New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-25
LETTER FROM OCCASIONAL.
Good Crop Prospect in AvOyeIIes-The I'm
employed Statesmen of MRrksyille.

! AYOYELLES, La, August II, 1872.
! EDITOR REPUBLICAN:
Opining that an occasional rural echo
might be welcomed by you and your many
intelligent readers, 1 concluded to seat
myself near a well shaded back window,
| where the morning breeze comes gently in
| to cOunteract the influence Of sultry heat,
and devote a few minutes to your and their
| entertainment. The weather is indeed
very seasonable. and as a benefcent Provi-
dence has favored the people this year in
their agricultural industry, the crops are
| just as hattering to their hopes as they
could reasonably desire. The crop of corn
is already fully matured, and everyone,
even here in this usually moderate yielding
prairie, is abundantly rewarded for his
labor. 1t has never been better. Rice too
(of which gOodly quantity has been planted
for home consumption is heavy uniformly,
and bids fair to yield superabuRdanuy.
1t is already very well matured, and
nothing but storms can materially blast
the pleasing prospect. The cotton plant
was never more Iuxuriant nor promised a
fairer yield, but the worms are developing
themselves everywhere. la some places
they are at work, and in a short time their
ruinOus mischief will be accomplished. In
others it is thought no very great injury
will be done before the tenth of September
1t is generally believed that, while the crop
will be good, TemuneTatiVe, in fact, it will
prove lighter than was anticipated. The
cane crop will be short, first, because the
stubble has never been fine; second, be
cause the quantity planted is not large,
comparatively, and third, because the
season latJerly has not been favorable to
its growth. There has been nO.generaI rain
in this parish for one month. A more IA
vOrable season will, if it come in time, ex-
cite brighter hopes. The health of the
country is good, and peace reigns with a.
mild dominion.
The political cauldrOn is not yet disturbed
by the heat of the contest, but we do oc-
casiOnally see a little simmer of a sporadic
character Oh the surface of society. The
Democratic engineers and fremen will be
through the State in the early part of Sep
tember for the purpose Of kindling up the
fires and raising steam with view to a
trial trip up salt river. Their nominees
will speak in Alexandria on the eleventh,
at this place on the thirteenth and at Ope-
lOusas on the sixteenth prOximO. There
will be a barbecue at each place and, Of
course, "a large attendance. Whether
the speeches prove interesting or not, it is
safe to predict that the viands and biba
bles will be speedily disposed of by an
eagar multitude. have never known it |
to fail. The attendance Of the people On |
such occasions is less a compliment to the |
ability of orators than to the power of di- |
gestiOn. They will eat whether they ac-
cept the political opinions Of the speakers or !
not At this place free discussion is denied.
l find the political elements all in a m I'D !
die here. There seems to be no organiza
ton, while avery great diversity Of OPT n
ion prevaile. 1t is said that in Marksvill
(the hub Of LOuisiana) there are eighteen
Liberals on Monroe street, one Democr at
and two fence riders, while on Min street
there are about six Liberals, five Demo
Gratis and three Radicals.
The balance of this populous and Inhu-
ential city, prolific Of political seers and |
prescient statesmen, is equally, unfortn-
nateIy divided. Great, yea, superhuman
efforts should be made, and made quickly,
to set things to right here, or all will in
evitably be forever fallen, lost. Imagine, if
you can, the Importance Of city located !
in the very heart Of a State, where almost |
every man is a man Of leisure, profound in
the agreeable science of perpetual case, |
learned in the corn laws, an adept at the |
vintage of exhaustless capacity at prandiaI |
entertainments; where Burke, Pitt, HamiI- |
ton, Webster and Seward would dwindle |
into Lilliputian insigniicance before the |
sublime craftsmanship of the most modest |
Of its retired sages, and you will reauily !
concede that something should be done, |
and done quickly. Since my arrival l have
been astOnished at the amount of unuti- |
lied craftsmanship to be found in Marks
vile. 1t is the more astonishing that |
so valuable, 90 Indispensable to
our political salvation should have been
so long, when it was, and yet is,
at the service of an oppressed and dis
tracted people, without money and with
out price. Our candidates can here learn
all that is worth knowing.
Let our public speaAers understand that
as all the political sagacity and patriotism
Of Louisiana is radiated from this poi Mt,
this modern Athens, they would do we'll to
come at once, and consult the OracIes be-
Ore setting out upon the otherwise ardu-
,us duties of the coming campaign.
Yours, as ever, OCCASIONAL.