The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-09-06

preserve them, patiently and silently,
until fitting time, when they should
burst forth in the splendor of victory
and reign supreme in constitutional
majesty The.time has not arrived for
the announcement of a strictly State
rights platform, nor for the vindication
.of sovereign rights. Victory must first
be achieved. To accomplish that we
must be united at home and join those
we least distrus5 at the North, when
the decisive battleis fought. We can
not accept the Valnndigbam platform.
To do so would be to surrender every
sovereign right belonging to a State.
To announce an cont and ont" State
rights platform would drive lukewarm
friends into the Republican ranks, and
widen the breach ;ilIea dy begun among
ourselves. Our true position is one of
silence and inaction. We will not
force our views upon those who claim
to be Northern Democrats, nor Will we
accept theirs but We will join them in
the fight against those who have plant
ed the banner Of centralism within the
sacred precincts of State sovereignty.
Let the Nallandigham party meet
in convention-draft platform and
nominate candidate for the Presiden-
cy. We will have nothing to do with
their platform or convention, but will
vote for the nominee as choice OF
evils. Should the South send dele
gates to that convention, they will be
bound in honor to abide its action, or,
in the eyentof the adoption of obnox-
ious measures, to withdraw from it.
withdraw would certainly elect the
Radical nominee; to remain would
bind them to "accept the situation
Either result would be terrible ca
lamity.
Silence and inaction on the part of
the South will heal the breach, and the
extreme measures of the Radical party
will drive Off the conservative element
from their own ranks. Should we sue
ceed and elect the Democratic candi-
date. while he may not come up to our
views in every particular, still, we ven
ture to hope that, his administration
will be more moderate than Grants
has been. 1t will be one step gained
in the right direction. We may then
begin to claim our constitutional rights.
The restoration of the Government to
a constitutional basis may then COM
mence. That restoration will necessa-
riiy be slow III its progress. The sub
version of the Constitution can be ac-
complished in a moments time. The
passage Of q law, like the Ku Klux
bill, can change, as it has done, our
whole form of Government into the
meauest OF despotisms. 1t is an easy
task to destroy u Government. 1t is
exceedingly difficult to re-organize it
upon just and equitable principles
Under the presentrule there is scarcely
a feature OF the Constitution preserved.
Were the revolutionary dead to arise
they would fail to recognize in the
present dynasty a single principle for
which they suffered and died. They
ewould find that the ship OF State they
left sailing before propitious gales had
been seized by pirates, >her rich cargo
squandered, her flag torn down, and
even her name changed.
1t is the high mission of Democracy
to. restore the Government to its con-
stitutional purity. To accomplish that
desirable end ev@y effort, consistent
with honor, should be used. The
greatest effort that we of the South are
called on TO make, in view of the sur
rounding circumstances, is to remain
silent and inactice until the day of bat
tle; on that day let us join any party
that proposes to fight and conquer the
minions in power who have wrested
from us the dearest rights of freemen.
Yours, truly,
WINDER P. JOHNSON.