The Opelousas courier., 1872-03-02

rights of selfgOvernment. The extraordinary
/ powers with which the Executive had been arm
i ed, the corrupt dispensation of his vast patron
! age, the boldness and frequency Of his usurpa-
! tion of power to strike down those in his own
| party who refused to become his personal adher-
ents, his repeated acts of political treachery to
| the colored race whose votes had elevated him
! to Office, combined to create in the minds OF the
Republican opponents of the Governor the most
serious apprehension.
The Democratic members of the General AS
sembly were numerically too weak to cope. un
| aided by Republican voters with the party OF the
Executive in the General Assembly. Governor
Warmoth had had the article in the Constitution
rendering him ineligible for second term abro-
gated, and in view of his political isolation, by
| the detection of the colored voters, it became
manifest that his surrender of any of his political
power or patronage would practically result i'll
his ahdication Easily or willingly deceived were
! those who thought that he could personally Or
| politically afford to modify a single law in the
interest Of the people. The view first entertained
! by your Committee, that the maintenance OF all
/ these infamous and oppressive laws were the
political life-blood of the Governor, has been
verified by the fact that, although the Legisla-
| ture has been with full houses legislating for
two weeks. with a majority obediently submis-
sive to Executive dictation, the Executive, as he
intended, has succeeded in falsifying his profess
sions for reform by defeating every effort to that
! end that has been made in the Legislature. Ihe
| alternative was presented to engage III nagrant
| conspiracy with the Governor to fraudglently
/ ucIGdB the popular WITH anu IHpOSc upoL otAA
selves the debasing humiliation of electiug him
| Governor or to endeavOr by honorable means to
obtain the desired relief to our people
These views and considerations induced us to
approve and cordially indorse the temporary ar
ran.ement made with the anti-Warmoth Repub-
! 1icans for certain specified remedial purposes
1t involved only question of voting in the two
| Houses by parties havinga common interest and
was asked or given by either party. The great
est caution was used in the propositions agreed
to that political significance could be predi-
Gated of this reformatory combination. 1t was
to expire as it has expired by the very limitation
of its object and each party has emerged from
the combined effort with its political integrity
unilnpaired, its political attitude unchanged,
and its aims unbiased by past action.
1t is needless to recapitulate the revolutionary
proceedings to which she Governor resorted,
such as taking armed possession of a coordinate
| department Of the government, calling an extra
session when the General Assembly was in rcgu-
lar session and only notifying his personal adj
herents, making repeated reIulsltions upon a
1 local commander of United States troops, ex-
| peiling by armed violence the legal Speaker OF
the House and many members. We refer to these
| unprecedented acts, to remind the people that
| the Governor did not and will not hesitate TO
initiate revolution in our midst whenever he dis
i covers that by legal and constitutional means
! an attack against his autocratic prerogatlves Is
meditated. If to-day the people have not con-
trolling voice in legislation, if their burthens
have not been lghtened, if their political rights
have not been restored, and they have the prog
! pect of a turbulent election in November, the
responsibility rests upon those who nave put
| their trust in Governor WarmOth, who has had
the time the opportunity and the power, but
| not the intention, to accede to the demands OF
the people. We record the sad fact that the
| proximate cause of our failure to attain those
4 great benefcent results was the detection OF
1 those Senators and Representatives who. repre-
| senting Democratic constituencies, allied them
selves to the political fortunes of the enemy OF
their people.
This call for Convention is made in no strict
/ party spirit, nor to maintain or advocate the
aseendency of political partizanship. At a time
when the material interests of the State have
been made the object of legislative and execu-
tive robbery, when every household III the State
is afflicted by the ruin which has resulted from
i the desolating legislation of the past few years.
when the poor man and the rich man are alike
made the victims of legislative and executive
spoliation, when the absorbing question is that
of taxation, and the universal cry OF the people
! is immediate redemption from local and State
| misgovernment, the duty of patriotic citizenship
/ is to silence the voice of mere party warfare.
The Democratic party being composed OF those
/ whose material interests are deeply and directly
affected by misgovernment is by the very TACT
of its existence party of reform. It's aim, its
purpose, it's spirit, its cardinal principle, its
platform, is reform. The vigor of its uneeasing
| attacks against corruption is the moving prln-
cip1e of its political action, and it will mete out
its stern rebnke to all corrupt officials whether
| they be Republicans or faithless Democrats.
Its powerful organization can be efficiently used
as an agency to accomplish reform. 1t has now
/ a vast political machinery which set in motion
will, as it has done before strike terror in the
midst of the present supporters OF corrupt
government, and it comprises the active, earn-
est, working and voting classes of our people.
/ The name in the approaching contest will be q
! mere symbol, its rallying cry and political
/ motto will be Reform for though the Demo-
cratic party cherishes it's time honored princi-
| pies aud win pay due heed to national politics,
| it VIII appreciate its duty to the people by urg-
! ing them to consider as the dominant issue the
! overthrow of the present State government,
subordinating Federal politics to the redemp-
/ ton of our oppressed State from local misrnle
| The necessity for unity and harmony was never
/ more imperative than at this time. The Demo-
| cratic party, conscious of its political power,
and determined not to relinquish its responsible
| mission to- restore to the peoble their rights OF
seIf-goyernment, will not hastily involve itself
in sudden or i'll advised political experiments, q
nor will tho people accept the suggestion OF It's
dissolution from party whose only record is its
illtimed birth. ss
Upon one question of vital interest to the peo-
pie the Democratic party will take a determined
stand. After registration aud upon the casting
of votes means will be adopted to ascertain the
result. Every candidate, Democrat or Republ-
can, white or colored, is entitled to the Office to
which ne has been elected By the people. ANY
section of the election law which leaves to the
discretion of board of individuals the power to
change that result is Revolutionary ia lis design,
It's operations and It's purpose, and must be treated
by the people as not upon Use sfataae book. If the
\ Legislature were to pass law that there should
be no registration, no election. and that a board
i of FIVE persons was appointed to select your
Governor, Representatives and other officers,
I the people would hold an election and install
their officers, If need be BY force, and their ac-
| fion would be clearly legal. The same duty
devolves upon them and they will perform it.
/ III Congress were to pass q law creating g parti.