The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-12-03
MONDAYS Defeat.


The causes of this most melancho
~ result are easily stated.
Neither a hopelessness of thei7
cause, nor a too great confidence O
success, generally two main causes
Of failure, operated to lose the da1
to the Democrats: they knew they
could carry the State and they
knew equally as we'll they might
fail to carry it. Hence, the neces
slty of prudent action was every
where felt and acknowledged.
Neither are we willing to believe
that the defeat Of the Democracy is
attributable, in this part of the
State, to Radical frauds, althouoh
no doubt frauds were perpetrated
by onr opponents. The point at
which they contemplated to effect
our defeat by fraud, if fraud became
necessary, was never reached: the
indifference of the Democrats oD-
portunely interviewed to make that
unnecessary.
This indifference proceeded from
causes well calculated to produce
such fruit. Pains were not taken
oy the Democratic leaders to con
suit what kind Of candidates and
what line Of policy would most GER
talnly inspire the people with hope
and courage; nor has any effort
whatever been made by these lead
ers to make successful the policy
they did recommend for popular ap-
prOval.
In the State Convention which
met in New Orleans, the incipiency
of the folly which has worked SO
successfully for the Republicans,
had its origin. A foolish wrangle
took place there which prudent
politicians would never have per
mitted, and degree of credulity
shown ilf the selection of State off
GERS which was almost startling.
Men were nominated who were al
most entirely unknown. who pos
sessed no strength, could arouse no
enthusiasm and who have since
their nomination taken no visible
interest i'll the success Of their tick
ct. The State Central Committee,
under the control of Mr.. Frank
Hatch, who was an efficient man
when John Slidell reigned, has been
of no service to the party, and the
result has been a demoralized, effete
and mismanaged campaign.
The policy selected by the State
Convention. of disregarding the
positive merits of individual men,
bers, and choosing for candidates
men whose chief merit lay in the
fact that they approximated to the
Republican standard, seems to have
been the policy generally followed
in the selection of local candidates.
In some parishes the Democrats
have run men whose political where
abouts it has frequently puzzled the
best experts to determine, they
were so undecided and timid, and
the consequence has been that the
people, marking this apparent ten
der Of an armistice, have. either re-
manned quietly at home, or else
simply discharged only the personal
obligation Of polling one vote.
Thus, the governing element of
the party was paralyzed, and the
active, progressive wing disarmed,
without any corresponding benef-
cial change on the part of that class
of voters sought to be conciliated.
We Were tied to dead men and ex-
peeted to fight in a cause possessing
not the least element of enthusiasm,
except the bare hope of defeating
the Radicals. ..
And even after. this programe
had been laid down by our leaders,
and they became responsible for it's
success, what did they do to secure
that end9 When they ought to
have been active, they were mac
tive, and the people from this ar
gued that the day was lost and any
expenditure of means or any display
of zeal was useless. And thus our
defeat came about
KING OF SPAIN.-Amadeus Fer