New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-10-18
: THELEVEE COMPANY.


+ little more thar. it does, it would do NOR
good and have more power. 1t is llk
the Patriot, which only processes to b
opposed TO the Governor. Such platoon
. must strike any reasonable man as too mar
row to be useful, since the Governor is bu
one man in a party, and but an intege
: in the government. The State consists o
three departments, and these three mus
all conspire to be effective in the perpetra
ton of wrong. The Legislature being
the strongest arm of public authority
that is the responsible organ of mischief
if mischief has been done. The Bee, hike
the Patriot, refuses to accept this con
clusion, but insists on holding the Gov.
ernor responsible for all the evils which
it tortures out of passing events. As
sensible men must see that this is not
proper, SO they must see that the Bee is
either incapable Of detecting tie wrong
doer, or it is too perverse to do so. If it
is incompetent to trace error, it is Ger.
tainly not competent to lecture about its
prevention; if it has selfish purpose to
serve by disappearing the truth, it is
not worthy to be needed.
In delivering its opinion concerning
the action Of the Governor regarding the
levees, the Bee led off in Just that style Of
partisan Misrepresentation which will
follow in the Patriot 1t lays the blame
of enacting the levee bill upon the Gov
ernor, which is historically untrue; it
finds fault with his hardness in address,
ing the police juries, which is immaterial.
The levee bill owes its failure, if it has
failed, to Governor Warmoth, which is q
blessing the people of Louisiana will
never fully appreciate, and which We are
certain the Bee will never urge them to
remember him for. When the levee bill
was on its passage through the Legisla-
ture the Governor opposed it, and, when
it had been pushed through over his OPP
position, he threatened to veto it, but
the grantees of the bill agreed to sign a
release Of the State and the people from
the most Objectionable concessions. 1t
was we'll understood that the law would
pass over the veto, and the Governor
did the best thing he could, which was
to secure the public from the terrible |
rights which were proposed to be granted !
to the incorporators of the act in the |
original bill. And when the company, at |
q later day, sought to raise money by n.y.
pothecating the taxes which are to be col
lected in its favor, the Governor and the
Auditor promptly informed the corpora
tors that they would not be allowed to
draw any money from the treasury until
their work had been done, and it had
been accepted by the State. This supple
mental act, which was imposed upon the
and the refusal to allow the by.
9othecation Of the taxes except upon a
certain showing, are the main reasons
Why the levee company has failed. And
n the whole matter the community will
zee that Governor Warmoth has stood be-
ween it and grea: and mischievcus
peculation.
In the next place, the letter which the
Governor has addressed to the police
uries was immaterial, because it was only
piece of information which the Bee, OF
ny other organ of the public, might
ave uttered just as we'll. In fact, it was
lore the duty Of the Bee to warn the
lanters than it was that Of the Governor,
u it could do so with great deal more
ase, and quite as knowingly, since it as
lmes that such information should have
cen given weeks ago. Ithad all the means
information that the Governor had as to
1e reliability Of the company, since some
its friends were in the secrets, and as
avowed organ Of news, patriotism and
uty, the duty Of disbursing correct intel
gence, of great pith and moment to
le people, ought to be one of its blessed
nd most highly cherished prerogatives.
Thy did it not do its duty?
What auth ority is there in the law that
lows the Governor to interfere with the
evee Company? None whatever. What
as the Governor done that any citizen
light not have done? Nothing. He
Is written letter informing the police {
'ries that the company is without means
} build the levees, and that now the !
anters must look to their own protec-
On; and that, as the Governor, he will !
sist in securing the passage Of law
the riparian owners for their
ltlay. These very statements were made
Republican papers in this State before
e Governor published them in official b
ape, and the public knew it. The Bee G.
d nothing Of the sort, as it never sug- i,
SITS cure, because it has too much Il
ult to find with what has happened, Z
d which is incurable. If the Bee had Il
eyes in front instead of in the rear,
d was addicted to justice, it would 3
yer have employed its good English in O
iting what it published yesterday n
il
HALT! n;
It is with most profound regret we az
I'm that the blind fanaticis,n of the ii
Be- ~ l.. Al.