The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-02-12
and INSCRIPTIONS politicians, in

1t is not, we believe, in the American
nature, that policy-leading directly to
such results, can be longssupported by the
people, after its nature is plainly developed
even if it had not exposed among its &C
cepted instrumentalities the necessity Of
ovetthrowing their cherished ideas Of es.
sentiat rights--and exhibited in tia con.
sequences pernicious influences on their
material interests. Much might be ex-
pected from the calming of the war pas.
sions, under the soothing influences OF
time, the returning sense Of jnstice, and a
reawakened feeling of brotherhood; but it
is no purpose Of reproach 10 saying, and a
great encouragement to know, that the
wrongs inflicted upon us have come to be
recognized and felt, as wrongs done to the
whole country; and that, in the prostra.
ton Of our rights and liberties, a blow is
struck, which vibrates through the whole
frame work Of American governments. and
startle men everywhere with alarm for
themselves. @ - #H 3t
Our Gauss is felt to be the cause of con.
stitutional liberty. Our escape from the
abject seryitude and desolation to which
the policy of radicalism would condemn ua
in our own land, will be the rescue from
destruction of all the cherished forms and
muniments which our fathers who built up
this government for us thought and meant
to be strong enough to preserve it for their
posterity and mankind.
The work aud heat Of this great consti--
tutional struggle is to be borne at the
North. There freedom Of speech and the
rights Of lawful suffrage are not yet arrest
ed by the military dictatorship; and men
have yet the privilege Of voting against the
they feel. The power is with
them the consequences of failure, although
disheartening and full Of gloom for polit-
ical and financial future will be vastly less
in the present, to them, than to US, who
will be helplessly bound victims to cruel
experiment. To US it is matter of life
and death. Success will be to them Sc
curity from evils against which they might,
even If they had failed, have hoped at some
future day ofrelief. But to us, for them
to fail is the contamination of ruin--a
starless future of impenetrabfe gloom.
But, although the peril is great, all is rot
lost. The heart of the people has been
touched and their eyes have been opened.
The rushing sound Of great multitudes ris-
ing to the rescue of the country from the
hands of the spoilers, comes from all quar-
tiers. All round the horizon there is a
Of clouds, as though the hour OF
deliverance was at hand. Unmistakable
sounds of indignation and warning speak
out loudly, whenever the voices Of the peo-
pie could be heard in elections. Above
all, and most encouraging is it, that men of
all shades Of political opinion on subjects
of government administration, however
known by different names and separated
by old strifes, alarmed for the safety Of the
the country, are coming together into one
organization, which extends to the utmost
limits Of the republic. The vital element
of concord among them is devotion to the
one purpose Of establishing, by grand eff
fort at the polls, the fundamental truth
without which American institutions are
but feeting phantom-that written con-
stitutions make a sacred aud inviolable
bond; not, as the chiefs Of the misrule hold
them to he, mere ropes of fax, to fall asun-
der at the first touch OF the fires of popular
frenzy, or at the first grasp Of a giant am
bition. sra ....sss
The ensign under which this rally is
made is that of the national Democratic
party Of the Union. There is no other flag
afoat among constitutional men in any
part of the thirty>seven States. Auy at
tempt to raise another would be the signal
of weakness and the forerunner of disaster.
And, let it be said, frankly, for many among
US who have waged a life long conflict with
that party, when, on issues infinitely less
they believed it to be an unsafe
trustee Of the conservative powers Of the
that the clarion tone with
which it is now summoning its hosts to the
conflict, and the alacrity with which the
masses throng to the call, the high stand
sra Of the old faith which it inscribes on
ts banners, and the mighty strength which
is ancient organization and vigorous cam-
power brings to the good task,
commend it to their anhesitating approval
IS the accepted champion of deliverance.
With these convictions deeply felt, a
aree number OF gentlemen ofthis city have
inflated proceeL' ings for the purpose Of
the people Of Louisiana into full
connection with the Democratic party Of.
be North and West. they have formed q
provisional executive comG'ittee, and rails
ID the usual working committees Of po-
itical organization, for the single purpose
# collecting and concentrating public
opinion in convention for permanent Or
,anization to be made by the people Ior
themselves. @
In the general wreck Of affairs, party or
have With US all gone to, pieces.
Not remnant remaiued with any show of
to take lead and, if there had
,een one, the change of issues and men