New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-14
NOT TRUE,
ll5enCt.

Inc ftcHyuht OF Yesterday evening HAS
an article headed Behind the Curtain, ="
which purports to retail a conversation be
tween Governor Warmoth and q number
OF his friends, relative to proposed meas
ures Of reform. But for the former repu-
tation of the PicaWlne for truthfulness
and correctness of information it would
not be necessary to deny it. AS it is, it is
perhaps advisable to state that there is no!
one 'rorl # truth in The entire article.
We have the best authority for saying
that the caucus which the Governor attend
ed, and " hich, by the way. was not held
on Saturday, agreed to pass the reform
measures recommended by him in his
special message to the General Assembly.
The public will find no difficulty after
awhile in approaching, at its true value, a
journal that will give circulation to such
"a calumny.
The purchase of the Picoyuns by two
hundred and odd men of business turn,
seems to have inspired them with an idea
that they can, in addition to their legiti-
mate callings, monopolize the business Of
government; that whatever they demand
of the government i'll the name of the
people, must be instantly done, without
further consultation with the people.
Now We hold it to be the duty of those
who have been elected to conduct the diff
ferent branches of government, to respect,
as far as practicable, the wishes of all
classes of people; but when a few men of
any class attempt to speak for the whole
people, and even threaten the Legislature
and Governor of Republican State,
they are menacing the peace of
society by attempting to force author
ity that none but the people or their law
full representatives should WELD. The
Picuylne, following the pretensions OF the
Times to speak for the people, is striving
their chosen representatives can. not be
driven to do what these self-constituted
organs of the people bid them. 1t kindly
advises, however, that ''all possible means
of securing legal reform be exhausted be-
fore resorting to any other but, quoting
from the Times, it says, ''we all know that
resistance to tyranny is not crime" Ty-
ranny is absolute political power, not con-
-ferred by the people. In this country all
political power is derived from the peo-
pie, and, therefore, there is no tyranny
that can not be lawfully corrected. If a
Governor or Legislature were disposed to
be tyrannical in any of the States of the
American Union they could not hope to
play the tyrant long The verdict of the
people would soon overtake them at the
oallot-box. This has been the accepted
mode for near a century i'll this country
Of remedying political evils. Bnt the
Times and PicGYpane want to change the
good old American way of doing things.
They want to invest two or three hundred
men or more with power to menance
Governor and Legislature, and force them
to do what perhaps the people are opposed
to, if their voice could be properly
heard. Now, we candidly confess We do
not believe in this way of remedylng
political evils in this country. We are in
favor of the right of all people to urge
their peculiar views upon those who are
temporararily administering government in
this country-p particularly the law-making
branch-but we are not in favor of effect
ing changes in other than lawful way.
And it is certainly not lawful for few
men, speaking in the name of the people,
to attempt to force their peculiar views
upon the Governor and Legislature Of