New Orleans Republican., 1868-11-16
THE PUBLIC CREDIT.

The credit of the State and that Of this
city is now at a very low ebb. and will so
continue so long as factious opposition to
all law is encouraged by the public press
and those who profess to be leaders ofpub-
lie opinion.
A very bad custom has obtained Of call
ing in question the validity OF all laws that
happen to be distasteul to certain deep
seated preiudices. Doubts as to the con
stitutionality OF this, that or the other meas
uVe Of the new State government ap-
pear in the public prints every day,
prompted obviously by interested mo-
tives. No sooner does sug-
gestion of the kind appear than it is taken
for granted to be true and adopted as a
rule OF action. The popular mind has
thus become misled and turned into a chan
nel which virtually amounts to contempt
for lawful authority.
The Metropolitan Police law is one Of
those that has met with the most iactious
opposition. Before any Of its provisions
have been passed upon and declared void
by any tribunal, the whole is treated as
nullity. The efficiency Of the police is
destroyed or greatly impaired, and a gen
eralfeeling of distrust peryades all circles,
most depressing in its tendency.
Another case in point is the one per cent
tax law recently passed for the extnguish-
ment Of the floating debt OF the State. In
stead Of regarding this law as binding
force and one 10 be obeYed by all good
citizens open opposition + counseled by
those who, unfortunately for the best inte-
rests Of the State, possess great influence.
A law, after having passed through the
forms prescribed by the Constitution, is
finding upon all the citizens of the State
and can only be disregarded at the peril Of
the transgressor. There ore the proper
tribunals for deciding controverted ques-
tons, but they have exclusive jurisdiction
By Withdrawing judicial cases from the
courts and settling them eT pdrts in the par
tlsan newspapers, we relapse into anarchy
and endanger the public peace, shake the
general confidence, and paraIyze the credit
Of the State and city.
Those who question the authority of the
present civil government and the validity
OF the acts of the Legislature are generally
men of obsolete ideas.-men who regard
the Constitution of 1852 as yet in force,
and the thirteenth and fourteenth amend
ments to the Constitution Of the United
States as mere planks in party platform.
Bourbon like, they are incapable of learn
ing modern history. They can not raise
their ideas out Of the old channels in which
they were schooled fifty years ago But
they regard the old system of government,
with all its imperIecIions and incongruities,
as the one that controls and underlies the |
legal system of 1868.
While we are thus stammering through |
the alphabet of the new system, we lose |
sight of the fact, that NE are daily losing
ground in matters of supreme moment. st. |
Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati, and even Gal
weston AMI Indianola are perfecting COM
meroial arrangements detrimental to the |
interests Of Ibis city and State. Our i'm
paired credit, and the general disorder ap-
parent all over the State, act as powerful
'alxiliaries to the 'shrewl, calculating
business men and capitalists of the North
and West who see their advantage, and
are now endeavoring TO profit by the er-
rors of our people.
1t is the first duty Of every good citizen
to endeavor by every means in his power
to restore the public credit and the conf
dence in stability of the new order of
things. This can not be accomplished by
persisting in course of factious opposition
to everything emanating from the civil
government that does not conform to the
ancient prejudices Of peculiar class of our
people, who once were the ruling class.
If there are errors in our system Of laws,
let them be removed by constitutional
means, and through the employment of
constitutional agencies.