The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1870-11-02
The Discussion Oh Thursday Night,

Gen. Mcceery spoke in this place on Thursday night
last Instead of in Brewers Hail. as at first proposed,
they spoke from the stand in Market street The audi
ence large both whites and blacks having turned
out with commendable zeal McCleery's speech was well
delivered but when analysed amounted to but little.
He dealt in gtering generalities- claiming that he
and the Radical party in favor of railroads and
internal improvements geneally-tha he was and had
always been an advocate of universal amnesty. lie
claimed that the country now demanded centralized
government. Said he was opposed to deprivng any
State person of his rights, losing sight OF the tact
that his theory, of centralized government would
necessarily swaep every vestige of State rights from
the Constitution and thus subvert the fundamental
principles upon which the Government founded
and under which the country prospered to an extent
unparalleled in the worlds history, and would have
continued to prosper but for this hydraheaded mon
ster called Radcalsm which having birth in base envy
of so-called arstocratic Shareholders and in maudin
and mistaken sentimentalty, grew and strengthened
by appealing at the time to some of the best and
some of the basest instincts of the human heart
The speaker, as before said, claimed that he and
his party in favor of railroads. land who is not
but he failed to tell his auditors how appropriations
were made by the Radical Congress for these same
roads He neglected to tell that when All appropria-
ton is required for any purpose whatever the company
or party asking it down beforehand and figure out
how much it will require to do the proposed work,
how much clear profit is to be made, and over and
above all costs and profits how much is needed to buy
the votes of Radical Congressman to secure the pas
sage of the bill. After this is figured out an appro-
od for amnly coyPT
profits and brides. This is no idle assertion, but is
fact patent to every intelligent in the land Tn
der Radical rule justice itself is bought and sold as
vegetables in market,stall The Government is run
in the interests of moneyed ciques and unprincpled
peculaors-everythng bends to the behests of man.
mon. From Grant down to the humbest clerk in any
of the Departments its potent influence is bowed to
and its universal sway acknowledged. And hence it is
that there can be heightened discussion of the poll
tics of the day in times past. Such discussion must
needs resolve itself into charges and denias of pecu
latons, frauds and thefts. High sounding words and
studied rhetoric and classical illusions go for nothing
for they amount to nothing. National politics, even
honestly administered resolve themselves into the ques
tons of tariff and of irresponsible and unlimited
power OF Congress- tyranny not OF one man, but IN
fnitey worse, of the prejudced, minded many,
who have ridden into Office upon the meanest passions
of the masses, and who devoid of all the elements of
enlightened craftsmanship, make it their highest ambi-
ton to push through by bribery, rickery and ogro
ing any bills the passage of which will put money in
their own purses-uttery regardless of the influence
these bills may upon the general welbeing of
the country.
The Radical party, not content with tramping upon
the reserved rights of the States-not satisfied with
usurping powers properly belonging where they were
placed by the wise trainers of the Constitution as it
was not abashed in their mad passion for power,
at the preparation of crimes which make mercy weep
and justice away her face-must lay polutng and
impious hands upon the Judiciary itsef-the palladium
of peoples lberty-the fountain which should be
kept pure as the crystal waters that gush from the
mountain rock All these things and more, infinitely
more, too well known to be covered over by high
sounding phrases about Greece and Rome, and the ad.
vocacy of Pacific railroads and general amnesties.
| 1t might have been supposed by some that Judge
Ryan did not the arguments of his adversary
but after exposing the injustice to the South of pro-
tectiye tariff, which operates preudically the
sumer, really puts money in thQNatona treasury
anu only enflcDeS NOTlneFH tuauuldCtultta - aittl
agreeing with him in the advantages of rairoadsaeE
ridcung the pretended love Of the Down casters for
the poor slave by abiding TO the fact that these tender
hearted creatures were responsible for his being here
there was absolutely nothing more to answer. II
would have consumed more time than was at his dis
posal for the Judge to have exposed the damnable
heresy of the Radical party, that the States are moi
sovereign and to have shown that the ghts of the
States were jeaously guarded by the trainers o.
the Constitution. He did not alude to Gen. McCeery:
position against the right of State to secede And
to what purpose would it have been? Our power tc
secede was settled by the right to do so i:
an open question, but far as the politics OF day
are concerned, dead issue.
Judge Ryan made scsthipg review OF the course
of the Radicals in this State-a subject which Gen
McCleery was evidently anxious to evade, and so
claimed that, they were not candidates tor STATE
offices, they had nothing to do with State politics. He
however INDUCED in some sophistry in comparing TIT
State taxes with those of the city and parish He dit
not however, tell that while the parish bears TIL
expense of the courts of the feeding of paupers
criminals, and many other necessary expenditures
and the city government has the expenses of stree
ana all puDiC W Dear, tle otdte gives
back to the people of Shreveport and of Caddo parish
absolutely nothing in return for the taxes paid but ba
laws and forty miles of levee the Mississippi river
But we have extended this much longer than we in
tended, and will close by remarking that the meetn!
was characterized by orderly conduct -- nothing o
an unpleasant nature occurring Gen. McCleerys speec
was concilatory and, considering the weakness of hi
cause credtable effort. OF course he could no
forego the opportunity of occasionally putting in lit
tie cap-trap for the especial benefit of his colore
friends We had never before heard Judge Ryan, ant
we're pleased to see that the fire of his earlier years ha
not been ouenched by time and that, Notwithstanding
the difficulty he experiences in speaking in the ope
air. he expressed himself with distinctness well
forcibly and we'll.
Shdet, SO Texas street, offers SPLENDID watches
clocks, jewery, diamonds, and everything pertaining
to his line of business cheap.
1t may be difficult for to understand how th
Radicals Of this parish act in harmony, after tn
Trades of abuse and vtuperaon that passed between
the factions during the prevalence of the split An