The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-08-23
The Next Political Campaign,

The Next Political Campaign.
Before many months shall have
elapsed, the people of Louisiana will
be on the eve of one of the most excit-
ing political campaigns which have
ever been tonight on her soil. What
preparations have been made for the
fight 2 When war has been determined
upon by we'll organized people the
first thing to be done is to select com.
petent man to plan tho campaign and
command the forces. No battle was
ever won by any nation whose forces
were not combined and directed by
single brain and single will. Divid-
ed counsels have always ruined the
best of causes. If the enemy have at
their head an able leader, it becomes
only the more necessary that he should
be met by leader competent to Crap
pie with him. 1t is not every man
who can give confidence to an army.
1t is not every man who can bring out
the resources of the people who are
called upon to sustain that army, In
a leader of men, combination of many
qualities is required, but we intend
now to enumerate only some of them.
1t will be admitted that the first re-
quisite in general of an army or
leader in political campaign is hon
esty of purpose, fidelity to this follow
crs. After that comes the warlike
spirit, energy, devotedness, skill and
experience. A political battle was
never yet won by pursuing the policy
of defense. The policy of aggression,
that is of carrying the war into the
enemy's country, is almost always sue
cessful. In politics we may say not
only almost always successful, but in
variably SO. The Fabian policy may
succeed in physical contest, but the
instances are rare indeed of a success
full political war being conducted ac-
cording to such theory. Political bat
ties are not won by Tending off the at
tacks of the enemy or by retreating be-
fore him. If audacity be more than
half the battle when the weapons are
powder and ball and steel, it is more
than three-fourths of the battle when
the weapons are those of a moral char
acter. Powder and ball and steel do
not always carry the day, but truth
when welded by practised hand can
not be borne down. The policy of
aggression, of carrying the war into
the enemy's country, also reveals the
enemy's weakness, which is never dis
covered by waiting for his attack.
We ask again what preparations
have the opponents of republicanism
in Louisiana, made to defeat the COM
binations of its precocious, cunning
and perfectly INSCRIPTIONS leader,
Governor Warmoth9 If any have been
made we are ignorant of them. While
the Republican party is thoroughly Or
ganized and compact, their opponents
are disunited and unorganized, every
man being left free to go where he
pleases and affiliate with whom he
pleases. And Warmoth has not been
slow to take advantage of the State Of
disintegration and weakness in which
he found us. Satan always plies the
children of men with the arts of the
seducer, before he attempts to drive
them into his service. So Warmotf
has sent his emissaries into the Demo
cratic camp, and has distributed among
J some weak ones share of the gOOi
things at his disposal knowing tina
that is equivalent to an abandonment
of their principles, and like his proto.
type, he is credited with having takel
good security, in the shape of blanl
letters of resignation, or something
equally binding that they will no
prove false. The Democrats of Louisi
ana and all the elements of opposi
ton to Warmoth and the Radical par
ty are without head, leader of an.
kind. While the enemy is busy pre-
2 pairing for the next election, we ar
: absolutely doing nothing, and those O
7 the party who have gone over to War
moth, secretly or openly, are active j
, their efforts to get as many Democrat
+ as they possibly can to join them, s
as to share the odium of their course
Now the first thing to be done is
= elect leader who is possessed {
u brains and energy and integrity, 6
b that he can comprehend the policy {
r the Republican Chief, and devise tn
g proper measures to defeat him. TIL
e is 10 time for delicacy towards thos
+ who assume to direct the policy of th
e Democratic party, and are incompeter
4 to take the leadership. We can wi
e the fight if we are organized and I'll
proper combinations are made. It
not every man who can bring out tt
strength of party. 1t is not ever
d man who knows how to manage b
n fellows. 1t is not every man who ca
ro;sa tho money needed To carry on