Des Arc weekly citizen., 1868-09-08
To the People Of the First Con-
 gressiOnal District of Arkan-

M fltt COuHtNs Ou 1utuluuNs LA-uS ust 18th, 1868, recommended Chas. $. Came ron, of Cross county, for con gress, and appointed the undersigned to make an address to the people of the district. My duty, of course, is disconnected from the above recommendation of a candidate--that matter pertaining to a full and fair democratic congressional convention; and, to the end that time may be conomized, and harmony secur- cd, hereby earnestly recommend that meetings be held forthwith in every county, and delegates appointed to a convention, to assemble at Augusta, on | Wednesday, Sept. 16th, 1868, for the purpose ofnominating good and true man as our congressional standard | bearer.
 Nor is it expected of me to discuss
 the issues on. which the two parties
 divide. That belongs to our patriotic press, deserving to be read under every roof, and to the able speakers to be heard at length during the campaign. A less imposing but more important work is devolved on me, without
 which, well performed, all the zeal and
 boldness of the press, all the talent and eloquence of our orators, and all the enthusiastic devotion of our people will be of no avail. This labor is to lay before you an efficient plan of organization and operations, whereby our whole strength may be utilized, now and at the polls-its volume enlarged and its impetus quickcned so as to be irresistible, by the fact that, not in a few townships only, but in all the townships of every county the whole people are united on one com mon basis, as with strong bands of iron, and are moving forward, like a grand army, with fixed bayonets, to rescue Libery from her ravishers. The knowledge of this will shatter the hopes of our enemies and make us invincible. A singular error often exists on this subject. Large meetings, stirring ap- peals, and like evidences of deep feel ing arc habitually accepted as substi- tutes for the machinery by which alone they can be wrought into useful shape and made to yield returns of practical value. Is not this our mistake at pre- sent? We see every locality blazing with patriotic ardor, the popular heart throbbing more intensely than the sol dier's on the eve of battle; and this fervor we set down as ensuring sue cess. Yet if the Hong roll' was beaten suddenly, what confusion would we suffer! How illprcparcd, if the election occurred tomorrow Disgraceful de- feat would oyerwhelm us, inctflied by a compact, we'll organized minority of carpet -baggers, renegades and their ignorant dupes. We stand in the face of the enemy without any settled plan of action, when, along our extended lines, from flank to flank, the form of organization, the words of command, and every instrumentality for winning the fight ought to be exactly the same and thoroughly understood by all
 Influenced by such considerations as these, I present you the annexed plan for organizing and operating the vari- ous townships and counties, under the proper supervision of the state central committee. It contains nothing origi nal and may be more or less defective. But it's object certainly secures itself infinitely better than under the preva- lent diversity and confusion; and that great merit constrains me to rccom- mend, most urgently, its immediate and universal adoption, discarding other forms, so that not only our work but our implements may perfectly correspond. Where every company has it's own peculiar system of tactics the army cannot be advantageously man9uvered. Uniformity is the soul of discipline always means victory. Bearing this axiom in mind and carry ing it out with vigorous common sense, let us now take the steps that will if any human means can, assure Us glorious triumph in November.
 The only impeachment remaining, grows out of the advice of the central committee, that we take the oath and vote under the constitution and claws" of the radical faction. It might have been better had state convention been called to settle this question. But all of us accord good motives to the committee, and have now to acknow ledge that we must either adopt it's suggestion, or else let the election go by default.
 Radicals most anxiously desire us to take the latter course. It gives up, without struggle, our five electoral votes to Grant and Collax, and con- firms scalawag domination over the state.
 The first of these results is of start ling gravity, as it may even decide the presidential contest against the nation- al democracy. The second is absolute ly hideous, being the voluntary aban donment of Arkansas to the miscreants now outraging her. We consent to this-we deliberately "accept" it, in all it's deformity, by refusing to register, qualify and vote. Is not such "accep- tance" far worse than swearing to accept the equality of all men before the law" especially when that equality is an existing fact, and when that law may be administered by democrats, if we take the oath and vote?
 A lease ofconscience" is thrust upon us by our dissentient friends. Let them weigh, in their incest sclalcs of high morality, the alternatives, as above depicted, and answer if it is not q more monstrous crime to continue the radicals in power by refusing the oath, than to eject them and install Democrats by taking it?
 Shipwrecked-an angry sea threaten ing to dcvour us-pirates bearing down upon us to torture and kill-may we not righteously take any oath that saves from such perils May we not grate- fully grasp any hand-even that of the Democratic negro-that snatches us from the fury of the elements and the more fearciul fury of cruel men?
 Such reflections ought to satisfy all sincere and reasonable Democrats; and it is to them that they are offered. Ceasing to differ, let us win the fight, though the heaven fall And after wards let the central committee, this committee, and all other committee be sacrificed by hecatombs if desired, to appease every tender and wounded conscience" throughout the state.
 Against the enemy, not each other, be all our blows now directed. For prn,.li Charna urith a uall at the