidly was it wasting away from the possession of
the State and passing (most Of t into the hands of
spectators, while the legitimate and expressed objects
for which these lands donated, are almost en-
tirely lost sight Of Mr.. Burke proceeded with facts
and figures to show the condition Of the Treasury at
the time the last Legislature adjourned, and told some
cutting truths of the financial juggling which has
gone on for many years. introducing the little cir
| cumstance that the Governor was authorized to
borrow 100000, which sum was generally under
stood to come from a fund on deposit, that by the
constitution was made sacred and inviolate under all
circumstances for express purposes named in the
constitution. Mr.. B. also alluded to the last annual
report of the Treasurer wherein the amount of money
on hand belonging to the school fund.- is put down at
two hundred and eighty and some odd dollars; not
much more than enough, said the speaker, to buy
Wicklite mule for equestrian exercises along the
banks of Salt river Mr. B. gave a telling history of
school fund and the gross mannern in which it had
been turned from its true channel, and by various
processes well known and constantly practised by
venal politicians. squandered.
He said the School Fund by legitimate increase, as
contemplated by the constitution should amount
now to the round sum of $70O,OOO By the system
of juggling SO common in practice, portion of the
School Fund was to be restored but in this operation
as in nearly all others under Democratic rule the
State would be the sufferer. He (Mr. Burke) was a
good New Orleans man, but he was a better Louisi-
ana man, and he was opposed to having the State
give her bonds to replace fund which had been sa-
crilgiously distracted. After dwelling few mo-
ments upon the great importance of the public
schools of the State, and the shameful manner in
which they had been neglected, Mr.. Burke held up
the schools of New Orleans as bright example of
the benefits of the system when properly nurtured
and he then in eloquent language contrasted the con-
dition of State affairs under Democratic with the
condition of New Orleans affairs under American
rule. He said the State tax had increased fully one
hundred per cent within the last year, while the
taxes in New Orleans had been reduced since the
American party came into power, from one dollar
upon the hundred dollars to thirty cents upon the
hundred dollars The American party found the
City Treasury bankrupt, the employees being unable
to obtain anything but warrants they were obliged to
sell at heavy sacrifice, and $546000 of which had
been issued. These warrants had all been redeemed
$29O,000 of city debt, and $4,000 in judgments
paid and, said Mr.. Burke, with enthusiasm look
at us now.'
We have better streets, a better police, and more
money in the Treasury than New Orleans has ever
had on many occasions before. The most rigid econ
omy and the strict accountability of officials were the
secrets of these happy changes in the affairs of the
city and this system of reform and retrenchment was
what the American party proposed to carry, and in
all probability would carry into the management of
State affairs, after November next. Reform was the
watchword and rallying cry of the party and they
would relax no effort until they succeededin planting
that principle in the government of the State.
Mr.. Burke then proceeded to hasty glance at
national politics, touching upon the Slavery question
and in language that might well have caused Demo
Gratis within hearing to wrthe, pictured the penitent
condition of the South, since her betrayal by those
whom she almost entirely alone, elevated to high
positions. Mr.. B. spoke warmly and strongly of the
acts of Buchanan and Walker, and of the great i'm