The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-10-30
THE CONDlTI0N0FT COUNTRY
Q II
Democratic State Convention, held at
Albany, N r, on the 9Th inst

We are startled by the cry ofthe leaders
of the party holding political power that
onr country is in great peril After wad'
ing through the bloodshed OF eivIl war
that peace which we hailed with JOY, and
which they told us was to give strength
and prosperity to our land, brings new
danger to the republic. We cannot, if we
would. escape from confronting tie prob
lens of the day. Neither safety, honor MOI
patriotism will suffer us to stand dumb OF
inactive in the dark hour of danger. We
have put down rebellion, we are now
struggling with revolution. The fist was
sectional; the last is universal. The first
sought to divide orr country the last
threatens to destroyi it.
At the national capital we see that the
party which placed in power the present
Chief Magistrate, now charges him with
treason, and many of It's leaders have i'll
stilled into the public mind the horrible
suspicion that he was in league with the
murderers who struck down the life which
stood between him and tho Executive
Chair The world is aghast while it hears
so foul an accusation uttered in the halls
of the Legislature without rebuke. In tht
House of Representatives, members make
against each other charges of judicial muir
der, robbery, theft, and corruption. z A
military member alleges his legal associate
plotted the death and carried to the gal
lows an innocent woman for partisan pur
poses The accnser is charged in return
With the fact of going to the war a Dool
nlau, and coming back poor general and
aricll man; laden, not with the spoils oi
victory, but plumber, stolen from those
placed under his protection. The Congress
man who stands up as the accuser OF the
President is confronted by his own letter
showing his utter rottenness. Weare say.
ed from the hateful task of laying bare the
frauds and crimes of those who are admin
istering our government. Gods law fol
furnishing the guilty makes them become
mutual accusers In the hate and rage
which ever springs up among criminals all
are anxious to turn upon and convict theii
fellow. u vi
While the Senate has done less to shock
the world and bring our government into
contempt it has been the forum where prin,
clples have been asserted and policy pQr
sued revolutionary in tendency and fal
reaching in their Influences to keep alive
disorder aud political convulsions. In its
blindness it is striking suicidal blows
against Its own existence. It's members
have become the ruling power in our gov
ernment--vestsd with equal rights of law
making with the popular branch; They
can also decide upon all treaties, which
within their scope, rise above the statutes
iley control the appointing power; fol
The vast patronage ofgoveramentc can only
be exercised with their consent, They
can, as Q Judicial body, depose the Presi
dent or Vice.P President, elected by tile PEG
PIE, and put one of their own members into
the Executive Chair. They hold theil
places by terms longer than those Of any
other elective branch Of government, We,
lney do not in the nature of sheir organiza
1on represent the people in form or fact
taey are chosen by Legislatures, not by
tGe people. States having by the census
" loov less than One-qnarter ofthe popula
uoh oi our country, appoint majority q
w. members. Nine States whose citizens
are more than one-half of this people, are
represented by only one-fourth of its mem
oers Thus made mp, and welding n pow
ss,royeftopping that ,ot all other branches
elsy should panse and ponder well before
opening the floodgates ofrevolution. Yet
niaese members sought to have the Sen
~ taobedoutof the constitutional scheme
AeS eoaid not do acts more hateful to thu
peVple, OF give reasons more powerfnl TO
~ overthrow than their own teaching
,sMafegard to the rights Of impartial sui
~, ,sase anu by their action in the face o
MsE teaching. Colorado, which may b.
r. sltah by hostile Indians before the yea
ff as which cannot, by force of its mum
Az Az, uphold the rudiment of State, to
0s ~ paianees in the scale the four million
mpeopie OF New York 1t was admitted
, ssrely 70 gain two votes in q struggl
@na lne Executive But a holder act i
nons aM unless this dangerous game to Sc
p esSses 10y, the majority by rotten boz
srs ~ system is stopped. Twenty Senator
IN II, y se admitted from ten States latel,
wh,s. not es representatives of th
M, people, for they are diSfranchised
e,a;x " !. the blacks, for it is indiscreet Il
erssa mat race who are declared bv Con
sslss W oe unable to take care of them
sb;n 's ss ana are placed under the guardian
L ~ 4, " the Freedmen's Bureau aud militia
es;s. .eis, would, as a body, know of tn
tSshee OF such representatives-b
tS thy are to be admitted because they hol
hesa views OF the majority of the Senator.
t6s;a use they are sent to Washington b
10 l. agents These very Senators mea
soso sheir OWL constituents, to become
ssn so corporation, and to have more repr,
ms natives OF their own selection than tn
ii S p;y Of the people of the country Twin
Sen a,ue States. About sixty Republica
bava ' =; viii, beyond their own vote
Ess,lln the twenty members sent by til
than aens Bureau, more representative
! '4 sAsesn millions Of American peepl