The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-09-21

1AdSt 1 1ttISudS HUI IAIS IthAJES 1CoChNO
us that there was to be a Republican
meeting {so-called) near the Catholic
church on Bayou Mallet, about ten
miles from OpelOusas, and that sew
eral prominent politicians Of this
place, both white and colored, extreme
Republican and extremer Democrat,
were to attend and address the meeting.
We could not or had not time to learn
the names of all these gentlemen but
an occurrence, fortunate for n newspa-
per reporter, put lis in possession OF
their names later in the day.
Just after shutdown, while taking Il
buggy ride on the road west of town,
we came upon them, all in a row, in the
lane dividing the plantations of Capt.
Garland and Mrs. Wartelle. The first
buggy contained Messrs. D. P. c. Hill
and John Simms ; the next buggy con-
tanned Messrs. J. J. Beauchamp and
Victorin Lastrapes the next buggy or
hack contained Messrs. Leon Manso,
Chreticn MOrnhingVeg and Fortune
Riard. We were not surprised ut meet
ing these gentlemen, for they have all
been Republicans since there has been
a Republican party III the parish and
| we would not have been surprised to
meet Liberals, for their platform is the
Republican platform adopted ut Gin
| c%innati, and they do not denounce all as
traitors who do not stand upon it, as
the Democrats do i'll regard to theirs.
But 10 and behold, the next buggy COn-
| tanned Messrs. E. D. Estillette and AL
bert Lastrapes respectively nOmila~
ted for the Legislature and Clerk of the
Court, by the Democratic convention
held here last Saturday, and known
as two of the most blatant and uncOm-
promising Democrats in this or any 9TH
er parish. We thought they were in
mired company for them, and we frank
ly told them so.
Next morning we interviewed some OF
the other gentlemen of the party, and
learned that only twenty-five or thirty
persons were at the meeting-it was III
a colOred settlement. Speeches were
made by four persons: by Z. ID. EST
lette, leading Democratic candidate for
the Legislature, and speaker pdr erect
Ience on this occasion; by D. =. {. Hill,
leading Republican orator Of the parish
by our a~rgumentatiVe friend, ChrGtiell
Mornhinveg; and by Fortune Riard, OF
Lafayette, who, it seems, is trying to
help the Democratic party in this parish
beat II. G. Anderson for the State Sen
ate. Of course, the Republican speak
e. spitehedintO the Democratic National
and State tickets-nOt much into the
latter, but we are informed they gave
Greeley particular fits; and we all know
how deliberately skilled our OratOrical
friend and eloquent parishOner, Mr.. ID
P. C. Hill, is in that respect. Andwe are
oldthatitisa positive fact, otherwise we
would never have believed it, that Mr.
Estilette, the champion orator of Dem
ocracy in this parish, and the orator o.
the occasion, actually sat there, or stOOC
} there, and did not raise his voice i'll de.
fence of Greeley, McEnery, ct cetera
and the time-hOnOred principles Of De
, m0cracy. The burden of his song was
"yote for honest men"-ah. "And h
played upon harp of a thousand strings
sperits of just men made perfeck." Tha
might be construed to mean the Demo
cratic nominees and nobody else; but
was rather a strange song to sing to
Republican audience, when I'LL the Re
publican speakers present were denOunc
: ing everything Democratic and all De
mocratic converts. We hope for tn
sake of his Democracy, we have mis-re
], ported Mr.. Estilette; but we Obtaine'
I our report from his companions OF thi
L occasion.
Further on behind, on horseback, ant
returning from the same meeting, W
: are informed, were Mr.. c. c. DusoI
/ Democratic nominee for Sheriff, and Nj
Hezekiah Hays, a gO-it-alOne candidat
" for Recorder-the Democratic conven
y ton made no nomination for this Office
AS Mr.. Estilette was the only Democrat
. candidate who made q speech, we sup
pose the others were still-hunting.
Thiswas, at all events, acuriOus meet
u ing curious in complexion, principle
= and the variety of men who compose
it. Notwithstanding the indifference
and don't-care feeling with which til
people of st. Landry generally regar
> political meetings, all classes, both whit
u and black, Democrats and Republicans
. will look upon this one with surprise.