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

Communicated
TFae Bee aald the Democratic
Party.
7 The N. O. Bee, in q recent editorial I'M
der the caption Of a.Nominations ftr NUM-.
eipal Office" after Mentioning the post
ponement of the Convention, called for. the
4th of March BY the Central Committee,
used the following language
1.-THE time has gone by when a few gen.
tlemen--eld pelitieak engineers-caasme meet
in some private apartment and determine
upon grave proceedings Ike these" the
~postponement of the convention( (which
dispose of tho rights and interest Of their
constituents, without giving the press an
opportunity of diseussingthe propriety Of
the action they propose to take"
1--WE wish once for all to get rid, if it be
possible, Of the old circle of politicians who
have for so long q time MANAGED our city
affairs. "sa5tsR @s#e@ n =%s"@ pes
Is it true. that the time has gone by when
q Sew gentlemen-old political engineers
-can meet in private and determine, with,
Otb tIRRGdl, w lidk Stld1f #oO PdA " tooAtS di1d
who shall become candidates for office,
Is not the evil, (aHd such it unquestionably
isl one that is necessarily incident to the
very existence of any party? Can a party
exist without leadership? Can leadership
exist without adequate power andinfnence,
and can this power and influence continue
without ~corrupting the leaders? History
affords but few instances Of pure men in
high places, while its pages are filed with
the records of those who have prostituted
their position to the profrotson 81 persolal
interests. Especially is this true in this
country. where the ''rank and file of the
party really have had NJ will of their
own, but have blindly followed their lead,
ers, right or wrong, r att J..
1t has invariably been the. case with
all successful parties, that the mass Of vo-
tiers have carried out the 'behests Of their
chiefs; and it is fair to presume that they
win continue to dc SO. 1t is useless to in
quire how or why it is SO; but that it is SO,
none know better than those very ''old po-
litical engineers" who shrewdly calculate
that the dear people will never inquire into
their authority for any action they may
take in reference to party measures. Hence,
"A or B can, with 9 and d, constitute
themselves a committee in any parish of
the State, and order conventions, pass reso.
lntions and make nominations, which no
one takes the trouble to dispute, in which
every one acqniesces. True, this is moth
ing more than successful impudence in A
or B, originally, but it is soon exalted iuto
talent; genius, power, station and aoeatth.
The Bee goes on to remark that the 'De
rnocratic party eannes be kept together IN
der any such system as this &c. Perhaps
net. II the party go to pieces, it. will not
be due 50 much to the system of manage
ment, as to the corruption among its hith-
erfo recognised leaders. But it is our duty
to prevent the d~i,integration Of the party,
and for many cogent reasons Us
1t alone, as a party, has offered any Or
ganized resistance to the Radicals; and
whether we like the name or not, we must
fight under their banner, or waste our ener-
gies in ~fruitless d~issen>ions which can do
US no good and may give the enemy. a new
lease OF power. y '*
The country groans under Radical rule,
and the people distrust the Democratic
leaders. What shall we do ? Go onin the
old way, submitting to party hacks and old
politicians, who Think they have a prescrip-
tive right to control the country? By no
means. And here we come to the Bees
wish to be rid ''of the old circle of politi-
clans" The people will join hands witt
you, Mr.. Editor, in that wish. THY will
say let US keep the party and its name, but
turn out its old managers and put in young
er, holder. and honest men to pilot it into
power.
To do this let me suggest that the City
papers carry out the resolution adopted by
the Conservative Press Convention lately
held in New Orleans, and "call a corven-
ton of the people without respect to party
to assemble in the city of New Orleans on
the 23d day of April, 1870"
When this conyenti.n assemblies, let it
r~eorganize the Democratic party. Put it
in charge ofhonest men, and then you will
have a Conservative Democratic party
which the people will heartily support.
l f L. Il. r..