The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-12-05

ire IpnJeuSTQte ctuteS
The melancholy occasion which brings
Ns together is one which cannot fail to ere
ate feelings of profound sorrow and sadness
in the breasts of all of u.s. We meet tc
pay the last sad tribute of respect to
departed friend, whose private virtues won
our affection, whose heroic deeds elected
our admiration, and whose glorious death
forever enshrined his memory in the hearts
of his grateful countrymen. How differ.
emit are the feelings which we experience
today, as we assemble around his lifeless
body to provide for it a resting place in his
native land, near the home Of his child.
hood, among the friends of his youth, from
those which stirred our souls at the time
of his departure from us more than five
years ago, full of life and vigor and hope
and confidence. This difference in oul
sensations is the result of difference in
the circumstances which attended the two
events You well remember the alacrity
with which the old and the young sprang
to arms to defend their native soil from
threatened subjugation, the drum and the
fife, the streaming banners, the smiles OF
lovely women and the animating cheers OF
the people as each company took its de.
parture for the scene of hostilities Now
how changed The music has ceased its
Joyous notes; the banneris dropping around
its standard; the military companies have
returned with thinned ranks, the majority
of their members having fallen on the field
like our friend, and been buried far from
aha,. hcn 4hn -ho1o 1D>,I So al q u, he
habiliments Of mourning; and our hopes
of independence have vanished as the
most unsubstantial dream. Death and
desolation, sorrow and distress, reign
throughout our land. 1t seems that with
The loss of our independence all has been
lost that we had cherished most ardsntly
and hoped for most fondly. But if we lave
lott much, we can proudly boast that we
have not lost our honor That the memo
ry of our untarnished honor and the glocies
of the wonderful contest is left US let lis
feel profoundly thankful to-day And il
indeed we are denied the privilege of rais-
ing monuments to honor, "the stored urn
or consecrated bust" as falls to the lot Of
the conqueror and the more fortunate, we
can at least cherish the memory Of our
gallantand honored dead, and pay to them
that respect which their noble actions and
their heroic sutferings so justly deserve.
As the body OF each victim to the fury of
the contest arrives among those for whom
he cheerfully gave his life, let it be received
with these becoming demonstrations with
which departed worth has ever been hon.
ored in all ages of the world
The incidents in the life of General Stat
ford, as in that of every modest and unob.
trusive private citizen, are so few and SC
well known to us all that we need not
enter into an extended narration of them
That he was an unambitious private citi
zen is much to his credit and advantage
for in these days when public office is sc
often disgraced by vices of the most fla
grant kind the post of honor is in truth
the private station. He was a native OF
this parish, born in the year 1922, of pa
rents Of great responsibility, whose many
virtues are we'll remembered and apprecia
ted by those among us who are old enough
to have any recollection of them. Intend
ed for the practical duties of life our friend
received practical education, and just
such an education as eminently to fit him
for acting well the part which fell to his
lot. Returning from school he betook him
self,to planting, for which lie had beer
early destined, and by industry, integrity
and economy through a series of years, he
succeeded In placing his devoted family in
comfortable circumstances and beyond the
contingencies of poverty ard want. Pop
ular with his neighbors he was called
without any exertion or solicitation on his
own part, to the important Office of Sheriff
of Rapides in the year lS45, at anage wher
few could hope to command the confidence
of the people to an extent sufficient to OBJ
tain an Office of so much responsibility
The duties of this Office he performed tc
the entire satisfaction Of the people, anC
while none of the duties imposed on hin
were neglected, many unfortunate debtor:
we'll remember the sympathy, leniency ant
consideration his amiable and generou.
disposition led him to extend to them il
their distress. When the war between th'
United States and Mexico broke out in thu
Spring of 1916 young Stafford, with tn,
same patriotism which animated him on {
subsequent occasion, volunteered for thu
defense of his country and left for thu
scene of hostilities.
Such are the few incidents in the quie
and unobtrusiye life of orr modest FRIEND
up to the time Of the breaking out of TIN
late war. After the election of Mr.. Lin
coin, it became evident even to the leas
observant, that a war between the tw'
sections of the country was imminent, ant
that all the patriotism and moderation il
the land might be inadequate to avert it
Conventions were held in most of tn,
Southern States, steps were taken to asser
the rights of the South, and it was boldly
given out that, in default of our demand
being complied with, the Southern State
would resume that sovereignty which the,
had never surrendered, and form an indie
PENDENT government of their own, even a
he risk Of q bloody war. Louisiana called
her Convention, and in the election fol
delegates the two parties were known az
'secession;sts" and ''cooperationists," the
one advocating immediate secession with
out consulting the other States, the othel
in favor of moving in conjunction Will
our sister States in demanding further
guarantees for security, and postponing the
question of resistance until it should be
come evident that they could not be OBJ
tanned. General Stafford became candi
date for the Convention from the parish O
Rapides as cooperationist and was de
feated. The truth is, while he admitted
that the North had persistently encroachet
on the rights of the South, he believed
that the differences between the two sec
tions could be amicably and honorably ad
justed without q resort to extreme meas
ures. His sound practical sensei for which
be was ever distinguished, and which 81
often led him to correct and accurate con
illusions, forced this conviction upon him
He loved the Union as it used to be, ant
generating the work of the authors of th'
Revolution aud the fathers of the Consti
tuition, he was averse from overturning TIT
structure which their hands had raised
and from enveloping the country in civi
confagration, which he foresaw NIGH
prove disastrous to his native section
But he submitted to the will of the major
lily without murmur, and when the actior
of the Convention which protested to seve
the relations between Louisiana and thu