The Opelousas courier., 1872-02-03
Address of the Parish Commit tee
to the Ward Clubs.
ADOPTED JANUARY 23d, 1877

Rooms Democratic Parish Committee of Orleans:
Selected to represent you in the Parish Com
mittee of the Democratic Party, we hold our
selves responsible to you for any and all action
taken by us, whether in following u line OF con-
duct laid down by you, when under an ex ira
ordinary press of circumstances, we have been
forced to act without first submit ting to your
endorsement and approval.
1t has always been the intent and policy of
your Committee to make no compromise, no
aition with our political enemies, but to enter
the fight against them with bOldness, and with
our time-honored colors flying. But with the
Election, Registration and other nefarious laws
staring us i'll the face; with a corrupt bad man
as Governor, who has the manipulation Of the
returns of all elections held throughout the State
| aud who has absolute power to seat in office such
persons as are pledged to him, to aid, assist and
support bim in his schemes Of plunder aud spoil
alton, our chances for success in the future look
ed hopeless Indeed. With an appointing power
hardly equalled by any living monarch; with
courts established to carry out his plans of rob-
bing aud enslsving the people; with judges Sc
leeted from the most unprincipled of his follow
ers, to carry out in fragrant violation of every
provision of the Constitution and the laws, his
every order; with an armed body of mercenaries
known as the Metropolitan Police, under his i'm
| mediate supervision and control; with almost
every branch of the State and City Government
in his possession. still he was not satisfed-anl
affording another instance OF the truth of the
s,yng, Whom the Gods would destroy they
first make mad"
He attempted to coerce the Legislative De-
partment to do bis bidding
His manifold acts of tyranny and peculation,
| and his attempt to rule his own party, arrayed
against him, with rod of iron, have aroused an
opposition to him, which includes all of his own
| party, with the exception of such of them as he
has appointed to office; and even these adhere
to his side only because they hold their Offices at
his will, he, having required of them, before ap-
pointment, to sign and leave with him their Fes-
| ignation.
| Finding that he could no more depend on the
Republican party for its votes, his next attempt
was to intimidate them, with his bands of hired
! thugs and assassins.
This united the opposition to him in the Re-
publican party, and now we may safely say that
| Governor Warmoth has two classes of the people
opposed to him, to wit: The White and the
| COlored. ..-. -..-g.
| Notwithstanding the fact that the great mass
| of the Republican party have been for some time
menaged affairs in his own interest by bribery,
| fraud and corruption, that without the assist
| ance of the Democratic members of the Legisla-
| ture, they were powerless to stay his lawiess
course. The Republican members OF the Legis-
| lature. finding that with the Election, Registra-
tion, Censtabulary and other disgraceful laws in
force, the rule of H. G. Yarmouth would be per-
petnal in this State, proposed coalition with
the Democrats for the avowed purpose OF repeal
ing those laws, and the enactment Of just ones
~ i.S snoi suoau' 'Ao ~ ooo " ''N-1N
anu NO Longer. o.., r., +,o
Inc success On sns scnsMes isyt proi,usJu ny sns ~
Warmoth, and the precipitate flight from the
sou on louisiana OF o.. nus piunaer'ns horae VI
oiIGas ~ iess ea snan Inf'y ~ aay + o;cr ~
sna III ~ " ,,S r"yons
Wafn.oIh, Win an lts co.ruptton anu . iuhVIs oI
eaAa.aon' viii commune tnrougn, az leas1, .ne
ne4I nye years, ana tne cltizens made ~
We nave deemed ie necessary 10 pupiish Chls y
auaress, explanatory of the course OF tnose on
yJur y,s ntggpresen1aIlVes IN the eeherai assei1pis
1a, mnu, , snrougn tne coahGion ABOVE reIerrea 10,
na1 ,ah;a gS;u your pest hserests WIN