The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-11
HOW 10 GET RID OF THEN i-AcrI0h OF
THE PROPERTY HoLDERs- ~

If the recent election In THIS state proVeu
anything it proved that the present State
Cover nment is fraud, and that it exists only
by the federation of the people of Louisiana
The question now is, how to get nd Of itf
Under ordinary circumstances it makes but
little difference who administers government
provided the agents who assume that duty, or
to whom the duty is delegated, are average
representatives. of the public opinion around
them. People will tolerate even usurping
government, if it be q tolerably good govern
ment-if it discharge, with reasonable fair
ness, the sole and legitimate function of
goverpment-that of protecting the life and
the property of the citizen. But when the
government is, in the first place. a usurpation;
when its agents are the political and social
enemies of the people whom they assume
to govern when they direct all their energies
to the task of destroying the rights which
they ought to protect; when they pervert the
power of taxation to purposes OF speculation
and plumber, and when they are incapable
even of preserving order-such government
is simply a nuisance, and like every other
nuisance, it ought to be abated. The so-called
government of Louisiana is just such gov
eminent So far from being the choice of the
people of the State, it exists in. fragrant def
ance Of their wishes. So far from represent
ing them, its agents are VIGOROUSLY hostile to
them-they are intrusive strangers, who have
come hitler only to advance their private in
terests, and who have done nothing but en-
gender strife between the two races in order
that they might invoke the aid of exterior
force to suppress opposition. So far from
protecting the rights of property, they have
squandered the public money, have imposed
oppressive taxes, and have wrenched from the
people of New Orleans their indefeasible
right to control their own local affairs. But
how to get rid of them? How to establish,
in Louisiana, q government existing by the
consent of the governed? If the country
were disposed to permit the people of Louis
lana to govern themselves the problem would
be very easily solved, and carpet-baggery
would disappear in day. But the country is
not willing to let the people of Louisiana
govern themselves. The Radical triumph in
the recent election means that the carpet-bag
governments are to be sustained by force, if
necessary, and the people of Louisiana above
all things desire peace and quiet.
But force is not necessary either on one
side or the other. Carpet-baggery is already
tottering in this State. 1t hasno confidence in
its ability to maintain itself The few hundred
white men who compose the Radical party
are awed by the expression Of an overwhelm-
ing public opinion; and the negroes, on whom
they have hitherto relied, can be counted on
only in theway of abstention from the polls
at the word of command. The people of the
State have the game in their hands if they
only choose to play it fearlessly. All that is
necessary is to refuse to pay taxes to the car
pet-bsggers-and to decline to recognize the
authority of carpet-bag officials any farther
than is required for temporary convenience.
A government whose agents can exercise no
authority, and which cannot collect revenue
will soon come to an end-if not in form, at
least in fact. 1t would be an error to suppose
that this course requires anything like a
| forcible revolution, or that it would provoke
collisions between the pretended authorities
and the people.
Inthree-fourths of the parishes there are
not more than enough carpet-baggers to fill
the local offices. In many of them the vote
for the Democratic ticket was unanimous. 1t
is absurd to suppose that this handful OF
plundering Radicals would attempt so ridicu-
lous thing as resort to force to maintain
their authority. There could be no such thing
as collision between halfdozen carpet-bag.
gers and thousand or two thousand white citi-
zens The officials would, of course, be compel
led to resort to legal, or ostensibly legal mea-
sures, to collect taxes, and this process would
soon become too irksome and fatiguing to be
continued. Let the peopleall over the State fol.
low the example of the property holders Of
New Orleans. These have resolved on plan
which cannot fail to be successful if it be pur-
sued to its legitimate conclusion. Let the
taxpayers cease to be taxpayers, as long as
their money is to go to the support of the in.
famous concern which has usurped the gov.
eminent of the State. In that way carpet
baggery in Louisiana will soon be starved
out.
| III AisoieoiPpi, tAO uOicoe VI sho SotPoe
bag Constitution was followed by the i'm
mediate fight of the ravenous carpet-baggers
who were expectant of profitable chances o.
plumber under its operation. In this State
their failure to extort anything more from the
taxpayers would probably be followed by thu
same sort of an exodus.
Yet it is to be hoped that the property
holders of this city will not take any false
step. What is necessary is to remove the
financial prop by which Louisiana carpet
bsggery is supported-not to destroy the
foundation of the credit of the State. The
Indebtedness contracted by previous Legisla
lures ought to be paid. To refuse to pay il
would reflect dishonor on our people and
injure their cause in the eyes of the world
That indebtedness is their own-contracted
by their own agents, and under government
of their own choice. BY referring to the &C
levying this tax, it will be seen that it pro
vides first for the payment Of interest due OF
bonds issued prior to the 26th of March
1867, and of outstanding warrants ISSUED