The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-05-24
D0minecring Influence Of Radical
ism.


Lees surrender at Appomattox, that
required Jefferson Davis to put seal
on his lips and forever after to hold his
peace9 There are those who think so,
and who are in twitter of nervous ex-
element whenever he uses his tongue,
even to thank his friends for their civ
ilities to him. They seem to think
that he cannot speak without offence to
the "lOyaP' of the North, and the con-
sequent damage of Democratic pros
poets. The Democratic party has
nothing to expect or hope for from this
style of "lOyalty." Radical "loyalty,"
indeed, means treason to free govern
ment in this country, and 'Ioyalty" to
an Imperial dynasty under "Grant the
Little" These same ''loyalists" will
equally curl their lips and he equally
offended, as if something had come he
twixt "the wind and their nobility" if
the Constitution of the United States is
SO much rs mentioned in their pres
ence. That Constitution does not form
an element in their ideas of the "Ne,c
Nation" which, as they hold, grew out
of the war. 1t is in the way, in short,
ut their Imperial plans and purposes.
Mr.. Davis can afford to be sneered at
in company with that charter of Amer
lean freedom. These spasms on the
Democratic side would only excite
laughter, were they not an indication
of a serious fuct-that fact being the
domineering influence that Radicalism
has acquired over the public mind. 1t
prompts the question: Are the people
of this country morally conquered by
g. -, 3 ~
was being formed at Perryville, there
was a m"mentary flutter at point
where General Bragg stood. He re-
stored instant order 10y the brief ques-
ton, "Didn't you come here to fight,
men 7" and we repeat it to the Demo-
cratic party: are we going to fight Rad
icalism or not 7 Did we come out to
see reed shaken by the wind, or to
assert and stand to our principles p
Now, if we are afraid of our own great
cause, and make haste to hide lis light
under bushel, so that the enemy can
not see it; if we tremble every time
: Grant and Morton and Butler shake
their Ku-Klux locks at us, and 60 into
0 fit of delirium tremens if Mr.. Davis
says to a party of serenaders, "Thank
you, my friends )" we ask in what fight
ing condition do we come to the front
to save our country from the hands of
r its desp0ilers7 "Thricc is he armed
] whose cause is just" is an adage of
universal acccptation. The modern
reading seems to be, the mere We hus-
tile our cause out of sight, and the more
we quake with fear in the presence OF
n our bullying foe, the surer we are OF
= wi hn fv
8 means to win, it must pluck up cOur-
S aye, raise its banner with every great
: principle it fights for blazoned upon it
S aud assault Radicalsm along its whole
: rotten line. There never was more
J. vulnerable party than the Radical. II
IL is covered from head to foot with fes
n tering political sores, and stepped il
e crimes against the institutions Oul
e fathers established and solemnly be
y Quethed to our veneratiOn and defence
lie In this contest "audacity is prudence,
is and the battle is to the bravest. II
a ten years of power the Radical part.
is has brought the country to the verg
d of ruin. 1t has loaded the people dow
1t with taxes, beginning with the cradl
J. and ending with the very nails of TIL
L coffin; it has oppressed the poor an,
exalted tho rich /; it has made food
D. raiment and every necessity of life dea
IS to the consuming millions and flOOde
ic the favored classes in Government
it bounties, stolen by its legislation on
Or of the profits of the people; it has mu
TX tilated, insulted aud trampled upO
at the fundamental law-thc CODstitu
- ton it has made open war upon tn
- rights of the States it has surrounde
ne the ballot urns, even in the "loyal
a States, with bayonets; it has refuse
rb to accept the union of the States, whic
lg it mendaciously and hypocriticaH
to avowed was the only object of its aw
w full waste of life and treasure it has
~ with cowardice unparalleled in his
it tory, broken its treaty of peace an
v violated its stipulatiOns when the SOnt
nd laid down its arms it has disfrancliise
lie nearly one-fourth of the white citizen
nd ship of the country, and subordinate
IL them to an African race, incapable {
ir. intelligent political action; it has excl
Oh ciscd ruthless power in excludin
W. from their seats in Congress member
an endorsed by their constituents, an
all seated non elected creatures of the
". own shade of partizanship, and it h;
disgraced the character of the Amer
can government in the eyes of all civ
4 ilized nations, by the most rockies
u' unfeeling, unstatesmanlike and tyral
meal use of the power of a conquer'
Dl- over the conquered. recorded in hist
* ry since the days of Attila aud Atari
lat We repeat, the body of that party
we full of putrid sores. 1t is n stencil
he the nostrils of justice and humanit
le- and is an Achilles heel from top to to
ay Did ever criminal stand so naked b
'as fore tribunal of justice2 Did ev
for political party before present SO we;
nd and inviting target for the shots
The its enemies And yet we are cou
in selled not to probe and expose the
sit sores, not to dwell on and lay ba
the their criminal measures to the peopl
of lest we disturb "dead issues" and {
ess fend sensibilities that sprang from t
her war. Is that war over, or is it not Z
It The Radicals say not, and that tn
At must be kept in power to garner all
,ok precious fruits. Can the people of t
ex- North believe or trust them d
Ia they not drag you to the field a
in slaughter you by the tens of tllousan
H., to save the Union, and end by rejet
be ing the Union when it was offer
RIM, them as the price of victory9 Is t
in Union saved yet? Is the writer
me these lines in the UniOn-ontlawed C
mr., ;,o,, ho and TNrhi61pn nv For