The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-19
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.


The coming presidential election viii be
more important than any that has ever taken
place in this country. The canvass by which
it will be preceded will be conspicuous among
our political contests for the acrimony, and
warmth with which it will be conducted. The
magnitude of the issues involved in the re-
suit will stimulate into intensest action authe
apimosities and resentments which have
hitherto arraJed against each other those two
great parties which, respectively, represent
the momentarily dominant doctrine of central
ization, of consolidation, of Congressional
despotism and of negro supremacy, on the
one hand, and, on the other, the idea of
constitutional freedom, public liberty aud
white government. We say "two parties"
because no one possessed of sufficient sa-
gacity to perceive the signs of the times, and
of sufficient intelligence TO comprehend the
necessities of the situation, doubts for mo-
ment, that the contest will be confined to the
Republican party and the Democratic party.
Those who like to indulge in an cratic nomen-
clature may talk of radicalism and conserva-
tism; and people who care to philosopher and
speculate rather than to act, may find some
signifcancy in those names but the prac-
teal result of everything is that the Republic
can party and the Democratic party are the
two armies by which the battle is to be fought.
In other words, every man that does not wish
success to the Democratic party in the next
election is either a supporter or servant OF
the radical scheme of reconstruction, and
every man that does not act with the Demo-
cratic party in the next election assists the
radicals to the extent of his abstention. These
propositions are so plain that to discuss them
with elaborate argument is entirely superAu-
GUS. There may be yet, in the minds of re-
spectacle and intelligent people, doubt
as to the propriety of organizing local oppo-
sition to radicalism, as Democratic party
But these gentlemen should remember that
this is not q time to cavil about names The
Democratic party of Louisiana comprises at
least three-fourths of the white voters of the
State. Organized into compact and vigor-
GUS body, with the prestige of alliance with a
great and growing party, extending from
Maine to California, and numbering millions
of voters, ready to assist their Democratic
brethren in every State, in any way in which
assistance is needed, the white people of
Louisiana will gain moral strength which
they could achieve in no other way. If the
rest do not desire to enter the Democratic
organization, they can at least aid in the great
work of defeating the schemes of the radicals
by voting in opposition to the Constitution to
be presented by the Mechanics Institute Con-
vention. The reorganization of the Demo-
cratic party does not prevent any man from
doing his utmost to defeat that Constitution.
The Democratic party is the main army. If
regiments and companies of volunteers choose
to act in concert with it, in the struggle soon
to commence, so much the better. We take
it for granted that nobody that really wishes
to defeat the radical Constitution, will vote
for it, simply because the members of the
Democratic party are going to vote against it.
We repeat that three-fourths of the white
people of this State are anxious to reorgan-
lie the Democratic party Immediately, with a
view to an unmistakable recognition of the
heroic struggle which that party, throughout
the country, is now making, and will still
make to preserve the life of these States, the
rights and liberty of their people and the
cause of constitutional government. Many Of
our people opposed that party in past times,
on questions of policy,
Those questions are not now before the
country. Many ofthem have been defnitively
settled; and others have lapsed from the
public mind during the violent conflicts of
opinion arising out of new and more momen-
tous issues. If many of our people deplored
the death of that gallant party which SO long
disputed supremacy with the Democracy,
they have all had reason to mourn for the
subsequent defeats of its antagonists. The
people of the South know that the Democratic
party has been connected with much that is
glorious in our career; and they know, too, that
it has been ASSOCIATED from what, oflate years,
has been lamentable and disgraceful
That great party stands to-day as the
guardian of public liberty; as the protec-
tor of the rights OF the people, as the defender
of the liberties of the States. The Southern
man who declines to act with it in that con-
test in which his rights as a citizen are in
volved, isunworthy to enjoy the liberty which
he claims.
The receipts Of cotton at Shreveport for the
week ending the sth were GIG bales, against 996
for the corresponding week last year. Total re-