The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-10-31

It would be we'll nowadays for every
true-hearted American to consider these
signs ataentively--for every honest sensible
man and sincere lover Of his country to
pause awhile 10 the race Of life, in the eager
pursuit Of wealth, fame. or pleasure, and
bordering seri usly and soberly upon them
endeavor to the best ofhis ability to decipher
their meaning and learn what they portend.
They are no Egyptian hieroglyphics
heaven knows they are PLAIN even to care.
less eyes-so plain that he who runs may
read. And five would fully understand
what they foreshadow we need only con-
suit the records Of all nations from the
earliest ages to the present time-from the
vanished empire Of the Assyriar To the
proud Babylon Of our own day who boasts
that the Gun ne'er sets on her dominions.
If we would pierce the veil that hides the
Future, we need only lift the shadowy cur
tain that shrouds the Past, and from the
charnel house Of history evoke the dim
shades Of dead empires, and make them
prophesy to US like the ghost Of the Hebrew
seer to the doomed king Of 1sreal. May
we be wiser than Saul. and profit by the
lesson!
All speak with one voice, and what is
the tale they tell? Of empires founded by
brave. abstenious, hardy men /; strong in
battle and wise in counsel; who watched
vigilantly; who toiled unwearyingly; who
counted all things but loss compared with
their country's gain, who deemed glory and
joy enough to die in their country's cause.
BY and bye, comes the natural result of
their labors. The eble colony, encom-
passed by perils sand beset BY foes that
hourly threaten its destruction, at last gains
strength. Some enemies are conquered,
and some converted into friends and allies.
The puny nurseling thrives apace-it IN
creases rapidly in size--it grows into giant
power and vigor. From the tiny mustard
seed springs the mighty tree in whose wide
spreading branches all the birds Of the air
may find shelter. Then come the lust o.
dominion-the Unsuitable thirst for terri
torial ACKNOWLEDGMENT. War is no longer
waged for hearth and altar bet for conquest !;
the defenders Of their own land become the
invaders Of others from the oppressed
they turn oppressors; territory after terri
| tory is added to the:rwide extended domin-
ion; arts and commerce flourish wealth
fows in, and sloth and luxury follow 10 its
train. The browning point, the highest
pinnacle VI earthly grandeur has been
reached-now come the reaction. and the
fall. Slowly but surely the ground has
been mined away, and the foundations cap
ped. Where are now the heroic purity the
selfdenying patriotism of former days
Gone-forever gone! The citizens soldiers
Of Sparta and Athens have given place to
the Macedonian phalanx, and the Roman
legion to the Pretorian bands. For love
Of country, reigns love of self-for honest
poverty. ,ll-gotton riches-for virtuous
abstinence, riotous luxury for power
weakness land for strength, decay. Such
were causes that conquered Greece, and laid
low the mighty Empress ofthe world such
the causes that have made renewed roman
tic Spain once the pride and boast Of chival
~ now the scorn and by-word Of the ma
tions--such the causes that have converted
England into nation Of shopkeepers who
/ dare not assert what they deem right les,
their trade should suffer and their cotton
/ mills lack trade-such the causes that will
surely unless checked in their ruinous pro
gress desolate our own fair land and add
one more to the long list of fallen empires
once proud and powerful as ours which now
serve no better purpose than to point Z
moral aud adorn a'tale. Such Il the fate
! the signs ofthe times foretell for US.
Need We spectacles or spy z asses oh
seers Of the future to discern those signs
Nay verify the storm clouds thatlie ,heavi
~ around the horizon Of our country.
future aud lower darkly over her onward
path are visible enough to the naked eye
Could the sires Of our nation arise from the
| their no. ored graves and behold the pres
ent condition ofthe Lind they loved so vel
and for whose welfare they 30 toiled ant
suffered think ~ their pleasure would b.
unalloyed, their approval unqualified II
| the deep Joy and pride they would natural
I y feel at the vast increase Of national powe
and prosperity and no feeling Interpretation
mingle? What would they see here! Corup
ton stalking abroad through the land, riot
ing 10 its high places, and disgracing it,
legislative halls. Men selling honor and con
science to the highest bidder and boastin,
OF the price they bring; legislato r. selling
votes and influence and openly avowin9 th,
nefarious Bargains, every avenue to plac,
1 beset BY hordes OF greedy. applicants eve,
more crying "give, give I" every Office from
the highest to the lowest thronged viii
candidates whose jarrin9 claimsare presse,
on public attention with the most sb 4me
less and indecent pertinacity. And i
what do those claims consists In thai
own fitness for the Office Tor in their Sc
votion to the country, and care Of its int,
estsf No, indeed! Who cares for tn
country. or concerns himself about his ow,
knowledge Of the duties he Is 90 eager !
assume. Their object 10 salary, and thei
claim, not that they have done the Sat
some service" but that they have helpe
some other candidate to some other piac,
and one good turn deserves another 90
else they have served the party" and 9TH
party must reward them. Such is q faiu
and imperfectly drawn picture Of the polit
cal iObbing constantly going an in thoe