New Orleans Republican., 1872-01-07
CONDITION, CAUSE AND REMEDY.

slppian and a Confederate, now resident
Of Louisiana and Republican. We com
mend it to the attention of our readers
What is our actual condition General
gloom and despondency from one end OF
the country to the Other-property of all
kinds fallen, and falling in value; credit al
the lowest ebb, and confidence lost. The
cause must be a general one, for none but
a general cause could have produced such
widespread ruin. Everywhere we behold
| the same or.simlar effects.
The great Chicago fire in October, burn
| ing Up three hundred million dollars
worth OF property, causing many failures,
unsettiing all values, and producing in
| calculabie losses at home and abroad.
| The cotton crop, amounting to one mil
lion OF bales less than last year, at pres
ent prices worth eighty millions OF dollars.
! The decline in gold from II to Sig. produc-
ing like decline III United States bonds.
| oVertradlng, speculation. eXtravag CANT
stock-jobbing operations, doing all kinds OF
business on margins, which always did and
always will result in bankruptcy and ruiu:
cry, which is doing more to break down the
industry of the country than al other
causes combined
10 the foregoing causes must be added
the political corruptions, frauds and gen
eral extravaganza Of the national, State
and municipal authorities throughout the
country. When We consider these immense
losses, coupled with the stupendous frauds
| brought about by general niislnana ge III ent
III all the departments of government, it
Is strange, YES, miraculous, that we see
so much peace and respect 20 law, SO
much order and loyalty, and much in
tegrity and individual sacrifice Tor hon or
as is manifested from day TO day through
out the entire <ouGtry. This shows CON
clUsivelv that the people are honest. and
are struggling for individual as well as
national honor; and this alone gives US
hope and confidence in the future.
The people must rise IL their III. CHI. and
tring ABOUT that reform so much needed.
or our republic, with all OF its past gjoricl
Will soon pass into the hands Of ambitious
or designing men, who will bring Us.
sooner or later, under the suhiection of
some petty tyrant or aristocratic mon
archy. Tie signs are ominous. Il requires
DO statesman to see where we are drifting.
How long Will the people wait How long
will they submit to the entertainments or
their chartered rights and liberties!
This combination Of evils has made capi-
ND Iar -, y
only such investments as are convertible at
any moment, destroying agricultural and
commercial credit. without which there can
be no general prosperity, and which alone
can insure the inviolability of the national
credit. How shall We reform that is tie
question.
The losses BY the Chicago t;rc can not bc
restored: neither can the million bales OF
cotton that is short These tens mus he
charged to profit and loss: bat we can do a
great deal toward mitigating this loss by
mutual confidence and by economy in the
household. by economy in business. by
economy in all municipal, State and ma
tioEal departments. without which 10 rc-
formation can be expected. And this
power alone is vested III the people. VIII
they use It, Or will they permit themselves
to be plundered il the future as in the past
W@must learn that nothing viii preserve
society but the living force of earnest men.
Men get tired of individual effort in the
work of reformation. and would lie glad If
laws could be enacted which would take
the whole responsibility from their Shout
dtrs. Bat such thing can not he.
They want the President TO take care Of
national affairs; they want the Governor to
take care Of State affairs; they want the
courts 20 take care OF commercial affairs:
they want the magistrate to do the citizens
duties. We are putting on institutions and
laws. and men IN Official stations, that
which can only be done well by tie public
sentiment of the whole people
Now. il regard to this matter Of rctorma-
ton. Il is simply preposterous 70 expect
that any citizens committee, or any organ
ized body alone, will take i into their
hands and carry it forward. There must be
a living thought and a persistent effort on
the part of the great body Of citizens, or
else. no matter how well things may begin,
they will not end we'll.
All the mischiefs thar make taxation
burdenscmc that run up the poorhouse
tax. the i1il tax, the hospital tax, the
license tax, the ring taxcs-thcse all exist
because YOU are so busy that yOu can not
attend to vonr political duties.
This willful, shameful, outrageous ind!i-
erence, the want OF patriotism and con-
science, the want Of industry and concert
among good men has corrupted the com
mon people il the matter of voting, and
brought about more peril to the libe rites OF
the people than all other causes put to
gcther Men car not look after the inter
ests CT the community, So the tax gatherers
90 out and levy taxes; and we groan and
groan. and cheat and cheat, ami say "Oh,
well, there is no harm in dodging the taxes:
the whole system is a cheat any how" So
We fight the fire with fire.
When alarming misch!cfs, bred and
brooled by this great mass of lazy, prosper
,i,s mel, take on forms of threat and disaster.
We hear the cry coming from them, Let US
have a vigilance committee, and les Us
catch some Of these rogues and hang them
to 4 lamp post" Yes, We betray the com
munity fist by Incidence and neglect, and
then we attemptto carry it into revolution
in order 10 cure some Of TIE miscliefs which
we have caused. We blow it UP at both
enas-at the TOP hy car bad example, and
al the bottom by worse advice, ~ hen