The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-03-06
LOUISIANA:
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HER SITUATION AND HER PfOSPECTs

Few if any Of the States of the Soul
were more thoroughly prostrattd til;
Louisiana at the close of the war. II
domestic animals and farming implemen
/ had been contiscated or destroyed; h,
{ most fertile lands were overtlowed an
overgrown with weeds and bushes; Il
fences We're decayed; the labor system
on which reliance had previously bee
placed, was completely overturned al,
demorallzed, and the planters were who
ly without means to restock their plant;
tions and properly work them, Such
situation, it must b. admitted, was sutf
GENTLY discouraging. But the stel
lessons of the war had familiarized ou
people with difficulties, and inspired ther
with reliance on their own strong arm
which they never knew before. Bot
men and women, who, in their days c
prosperity, had always been surrounde
by servants, learned to help themselves
and to assert the glorious privilege Of
self-sustained independence.
The planter who previously relic.
upon an overseer took the management
of his affairs into his own hands, ant
when necessary, became his own plow
man. In this way, though defeated il
one field, he became conquerer in an
other, and by self-assertion and persever
ing energy, succeeded in bridging ovcl
the abyss which gaped before him. While
thus struggling be has been stimulated
by the rivalry of Northern and Western
men, who have come hither, attracted by
the fertility of our lands, and have
brought with them the enterprise and
labor.saving ingenuity which have &C.
complished such wonders in less p.oduc.
tive portions of our country.
AS matters now stand, our people
have much to encourage them-so far,
at least, as material interest is concerned.
They have their plantations again in til
liable condition, their staple products COM
mand remunerating prices, and the pros
pect fwalling out the Mississippi, always
kind friend but dangerous master, is
now better than it ever has been since
the day when, under the cruel cxigencs
of war, the levces were first broken.
Furthermore. the advantages of our po-
sition are beginning to be generally un.
stood, and the spirit of enlightened and
far-seeing enterprise is manifesting itself
in new railroad and steamboat lines and
new appliances for the facilitation of an
enlarged prospective commerce.
But if we have reason to be encouraged
as to our agricultural and commercial
in political matters our situa-
tion is far from being satisfactory. The
seeds of corruption introduced into our
public affairs by "loil" adventurers and
political parasites, have brought about
state of decentralization which is utterly
Before the war, when our
law makers were of our own people, our
representatives were in the main hon
orable men," To introduce a corrupt
scheme into the Legislature for the pur-
pose of plundering the community, would
brand the name Of the proposer with
nfamy, and to attempt to put such a
measure through by bribery would have
oeen no: only disgraceful but exceeding
y dangerous. Now, all this is changed.
The Goths and Vandals who came among
is to profit by our misfortunes, brought
With them their own peculiar notions of
and morality. Jackals of the
|rmy, they profit by the plunder which
S found in the footprints of the brave.
When the House Of Prayer was, of old,
into a den of thieves, the
;hange was not more startling and pecu-
lar than that which has taken place
incc the war in our legislative halls.
Never before was corruption so barefaced
'enalit7 so avaricious, usulpation so
hameless. For the good things brought
IS from the North-the skill, the industry
he perseverance-we are truly thank
ul. We welcome with outstretched
rms the Northern men who come here,
S TO home, for the purpose of aiding
n the legitimate development of our re-
ources and Of participating in the ad-
antages of our situation. Against such
here are no prejudices. But those who
ave come to Cypress us in our day of
inhalation and weekness-to profit by
ur necessities-to tax us without our
onsent and divide our revenues a1hong
1emselves through shameful subsidies,
oppressive monoplies, and all sorts OF
isgraceful tavoritism-occupy an en- {
rely different position, Human nature t
'ust be altogether changed defore they {
an be respected. The consciousness I
being hated and despised may render |
lem reckless, but even in their reckless t
ess they must remember the stain upon
leir names and the debasement to which |
ley subjected themselves for filthy lucre, t
nd they can feel no surprise that an
nnasca h1o ,hxec Eoc bofuoau fhem and t