The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1871-07-22

oil Hhn.t w. ~apt'on HnH tyranny, subvertins
all hoerty. ana rendering the rights of all mel
insecure. When we speak Of the federal consti
tution, we mean the whole instrume mt, with al
ns amendments, and ac knowledge the euua
onmsation OF every part. Sever al Of those
frauds upon the public will 20 glsrinQ 90 to take
from their authors all claim upon our rc.nect
But we cannot deny that they have actual,
become a part of the constitution nor can We
avoid that,fact, nor get behind it, by showing
the corrupt misconduct of the men who at thai
tlme controlled Congress and mastered the State
Legislatures. Whosoeyer swears to support the
constitution must perform all that is nominated
IN the bond" Amy change which experience and
III the prescribed way, and moi by revolutionary
ana dlsorderly means.
THE DECLARATION OF 1871.
No candid person will denv that the leading
men in power at Washington have been uniaith
tul to their duties. They have broken the pied &c
they made to the people, and, in reckless disre-
safa OF ther oaths they have violated the plain
deprived the States of their sacred right of self
government in matters purely local, and dis
armed them of the power to enforce their own
laws for the preservation Of order within their
pains and penalties, operating millions at
once without regard to the guilt or Innocence
of the parties: They have tramplcd on all the
securities Of life, liberty nd prope rty They
have treated the habeas corpus law with con
tempt and denied the right of trial by jury.
They have sent out swarl,s of their hireling
agents with instructions to kidnap, imprison
and Kill free citizens for political Offences, with
out Judicial accusation, vi tllOut warrant and
without trial. They have not only troddcn
upon the great principles embodied in the origi-
nal Constitution, as it can nle from the hands of
its Trainers, but even the amendments, which
they themselves intcrpolated, have been broken
without remorse Whenever It suited their i'll
terests. In defiance Of the thirteenth amendment
they have doomed many persons to the worst
kind Of slavery involuntary seryitu3e' in
the public prisons. without the pretence OF any
''crme whereof the party was legally convict
ed" In the face Of the Xl\Ith they have ablidg-
ed tlie equal rights" of Whole masses of white
citizens. Without the least respect for the right
OF universal suffrage, guaranteed by the XVIII,
they have interfercd both forcibly and traudu-
lently to prevent fair elections, and to set them
aside after they were heHi. These outrages
upon justice, liberty and Inv have been perpe-
trated, not during the conflict Of a civil war
not in moments of wild passion or heated excite
mcnt-but in cold blood, upon deliberate refec-
ti"n in time OF profound peace, in full view Of
The consequences, and theit authors have fol-
lowed out this line of policy, step by step, with
persistency which shows their fixed determi.
nation for the future. rs in the past to he bound
by 10 oath aud held hy no PROMISE The two
last and most important of their anti-constitu-
:innai measures show more distinctly than others
their settled design to stran.ie the liberties Of
the nation, and take perl,e dual power into their
own hands The force bill authorizes the Presi-
dent, not only to invade the States at his pleas
urc. but by declaring martial law to subvert all
government. except what SuIss lists OF his mere
will. Under the election law his canon is planted
directly against the frceduti, OF State elections
Already the bayonets of the executive have
CLEANED around the polling places in the cities
of New York and philadelphia. Who can mis-
take the meaning of these preparations for the
next Presidential election Who doubts that
warning and rehuke are neetlcd now to prevent
the administration from CARRYING out its purpose
by forcef If the warning be not given by the
people or fail Of its proper effect, can We hope
for peace 1t seems TO lis error to suppose the
American people tame ell nough to he kicked
under the yoke of tlespotism, or ignorant
enough to be jugglel out of the great inheritance
of free government which the fathers left them.
ROTTESNEss OF THE All ADMINISTRATION.
We complain of our present rulers for the law
less usurpatiOn of power Power not delegated
is always abused In this, as in other cases,
usurpatiOn has been accompanied and followed
by corruption. Frauds without number, and
almost without limit, have been committed ON
the public Men of the worst characters for
common honesty are permitted to occupy the
highest places. OF the mondy collected from the
people, and not stolen before it reaches the treas
ury a large portion is squandered by Congress
on party favortes or corrupt rings, and on COM
binations of public plunderers. The enormous
extent to which this financial corruption has
been carried will become manifest to any one
who compares the expenslit nres of the govern
ment during the six years which followed the
civil war. Both were periods Of peace and there
can be no excuse for more than small increase
corresponding to the ratio in which the popula-
ton has advanced. But VIII ere the ordinary ex-
penditurcs for the fiscal year ending june 1870,
exclusive Of indian annuities, pensions, and in-
terest on the public debt, " ere $l48. .669,92 43,
for the year ending June l, 1860, the expendi-
lures for the same purpose were but 55,9l8, 1873.
Here is shown the difference between the ordi-
nary cost of carrying on our government when
its agents are honest, and the cost of the same
when it's officers arc 40 destitute of moral princi
ple as to disregard all legal limitations upon
their own authority. A free, unperverted repre-
sentative government is simple III it's machinery,
easily maintained. and "dis penses its blessings
like the dews Of Heaven, unseen q md unfelt,
save in the beauty and freshness they contribute
to produce;' the secure tranquility of q regal
establishment may sometimes be compensa-
ton for the burdens it imposes. but a rotten re-
public is at once the most eosty the % most OPP
THE IssUEs.
1t will surely he admitted that all American
citizens who believe these facts to ije true are
bound by the sacred obligations Of patriotism,
honor and conscience to oppose this state of
things, and by opposing end it. The persons in
tercsted in preventing q change will ask how,
and to what extent, and by what means we pro-
pose to make refornss The question is fair
one, and we will answer it briefly. 1t will be the
duty of the Democratic party, and to the extent
of our authority, original or delegated, We here
by pledge ourselves and our associates, 30 lar as
In as lies
1. To put the ship of State once again on her
constitutional tack and hold her head firmly and
steadily to that course.
2. TO protect the individual citizen Of all par
ties, classes and creeds in til enjoyment Of life,
liberty, property, reputation and the pursuit Of
their lawful business, by al impeEative admins.
tration of justice iu the ordained aud established
courts.
g. To preserve the power Of the General Gov
erument in their whole constitutional .vigor rs
our sole defence against foreign aggression, the
safest bond of union between different sections
of the country and the only sure promise OF gem
eral prosperity.
4. To maintain, unimpaired. the reserved
rights of the States not only because they are
guaranteed by the Federal Constitution, but
because the States alone can safely be trusted
with the management of their own local con-
Germs. ,
S. To reduce tho expenditures of the govern
ment by continuing it's appropriations ts iegiti-
mate objects, by rigid system Of accountability
and economy, and by abolishing muc ch Of the
unnecessary and pernieious machinery with
which it ia now encumbered.
6. To moderate the burdens of the people, not
only ny economical admin istration, but by a
system of taxation npon foreign imports well
ns domestic productions wliel, shall he Just aud