The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-07-26
The Twenty Thousand Dollar.
Clause.


Ithas beer announced that a dele
cation from Virginia recently waited
on the President for the purpose Of
obtaining modification Of the clause
which excerpts from the benefits Of the
amnesty oath those who are worth
property to the amount Of twenty
thousand dollars, and chat the delega-
ton has returned without accomplish.
ing its objects. Those who arc. aes
quainted with the Presidents peculiar
agrarian ideas are not surprised at
this result. Born in the humber
ranks Of life, neglected perhaps in
his youth and early manhood by
naughty recipients Of Furtune's gifts,
there has become gangrened III his
whole nature a hatred Of the rich,
and an ,lnconquerable determination
I to elevate the poor IN the social scale
lat their expense. # the poor cannot
be elevated to the height Of the rich,
| then the rich, according to the Presi-
dents ideas of social equality, must
-. tTas
be brought down to the level Of tho
poor. This fayorite idea Of his has
been promulgated on all occasions,
both in season and out Of season,
from the time when he first appeared
on the stageof public life, until now
when as Chief Magistrate Of 4 great
republic he, has the lives and fortunes
|of a great number Of his fellow-eiti-
zens in his power, and has found an
opportunity to carry his long cherish.
ed principles into practice. socii.l
equality has been the burden Of his
song on the stump, in the forum, on
the hustfngs, everywhere, and he
was still harping on social equality
and endeavoring to impress its beau
ties on bis countrymen and on the rep
|resentatives Of foreign nations, when
the imposing ceremonies Of his inaug-
uration as Vice President, and the
splendid array of The beauty, intelli-
{gence and refinement assembled in
the nations capital, operated on him
SO powerfully as suddenly to strike
him with dumbness and incohe-
lrency.s
/ Now we like social equality and
think It as good a.thing as Mr, John
son would have US believe. provided
Tits only brought about in the proper
manner We like to see a man by
his intelligence, his industry and Ills
sterling integrity; elevate himself
from poverty and obscurity to wealth
and distinction. We like to see a
man, for instance, Ike the President
himself, rise from the tai1or's board
Ito the Presidency Of the "best gov
ernmentin the world," by dint Of his
ffown exeftions and we think, Gas no
Idonbthe thinks himself that the high
lest compliment that can be paid him,
lis to call him 'tAudy johnson, tie
tailor" But we have not words strong
enough to condemn that principle
(which would attempt to force an
equality Of property By taking from
the rich the earnings Of themselves
Forof their ancestors, and bestowing
Them upon the poor, the INDECENT and
the unthrifty. It's species of-agra.
trianism that could never have taken
root in any other than barbarous
| age, in which the rights of property
were either in-defned or but little
regarded !; and has long since been
condemned by the voice Of all civil.
lied lawgivers as urwise in policy,
unjust in principle and impracticable
Fin execution. Divide at this moment
IIall the property in the country equal
y among its Inhabitants, and but q
| few years would elapse before one
half would again own It all, aud the
ether half be reduced to poverty.
Agrarianism IS one Of those Utdpian
dreams which can aever be realized
in the present fallen condition Of hu-
man nature aud inequality will be
stamped on the social condition, as
well as on the material world, asslong
as g one star iifIereth from another
star in glory
That the President has taken up
this levelling idea, and that lie Intends