New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-01
THE FIRST GREAT LESSON.

Monsieur Tonson has come again. He
makes his appearance in the Picayune
this time, his old organ, the Bulletin, being
closed as well against sold citizens" as
against all other discontinued political
quacks. The Picdyu,ae introduces Mon
sieur Tonson as the Bulletin used to do,
with profound obeisance to his long
residence, graceful wave of the hand to
his venerable locks, and complaisant
suggestion that he has no desire for an
Office. This latter remark will suffice to
restrain any feeling of jealousy that might
have been felt by those who are always will
ing to.furnish political prescriptions for the
good of the community, with the express
design to secure employment as the physi-
clan of the afflicted public.
A citizen, under which nomme de plume
the ''old citizen" appears, suggests that a
petition shall be circulated for signatures
throughout the State, to be presented to
Congress, praying that a republican form
of government may be granted by that
body to the people of Louisiana. This
petition will set forth that the executive,
legislative and judicial departments Of the
existing government in Louisiana do not
represent the wishes nor act for the well
fare of the people; and that, therefore,
Congress should at once order conven-
ton for the purpose of recognizing the
political power of the State in such a
manner as to confer republican form of
government upon a community that is
now cast down under the heels of an
odious despotism. This is the latest
remedy, and the Picayune indorses it as
worthy of especial consideration and favor.
What nonsense. Let us drill small
hole in this suggestion, put an ounce of
powder in it, and blow the whole conception
up. Congress would say to such petit
ton, ''if the people Of Louisiana can not
call q convention when they want one,
they are just as incapable Of turning one
to advantage to-day as they were of taking
advantage of the convention that Congress
authorized four years ago, and paid for"
1t would go on to answer that, ''if Con-
gress is to overthrow State governments
upon the petitions of disaffected minori-
ties, it will be overrun with these de-
mands every year, and from being
legislative body it will descend to be the
author of endless local revolutions" In
further response it would say, ''let the
people of Louisiana show wherein they
are without a republican form Of govern
ment, for mere complaints that their own
duly elected representatives have imposed
taxes that they dislike to pay, is a COM
plant that is not confined to Louisiana, but
comes to us as loudly from Nebraska, where
there are no State taxes, as it does from
Louisiana, where the rebellion has made
the burdens of taxation heavy" And still
further, Congress would say, ''let the
authors of this petition first learn what
republicanism is before they come to this
body with demand to have republican
government overthrown. Let them ac-
quire the honesty and justice that accepts
of every man as a citizen before they ask
to be empowered to work out their preju
dices against the negroes through
convention which they hope to seduce
Congress into revolutionizing in their be-
half. This body sees in the existing con-
stitution Of Louisiana republican instru-
ment, and it will do nothing to destroy or
ignore that emanation of the people"
These answers, which would inevitably be
given to such a petition, would send it out
of the halls of the national Legislature
with nothing but laugh or a sneer to fol-
low it.
But suppose, for an instant, that the
prayer of the petition was granted, what
then? The Republicans being in. a ma
jority of twenty-five thousand in the State,
would at once master the convention, re-
elect the identical men who have been
tried and approved as their friends, and
the State would continue just as she is.
This is the logic Of fact. The same men
who control the State now, by virtue of
the friendship Of the people, would con-
troll it then. If ga citizen" means to
overcome this suggestion by fraud or force
be had better save his time and that of his
friends from getting up their petition, for
we can assure them that neither fraud nor
force will suffice to win their point The
day when the State could be carried in
that way disappeared some three years ago.
Let US suggest to "a citizen, old as he is,
gray as he is, rich as he is, negative as he
is, that he does not know what he is
writing about. Justice is the moving prin-
,iple in politics at present. and when he
earns what that is, he will have learned
he first lesson that will suffice, if we'll
followed, to revolutionize States.