The Opelousas courier., 1868-09-26
An Effective Check Upon Radi-
cal Legislation.

In an able and telling speech delivered
a few evenings since to the Seymour Lee
gion by our accomplished fellow citizen
MIR. James Is. Eustls, among other happy
remarks, he said that if Warmoth and
his associates continued to rule the State
tor four years, they would strip us of our
last dollar. And truly, very simple
calculation in figures will enable any one
to satisfy himself on that point. The
cost OF the present session of the Legis-
laturc, and the loss accruing to the State
by its wild and infamous measures, will
certainly exceed five millions of dollars
How are the impoverished people Of
Louisiana going to stand work like that
1t is true we have borne good deal and
our rccaperatiye energy is wonderful,
but they may lay upon us as burdens we
are not able to bear-they may break the
back OF the Louisiana camel by putting
thereon 1.-The last ounce And what
care they! Their mission is robbery.
When they have squeezed the juice from
the Louisiana orange they will throw it
away with undisguiscd contempt. These
men have come down here just as people
went to California during the gold fever,
to pick up what they could get. and re-
turn to 1.-The States.'
| In very few months we shall begin to
feel the burden under which we labor,
| and the results Of the work now being
/ done in the Mechanics Institute. The
/ taX-gatherer will shortly be on his trav-
/ els, for the State Government cannot al
ways be carried on with borrowed mon .
ey The interest on the State Bonds
must be paid and all other numerous de-
mands upon the Treasury. It is to the
income from taxes these people look
with longing eyes. Is any one silly
enough to believe that the accounts OF
the Treasury will be faithfully kept!
What security have these officers given
for their fidelity Bonds Are they
like the bonds taken by the Marshal OF
the United States Supreme Court in sew
eral notorious eases tried or pending in
that Court! Bonds for large amounts
signed by men OF no pecunlary respon-
sibility whatever, men who the moment
after they had signed bonds for sums like
twenty, fifty or hundred thousand dol
lars stepped into the Bankruptcy office
adjoining the COURTROOM and relieved
,, themselves Of their liabilitiest
Some Of our country contemporaries
the Baton Rouge Gazette and Comet and
the Courier Of tie IfcIe among the mum.
ber--have earnestly urged the proprlety
OF our Withholding payment OF taxes to
, the State,- on the ground that tins GOV
!, erunlent is one which has been imposed
upon Us at the point Of the sword and is
; carried on. net tor our benefit but to our
irremediable injury. The power OF With
holding the means OF carrying on the
: Government when that Government is
perverted from i,s. legitimate purpose
has always been claimed and exercised
> bv our ancestors as a constitutional
power-a power inherent in the people
t and the most elective means OF restrain
e ing their rulers from pursuing measures
L 1 10 which the people were opposed. Ii
u the United States, the people have never
had occasion until now to consider th'
propriety Of exercising this right, but i
: Is one upon which dire necessity ma,
= compel them to fall back. But to maxi
u this right effective, the people must b
u united standing together as one man
IL the State Government in the collection o
L taxes can be rendered perfectly power
l. less. reduced to condition OF complet
'e servitude which is it's real relation to til
e people. We think the time is at han
+ when the citizens of Louisiana must de
: iberate upon this vital subject, and "
y trust the delegates to the approaehln
H. State Convention OF the Democratic PAL
I ty will come prepared to express tn
20 will of their constituents thereupou.
s..#. N. O. Bee, 18th.