The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1859-10-26
CHARGES AND FALSE
ISSUES.

review of the political life Of the Hon.
John Slidell. It's evidently from the pen
of practiscd writer Of no mean ability
who has either very retcntlve memory
for political scandal or who has preserved
with misery soleitude files Of the vilest
of the opposition or pseudo-democrat'c
journals of the past twenty years, The
| enmity of the writer against our senior
Senator seems to be something more than
personal hatred, since nothing short Of
political hostility could have induced him
to gather and preserve scandal with so
much care and to prepare it for republlca-
ton with so much labor. Tale-writers
have sometimes described bearded, aged,
deformed and toothless bag, living ipsome
desert cave, gathering from fens and
sloughs and prison vaults and graveyards
thousand filthy and loathsome lngre-
dients-rotteu bones, the reptiles that
| feed on corpses, warty toads, venomous
snakes, poisonous roots, deadly fungi-to
distil amidst the murnbled charms OF
witchcraft, into poison for the destruc-
ton of one who was her enemy in her
early days. Those who labor to rob
public man Of his reputation, to blacken
his character and to render him odious in
the eyes of his countrymen, seem to be
actuated by malice equally inhuman.
We are willing at all times to concede
to our opponents the widest latitude Of
| political discussion consistent with fair
ness and decency. We have beentaught
in various ways that candidates and the
| incumbents of elective Offices expose them
selves to attacks with every weapon
which interest," partizan zeal and the spirit
Of party strife can suggest to the watch
full minds of political journalists: We
have known and honored those who would
not stoop to dabble in the pool OF scandal
for the little transient aid it might render
to their cause; we have known and des-
pissed their opposites whose chief weapons
are the venom of personal malice and
the poison of cuuningly prepared SANDER.
The introduction of this discussion Of
the merits and dement's of Mr.. Slidell was
unfair, uncalled for and reprehensibc.
When the Legislature in joint-sesslon
comes to gil the vacancy in the United
States Senate which will be caused by
! The expiration of Mr.. SlidelPs present
term, the members of that body may right
fully canvass all the claims of all candi-
4 dates, consider their fitness or unitness
in every aspect whether intellectual Or
moral, and enter into the examination OF
their political record at any length they
choose. That issue is not now before the
people of Louisiana Hence all Demo
Gratis and not few Of our opponents look
upon the allusion to "Slidellism," in the
letter Of acceptance Which the opposition
candidate for Governor substituted tor
1 his previous letter of declination, as in ex.
ceedingly bad taste. 1t is nusal in such
letters to announce the principles TIC
which the candidate holds, either in his
own language or by reference to the de
6 cIared platform Of his party. For a can
didate to enter the field solely on the ba
sis of opposition to single individual il
the most singular anomaly in politlca
history. The issue is not whether Sena
! tor Slidell is worthier, ADLER or more
honorable man than the chief candidate
;. of the Opposition; it is not whether he j
) or is not worthy of a seat in the unitet
:, States Senate; it is not whether his per
!, sonal character is free from stain or hi
political record devoid of tarnish. If al
: were true that is alleged against Mr.. sll
dell by the meanest and most malicious
= of his personal foes it would not prov
that it is not the duty Of his fellow Cit
zens to support the Democratic ticket
! The Democrats Of Louisiana, assemblies
. in full convention, enunciated the prr
: ciples by which as party we abide; gu
. opponents may with propriety urge q
gainst our platform all the arguments .
!. their command. The same fairly selecte
and deliberate body, after due canvass
"a ing of rival candidates, and in strict adhs
sion to cherished Democratic usages, chos
a list of nominees for the various stat
); Offices; if our opponents, without inVadln
the sanctity Of private life or indulgence
:; in irrelevant personalities, choose to Oil