The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1872-12-21

could be bought up, as they were in '6o
ard III, to swear the liberties of the
people away. All these things consid-
cred, we want no Congressional inter-
vention in Louisiana.
We hear but little said, although the
New Year is so close at hand, about
farming operations for another year.
The country stands appalled, and par
alysed in the presence of the fragrant
usurpations of the past two weeks, and
men with nerve and courage never |
daunted before, seem stupified and lost |
in prospect Of the calamities they justly !
consider as sure to come. We may
truthfully say that public confidence
has been destroyed, not stunned as 1t
was by the Congressional stretches OF
power in 1868, and that the universal
feeling with that class Of people where
on rests the real responsibilities of gov
crnment, is, that they have no govern
| ment of their own, and that such secu-
! rity and protection as they have known
and absolutely require are no longer to
be had. The provcrbial timidity of
capital, under such a state OF facts AS
now confronts the capitalist, has been
augmented to Il panic, and the financial
throes of the country, succeeding the
abrupt close Of all the monetary sources
of relief, arc indeed distressing to wit
ness, The whole industrial energies
and resources of the State are, as a con-
sequence, at stand-still, while the men
who direct these indispensable constit-
uents of a prosperous State and people
are cropping in hopeless uncertainty for
the future.
1t would be hard enough if the peo-
ple had been called upon to undergo
the wrongs just imposed upon them, at
q time when money was plentiful and
! the Indebtedness of the individual and
the masses was small. But the fact is
the reverse: The country is in debt
and money is not to be had. Take Qua.
chita parish for example, and we find
that in the one item of parish taxes
alone we are yet due for the year 1871
; $11,Si2. How is this amount, even, tt
be raised by the property holders, a
such time aS this: But there is alst
, the State taxes now due and amounting
: doubtless to twice the taxes due tn
parish. Surprising these two items
amount only to $50, 900, what hope i
:, there of some two hundred men paying
: this amount and at the same tim
(liquidating thousands Of dollars of othe
y. Indebtedness from one to four year
- past due: 1t is Impossible.
l., Let not the reader quarrel with Us
~ but with the facts, |, this be n lugubri
\ Gus view of the situation = Louisiana
- We have no desire, nor is it our intel
~ est as u journalist, to augment by croal
~ ing the embarr;, sments environing til
people. The difficulties thicl<en, an
- relief reccdes, fast enough, without til
aid of panic-str. clScn press. Weshoul
, much prefer, if VIC could with even
decent regard for duty and an eNcusab
20 insensibility to impending dangers,
lull the approximations of the Peep
and urge them to fresh ventures in tt
&c struggle to accumulate and to ndo'
=, and beautify their homes. Heave
h knows they toiled patiently and waite
:, with the f,ith of childhood for the #
r., fruition Of the better time coming. "
", know they have sacrificed ease, comic
,s and better prospects elsewhere, to tn
90 ennobling sentiment which endures
the sake of home and nativity, III
,o that in q crisis like this the balm
consolation and the re-assuring wor
-. of trust would be the sweetest. Is
the Journalist rs we'll rs the physici;
must needs make Il true diagnosis.
ve sense OF duty impcls us to Warn o
,xt readers OF the dangers ahead and o
,nc oppressors Of the dire calamitics tn
ne arc Bringing upon the State. 4
us present state OF things prolonged W
Ier- inevitably end in the bankruptcy
zee, both State and people and we are II
xa} sure but that the shortest road to futu
not prosperity lies through the total {
to struction OF the States credit.