The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1868-08-08
THE VITAL NECESSITY.

~ - sAS
criminal carelessness of its friends in
negIecting previously to effect it's thor
ough organization. -
1t has all the mental, moral, and phys
ical strength necessary for the gigantic
contest in which it is engaged. Never
in its palmiest days did it deserve so
justly the confidence of the people.
Never did its ranks enfold such hosts of
its former opponents. Never did its po-
litical platform appeal SO powerfully to
the heart of the nation. Never was its
triumph so absolutely essential to the
existence of our Republic. With all
these elements of strength, and with
these great interests at stake, shall that
party which stands to-day as the accep-
ted champion Of the Constitution and the
Union, meet with a disgraceful and ir-
revocable overthrow for mere want of
that organization which is essential to
the success Of every undertaking?
There is an old Latin saying, which
teaches us to learn from the enemy.
We will do we'll to heed it in this cam
paign. The superior discipline of the
Union armies, far more than their supe-
rior numbers, gave them the victory in
the late war. There was probably more
sober truth than bitter sarcasm intended
by Jefferson Davis, when, failing to pro-
cure the slightest response from the SEN
tinel at Fortress Monroe to any of his
questions, he exclaimed: II wish my
men had had your discipline"
Probably nowhere else has the science
Of political party organization been more
carefully studied and applied than in the
Northern and Eastern States. There,
in every political contest, each party has
its appointed agents. with specified du-
ties, in each State, district, county, and
ward. Some are orators, some writer's
and distributors Of campaign books and
articles. some secretaries, some s~tatisti-
clans, and SOM active, working agents,
who acquaint themselves in their respec-
tive localities with every voters politi-
cal preiudices, and who labor to control
each particular vote. So absolutely per-
feet is this system Of organization that
even in a State election, where the ag-
gregate vote has exceeded one hundred
thousand, the result has been known and
predicted beforehand within less than a
hundred votes. And it is precisely this
system which prevents generalization in
a party, nurses its strength, increases its
numbers, inspires its confidence, and
keeps il always prepared for action.
Let the Democratic party be so organ
lied this fall throughout the Union, and
it will grind the Radical parry to pow
der.
We are glad to learn from our exchang-
es that a step in the right direction is
being already taken in many Of our sis
ter parishes, by the formation of a Dem
ocratic club in each ward, the names of
whose enrolled members and officers are
published in the parish newspaper. Let
the Democracy Of st. Landry do like.
wise, and do it at once. Let the Demo-
Gratis Of each ward meet therein on a
day fixed, and organize by electing a
president and secretary, and enroll their
names on the club List Of members. Let
each club hold regular ward meetings,
and let its secretary report its numbers
Ind its condition regularly t. the secre-
'ary of the Democratic Executive Com
nittee for the parish. Let these clubs !
be designated by the numbers Of their
respective wards, thus: First Ward !
Club. Second Ward Demo- J
ratio Club, and SO on. Let us know /,
|ur strength. and that of the enemy, be-
kehand. In this way we can be pre- ,
u TO expose fraudulent and illegal {
OF if attempted. In this way we
bhulate the confident, encourage !
Eesponding, strengthen the wayer- /
a march with unbroken ranks to /
nnod e Of 81. Landry organize, on. b
kais1 RGANIzE. II il the vital ne 7
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ore trou.
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BLAcKWooDss EDlNBuReH MAGAzfEE, for
rs, lias been received; il contains Lady i
airy Wortley Montagu (No. ~. ofthe His.
rical Sketches Of the Reign Of George II. +
g Odes Of Horace; Grace Owens Engage,
lConclusion); Peter pindar .Motley's al
- .LLEE 80 . - 49,. A az