The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-07

One of the so-called senators has intro
duced bill to enforce the 18th article of the
thing which carpet-baggers and scalawags
call the Constitution of the State of Louisiana.
This article is the one which places, or at
tempts to place, in the hands of the Legisla-
ture, the right and the power to merge all
private rights-the rights which laws and
constitutions are designed to protect-into
so-called public rights, which have no exist
ence except in the minds of ignorant and
untutored people who suppose that liberty
means the right of everybody to what he
pleases, and to force everybody else to do
likewise. The person who introduced this bill
probably took the official return of the State
canvassers for the true result of the late
election in Louisiana, and thence infers that
his absurd, iniquitous and tyrannical measure
can be imposed on the public. If he would
simply reflect that $4,000 men voted for Sey-
mour, and that those $4,000 men are a large
majority of the people of the State, he
would, probably see the futility of any at
tempt to defy their wishes and to subiugate
their will. If only a minority were opposed
to this measure-it only one man protested
against it as a violation of inalienable and
impresc1iptible right, it would be a brutal
and despotic exercise of power but as it is
opposed by large majority of the people
by that majority which constitutes the public
opinion of the State, it becomes simply i'm
possible. Senator Pinchback wastes his
time in the pursuit of a chimera, and a |
chimera which, if he should succeed in over |
taking it, would prove as disastrous to him, |
and his friends and his race, as "Gor- |
gons and Chimeras dire" The 18th article |
will never be enforced in Louisiana, simply |
because it cannot be enforced. Let the |
Legislature take warning in time.
The European kilograms have lately said
good deal about a change of the official organ
of the French government. For many years,
in fact ever since the days of the first revolu-
ton, the Moniteur has been the organ of the
governmental real organ, not pretending to
independence of thought or opinion, or in
deed, to any thoughts or opinions at all, but
simple vehicle of communication between
the government and the people. Whether
the administration was Directorial, or Consul
/
or Republican, the Moniteur was always its
official mouthpiece. A complete file of that
paper would afford remarkable commentary
on the fluctuations of public opinion, and
the changes Of government in France during
the last seventy-fve years. 1t would be in
ttresting to find it one day speaking in the
name of Barras and the Directory and the
next publishing the proclamations of the
victor of the 18th Brumaire one day calling
the people to arms to sustain the cause of
Lhe emperor, and the next day announcing
he restoration of the Bourbons one day
speaking in the name of Charles X and Po-
ignac, and the next in that of Louis Phil
ippe, the ciizen king.
1t appears, however, that the Moniteur is
lot owned by the government, but owes its
,ficial relations with the authorities to a con-
ract Louis Napoleon has terminated this
contract, and intends to set up paper of his
'wn. 1t seems that he designed to call the
lew concern the "Moniteur," but the courts
lave decided that the name is the property
# the owners of the existing publication,
nd that it cannot be usurped by any one
lse.