The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-05-03

the property until further orders of the
court. This could be done in each case
of tax resistance, without any fuss; and
no one would say q word about it. But
this quiet and p%eaceable way of doing
business, did not suit the aristocratic
Bourbon resisters.
They seem to want war, tumult, strife,
the country in a perpetual state of ex-
element, labor disorganized, the crops
and all other industries neglected, and,
in fact, no crops OF money made, so that
there will be no value attached to prop
erty and nothing wherewith to pay
taxes, al they are not in control of the
government and handling the
of taxation. If they can not reign in
peace, they will rule in ruin. If they
can not control the government and
hold the offices, they are willing to
sacrifice and utterly ruin the hard
working and, they thought, ignorant
common plebians, in order to starve out
their successful opponents. Of course
there are exceptions to all general rules;
for some prefer discord, and like Satan,
would rather "rule in hell than serve
in heaven" Suppose all the labOring
populatiOn-the negroes constitute the
greater part of that class here-were to
quit work and go to holding political
meetings, what would become of the
crops? They are almost to a unit in
favor of the Kellogg government, and
sincerely believe that he was elected,
and that nothing but fraud could have
prevented it. Now suppose they we're
to demand that their white EMPLOYERS
should recognize him and pay their
taxes, and stop work till they did it;
what would become of the crops ? They
would be in the wrong, bnt no more so
than u aristOcratic tax resisters are.
Ii their demands were not complied
with they could go to another place or
State, and leave the employers lands
uncultivated and worthless. The dues-
ton belongs to the courts, and should
not be settled by violence or disturbance
of any kind. Some have been so in
discreet as to say that they would shoot
anyone Selling their property for taxes.
This was bad language and should not
be INDUCED in; and the tax resisters'
meetings that encourage such language
should not be ~countenanced by good
citizens.
But rerenOns % moutonS. Our aris-
tocratic speaker, instead of combining
himself to the object of the meeting,
belched forth against the JOURNAL and
its editor. He said he was notacduainted
with the young man, but was informed
that he had been a clerk in the freed
mans bureau. We suppose some Opelou-
sas ppOlitician, who failedto get
the clerkship himself, stuffed him with
this. Well, we never denied it, and it
Is no secret; we were lever ashamed of
any honest work, and are not of this.
We came out of the Confederate army
without a cent, and with this clerkship
and the office of justice of the peace to
which we were elected, made enough
money to partly buy q home and the
foundation of this paper. AS two other
persons OF this place had preceded lis in
this clerkship, and one of whom belongs
to the same caste as our ~aristocratic re-
slstlng speaker, VIZ did not think that
our doing so would stink in ~aristocratic
nostrils, and did not care a red if it did,
The beauty Ofitis, one of the a~ristocratic
caste tried to get this clerkship away
from US. But still the bestpart remains
to be told. Immediately at the right ell
bow OF this speaker, when he made this
expose of Our plebianism, sat his right
bower on this occasion in the person of
first Vice-president of the meeting, who
belongs to the same caste with the speak
er, and n Of oUbose s~ons-in-laU qCas an
Agent of the FreedmGn's Bureau! We
make this statement to hurt no ones
feelings, for we have respect and liking
for the parties, but to show what eyre
glous plumbers and faar pas a man will
commit when indulging his passions,
This was worse than a two-edged sword.
for it cut deeper the other way than it
did this; and as the speaker and his bower
both belong to the same kettle of fish,
1t was as clear a case as we ever heard
OF, OF" birds befouling their own nests
He made some other remarks that we
wanted to comment on, but this Freed
mems Bureau blunder is such a good
joke and, whenever we think of it, D
ates so powerfully upon our humorous
nature, that for the life ofu we cannot
adopt a suitable frame of mind to pro
coed.
The Opelousas Brass Band, composed
entirely of young men, though having
only two weeks practice, has already
given promise Of attaining a high order
of merit.
Godey1s Lady's Book, for May, has
reached us. Its up Withits established
reputation. Subscription, So per annum,
Address Z. Cooley, Philadelphia, Pa
The Monroe Intelligencer thinks
Colonel McEnery knows more aboui
tax resistance and how to avoid the tax
collector than almost any man in Lousi.
! ana. The tax rolls of the parish Of
) Ouaehlta show him to be a delinquent
since 1868.
Col. MeEnery, or anybody else, is al
/ TThnvA~r ~ H. = 49,, a.