Le Louisianais. [volume] (Convent, La.) 1865-1883, 1869-11-20
@!r fouisiania',.
Saturday, November -, 1860.
SPURIOUS RADICALISM
AND
TRUE REPUBLICANISM.
:2.,,d.

Radical means root. work. The idea intended
TO be conveyed by those who assume that
and construct or reconstruct the social aud
political fabric on a sure and solid foundation.
II, in the course Of this investigation, we shall
demonstrate (as we intend to do) that the
essentials Of a permanent structure are absent
from their plans;-that they build on a sandy
or aerial basis, that they are deficient in, or
ignore the proper materials, and that they
have employed a~rtizans very unskilIed in the
important work they have undertaken, then it
will be conceded. that our ti,le-"Spurious
Radicalism" is not improperly chosen.
The base-wo'k Of Society is the family.
The domestic authority is, undeniably, direct
from the Creator. "Enos who was the son of
Seth. Seth who was the son Of Adam, and
Adam who was the son of God,' are the
words of the Sacred Volume, teaching US that
human paternity and all the domestic relations
have their orr gin in the Divinity. The %paternal
authority being an endowment from Heaven,
its legitimacy can not be called in question.
Its legitimacy implies the subordination Of
the other members Of the household: and it is
precisely this-,he rational exercise of autho-
rity justly obtained, and the voluntary yielding
Of due obedience, that constitutes the frame
work Of True Republicanism The family
circle, properly ruled, according 10 first
principies) is a true Republic; because, though
the authority is certainly a "one man power
it is exercised for the common good; while, on
the other hand, a power exercised for selfish
ends and in disregard Of the common veal,
though the rulers be many, and though the
Government be nominaIly Republic, is but
a pure despo,ism.
In forming the first man, the Creator was
not only his father; he was moreover his ruler,
his legislator, and his precep,or. lie gave him
laws to regulate his conduct and that Of his
family; and He instructed him in all things
necessary 10 attain the end for which he was
created.
But those functions: were exercised by the
Sovereign Creator directly, only towards the
first man, who "was besoiteu of Cod" Adam
had the same functions to discharge towards
those who were begotteu Of him. Thus, The
~progenitor oflithe human race, was at once
father, ruler, legislator, teacher, and priest
resnacting in the first domestic society, and,
through il, perpeuaating, the laws Of individual
and social life, received from the Creator
Himself.
G. lon- ~, AJc,s, o,.horttx. ,r,c oonEnel
to his own family %circlc,' it was, Of course,
purely domestic or paternal; but when his
children became fathers in their turn, ard the
first family was developed into several families,
and those families ware constituted a State,
each father Of a family was naturally the
domestic ruler of his own household but The
supreme power of the State resided in Adam,
who, even after the first State was subdivided
under Seth and Cain, continued to exponnd
and decide all questions Of morals, religion,
and public justice, in accordance with the
revelations which he had received from Inc
Almighty Father. This function Of expoundeE
and interpreter Of the laws of public justice
and morality, was perpe,uated in the an'edi.
luvian pa,riarchs, as &c discover in the Holy
Book, which informs us that Noah was the
eight preacher and Interpreter Of justice.
After The DeIuge, the same rule Of determln-
ing the requirements Of public justice and
public morality-pubIic morality is simply
politics rightly understanding, by referring
to thej primitive legislation or to the first
revelation (Which is the same thing) continued
to be observed; and that W. may have no
doubt of the necessity of seeking the truth in
things and of seeking it where alone it
can be found, we find the Holy Scriptures
again describing the ancient jerusalem as
'the city Of The truth"
Thus, it is clear that truth and justice,
legitimate authority and due obedience are
conditions underlying all human governments;
and whatever form or name the governing
power may take, it has no claim or right to
exemption from those conditions. For, as in a
family in which the revealed Truth of God is
ignored or disregarded no peace, no happiness,
no unity can possibly exist, SO in a State
is but an aggregation of families) a
like contempt Of revealed Truth, inevitably
|eads to social misery, aarchy, and finally,
TO barbarism.
AS above stated, politics are no other than
public morality; that is, the practice of morals
Society. And so, whether isolated or living
in Society, the Divine law must, a, bottom,
be mans rule Of action. We are not unmind.
full that = multitude Of our fellow citizens
insist that between religion and politics there
hould complete and irrevoeable divorce.
We hold in the contrary theory; and we think
'nough has been said in this article to demons.
rate, that according TO the primitive legisla. /
ion, they are inseparable. Furthermore, we
ely any one 10 find in tho history Of the
'uman race, an instance Of the falling back
nto barbarism Of any State or people, whose
egeneracy is not directly traceable to their
collation. Of the law of God.
We assume ow, that none, save a few {