The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-08-10
ADDRESS OF GEN. ALLEN THOMAS,
He Repudiates the "United State Ticket.,D
and Calls upon the People to Join the
Liberal Party.
from the DonaldsonriIle Chief !

49, AAANt OALNl1NllNs OuIN
9th, Gen. Allen Thomas being called
upon for an address, spoke rs follows:
FelLOW-citiZenS of AScensiOn-Demo-
Gratis and LlberalS-for to-day | see be-
Iofe mG men OF all shades and opinions,
men who have put the past behind them
WIN Its sorrows, who are keenlv alive
10 the future and determined to live mn
TO Its necessities; and this is the part Of
VISION and patriotism, and as it shOuld
be, for the love Of the good in govern
ment or men belongs to no mOnonoIv
and IS III the keeping of no ~self-Ch0spn
guardians. Thank God that it shOuId
De thus, t0r this is the cementinc link
mat has rallied around the standard of
Greeley and Brown Republicans and
Dem0GratS, men of every code andcreed,
swelling host, fixed with a determine
uon to redeem the county before it is
TOO late, and who have LAZY upon her al
tars all differences and preiudices, and
sworn to forget the past. To snch we
say, as did the Crusaders of old to those
who rallied beneath the banners Of the
cross, " Welcome, thrice welcome, to the
holy. work for this thy political sins are
forgiven thee, even though they be as
scarlet, and thou art regeneratcd and
diSenthralled.n
ANA here, gentlemen, before | proceed
Iarther, must ask your indulgencetllat
l may briefly account to you for the trust
cOnhded to me as Il delegate to the De-
mOcratlc Convention, and that | NAV
give the reasons why | consider myself
abSolVed from supporting the united
State ticket:
First, Because the ticket Nominated
by the Democratic Convention has been
Withdrawn, and then put forth with
some old and some new names.
Secondly, Because fhe Central Com
lnlttee have assumed the right to declare
a platform forthe party, which the Con
Ventl0n expressly refused to do.
Thirdly, Because the Central Commit
rec Ill nominating aState electoral ticket
without consulting with the Liberal par
ty, has placed itself in opposition to the
friends of Mr.. Greeley in this State. and
to that extent separated itself from the
National Democratic Convention that
n0mlnatedMr Greeley. In effect. if not
III intent, q nomination of this character
Is so hazardous to the success of the
Greeley ticket that it might be the work
OF his disguised enemies seeking to di-
vide the vote, sc that Grant might snc-
coed by a plurality vote.
FOurthly, Because the committee does
not represent or reflect the sentiments
Of the Democracy throughout the State,
and III It's action has totally disrpgarded
the existence and wishes of the country
parishes. ... =.
Filthy, Because the candidates on the
united State ticket have approved and
endorsed the action of the Central Com
mlttee, and thus hold their nominations,
no from the original vote Of the Con
Ventl0n, but from the simple action OF u
! conn 1Jtfnn thn4 IN nV~ s,,l.,.-A -
transcribed its powers, and therefore
cannot claim that it is our duty to sus-
tain them.
These are some of the reasons why 7
consider myself absOlved from any obi
gatiOnto support the ticket; others might
he adduced, but these are sufficient.
The editor of the Ouachita Telegraph
asked me If | did not support McEnery
because he favored c~O-ODeratiOn. an
swered frankly that | did; and as this
was Col. McEenry's well known position
in the Convention, with his name at the
head of the ticket, I deemed it might
still be accomplished; and | never then
or now thought that he could be elected
without cooperation. 1.-The has changed
his views regarding c~O-OperatiOn. so
have not |. I would here add that for
McEnery | have a high personal regard.
II he could be elected, he would make a
Governor that the State might be proud
OF and the other gentlemen on the ticket
are, | believe, safe and good men, but
Our business is with the salvation and
well being of the State, not that of indi-
yiduals. You will recollect, gentlemen,
that when elected by you as a delegate
to the Democratic Convention | was in
structed to use my best endeayOrs to
unite all the elements opposed to Grant
in this State. To the contamination of
this end | can truly say the majority of
your delegation labOred earnestly and
faithfully, but that strong opposition,
was aScribed to various reasons. BY
some it was thought that New Orleans
was so sure OF obtaining all the offices
within her municipality that she cared
not to enterintO any coalition that might
compel division of what she considered
as. secured; others thought that the
friendly relations thats pbetween
some of her politicians and the Custom
house officers during the trouble Of last
winter might have eXerted an influence
against it; but the chief reason | heard
urged by the Orleans politicians them
selves was that it would embrace an al
lance with WaTmoth. Nowitisnot Our
intention to inquire which of these istle
true reason, or whether they all or singly
accomplished the result. We will exeF-
else a greater degree of charity than
they, and not claim all the virtue and
purity of motive, and patriotism, and
disayow and ignore the two first counts
and conffne ourselves solely to the Oh
lection to WarmOth. These gentlemen
have implicitly confessed that eithert they
are weak on that Warmothi is very strong,
otherwise why fear contact with him ?
Is it because, as they allege, Warm0this
corrupt and would sul1y the honor Of the
party? Can it be that the great Demo-
cracy, so bOastful and impregnable In its
purity, fears contamination and pOllu-
tiOn from the mere proximity of evil
If so, God help it; its virtue must be of
a sickly growth, and not like that of
Caesars wife, above suspicion. But was
it their hope, whilst denying him all fell
lowship with the saints and damning
him with all the oaths in the vocabulary,
to leave him no other resort than to i'm
mOlate himself upon the affairs of their
erection? Iftthis be so, it presupposPs
in WarmOth q greater degree of patriot
ism than they themselves are willing to
exhibit. But should the prejudice-he
it founded in fact or fancy-against one
individual he allOWedtO initiate against
the general good? Is this polite or
statesmanlikeP Z Warm0th is but one
man; the Liberal party is q great and
growing party, and numbersin its ranks
men sans peatr ct sans reprOche, who are
no o under the influence of WarmOth
than these ohjecti0nists themselves. If
the State of Louisiana is worth saving,
I say it is u folly akin to the madness
that preeedes destruction to fritter away
the strength that might be made availa-
BILE for her redemption, in idle crimina-
tiens and determinations. Who shall