New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-07-27
ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF LOUIS
lana.
HE4DaUARTERs LIBERAL PARTY OF LOUISIANA,

! C~oLtJ VI uLAAtAAls IA GuC CtCALCAL5 y
opposition to Grant nominated as thei
standard bearers Horace Greeley for Presi
dent and B. Gratz Brown for Vice Presi
dent, and presented for the consideration
Of the people a declaration of principles
The Baltimore convention, cOncurTing in tht
causes and reasons which gave birth Il
| that great popular movement, Endorsed
their nominations and accepted the plat
form on which their candidates stood. Il
has thus set an example to the country
which every consideration of political
safety and expediency requires should be
initiated within the States.
If the Democratic party has maintained
Its national organization, it is only that the
alliance with Liberalism NAV DO rendered
stronger or more effective. The delegates
VINO met at Baltimore for the purpose of
cementing that alliance cOuld not have an
| tlcIpated that fractions of their party, in
the several States, would set themselves in
| opposition to the Liberal Reform move
! ment, by using their organizations for the
purpose of perpetuating divisions through
| the nomination and support of separate
electoral and State tickets. They knew
that without union on these points the ac-
! ceptance of Greeley and Brown would be
only mDckery, d5lusiOR and a snare.
In other States, as IN Illinois and Indiana.
the plain course dictated by common sense
and common honesty has been followed,
! and close union with the Liberals has
/ been effected. In one iOlnt State ticket
| has been nominated, and in the other the
| formation of the electoral ticket has been
RENTED to the whole body of Liberals. In
| every State, except Louisiana, friendly reIa-
| tons have been established between the
| Liberals and the Democracy, and efforts
| have been made in good faith to unite the
| Liberal and the Democratic vote for State
! as well as for national purposes. In Louisi-
] a lime a d hos. haaT,
sued. In Louisiana alone the Liberal
party-that party which first rallied to
the support of the Cincinnati movement.
which anticipated the decision of the
national Democracy, and which gave a
re JIstless impulse to the Greeley and Brown
ticket-has been treated by the Democratic
organization with cOntumelY and scOrn,
and made the object of bitter invective and
denunciatiOn. And yet in Louisiana, per-
haps more than in any other State, thor
Ough union OF the Liberal and Democratic
vote is necessary to success. So evident is
this fact that on the adjournment Of the
Opera House Democratic Convention, thou
sands of Democrats in New Orleans and
throughout the State abandoned the Demo
cratic organization and joined the Liberal
party. These accessiOns are counted by
tens of thousands. They are so numerous
that we can assert as an indisputable fact
that, in at least half of the parishes, the
Democratic organization is without a fol-
lower, and In the greater portion of the rest
the Liberal party commands a large ma
jOrity of what was once the Democratic
vote.
In the whole State there are but six Jour
nails supporting the Democratic or united
State ticket, and of the tifty-six parishes
not half a dozen are represented in the
Democratic State Committee In spite of
these conspicuous facts, the Democratic orr
ganizatiOn, thus reduced to a minimum of
voting power, persists in keeping up a show
Of separate and Independent Organization.
and the Democratic committee, thus emas-
culated of representative character, has
nominated and presented a State and cleo
tOral ticket No rational man believes that
they expect to elect either one or the other
and hence the public can come to no other
conclusion than that they are running their
State ticket in the interest of the Baton
Rouge candidates, and their electoral ticket
for the purpose of defeating Greeley and |
Brown, the nominees of their own National |
Convention We distinctly charge this upon |
them, because we have no right to- assume |
that they are so blind as not to see the facts |
OF the situation, or so silly as not to foresee |
the necessary effects Of their own acts.
1t is proper for the whole country as !
well as for the people Of this State, to know |
that the Democratic rump organization,
while pretending to accept the decision of |
the Baltimore convention, is in reality hos
tile to the national Liberal candidates, and |
that while it presents an electoral ticket in |
the name of Greeley and Brown, it is try
ing to give the vote of the State to Grant.
Whether this course is the fu!fIlment Of |
the contract entered into last winter be
tween the CustOmhOuse party and the
Democratic committees; whether it is the
result Of more recent and more secret bar
gains, having for their object the control of
local Offices and patronage, or whether it is
dictated by an unreas0ning Obstinacy which
prefers total ruin TO success obtained by
concession and COnCiIiatiOn, the public will |
tecide according to the probabilities of the
case.
Whatever may be the decision, the Lib
aral party feels that, if unfortunately the
State should be lost, they will at least not
De held responsible at the bar Of public
opinion. But they are convinced that the
good sense Of the people will avert the ca
dnlltOus consequences which might other
wise result from the bad faith or the
prejudices of the Democratic
eaders. They do not believe that the peo-
lie will permit the State to be sacrificed at
he dictation of men who have shown them
elves utterly Incompetent to understand
he necessities of the times and incapable
# achieving anything but defeat.
The Liberal party appeals to all citizens
Who are opposed to Grants administration:
0 all who are sincerely in favor Of Greeley
nd Brown; to all who wish to defeat the |
of the corrupt and wicked !
action represented by the Baton Rouge
Icket. Their convention, to be held on the
fth OF August will represent a vast ma
Jrity Of the Liberal and Democratic voters !
the State, and their ticket will be sup
Orted by an array of numerical force,
acked by an amount of moral influence.
'hiGh will reduce the Democratic bolt to
significant and, perhaps, inappreciabIe
The people understand that
l this election the State must 90 either
n the Liberal or for the CustOmhOuse q
arty. The success of the one insurrs our q
Ote for Greeley and Brown, and will give
5 that practical reform in State affairs
hich we 50 much need. The success of
re other, with Mr.. Kellogg as Governor.
nd a reversiOn of the executive office to
Re notorious G. G. Antoine, will entail on
) pelpetuatiOn Of corrupt and yenal leg
latiOn and all the horrors Of a government
united TO the hands Of the ignorant the h
CiOus and the degraded. For any useful t
Irpose the present Democratic organiza-
on Is pOwGrless. 1t repels rather than at y
acts popular sympathy. 1t appeals only
name which has become an empty l.
ord; to memories which recall the divisions
I'd resentments of q bitter past: to preiu-
ces and passions which are the legacy of
l era Of strife and blood; to issues which
I'VE been settled, and to controversies 1 =
hich are closed.
The Liberal party turns from the past to
2 future; it seeks to heal the wounds
hich years Of sectional hate and angry r
pHict have inflicted on the country; il
Iives 10 release the people from the gall is
Of mn II . q