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

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the different castles of sOciety-between
our plebians and so-ealled aristocrats-
and between religious sects. In our
Republican government there is no
union of church and State, God forbid
that there ever should be,) and every
one has the right to worship God in the
manner or form hat suits him best.
Our federal government, which at its
incipiency left religious freedom to the
people. at the same time legislated
against aristocratic distinctions. I'm
der this government, therefore, there is
no such thing as orders of nobility.
Every man, from the foundation Of the
government to the present time, has
been free and equal before the law, ex-
cept the slaves; and since slavery was
swept away by the strong arm of fede-
raj power, and the civil rights bill
passed by Congress, all the inhabitants
of the United States, being born or
naturalized citizens, stand on the same
common footing, under the constitution
and laws, without regard to race,
color, or previous condition." or occupa-
ton. The Union is liberty, and poll
teal, civil and legal equality. Frater-
nifty is left to individual tastes, subject
to the paramount law. The ~aristocratic
fraternity, so long as it confines itself
to a social, and mutual admiration
society, is no violation of the constitu-
tional provision against orders of no.
bility or aristocratic distinctions. But
when the would-be aristocrats decry or
sneer at the honest though humble
pursuits or avocatiOns Of the unpre-
tending common people o plebians,
they wilfully offer an insult to our re-
publican form of government and to
the great mass of the people who COM
pose it.
These remarks are predatory to our
comments on the remarks INDUCED in
by one of the speakers at the tax resist
er's meeting here last Monday, towards
this journal and its editor. His violent
and abusive language seemed to be oc
casioned by this papers report of the
previous meeting. We have carefully
examined that report, and find in it not
the name of a single person; not a sin
gle harsh, unjust, OF ungentlemanly ep-
tibet, directly or indirectly, against any
person; nothing not warranted by good
breeding and that might be said in the
presence of anyOne-even the members
of the meeting - without reasonably
wOunding his feelings or exciting his
Ill will, unless speaking an ordinary
truth would have this effect. Why,
therefore, so much rage and Indignation
against, and abuse of the JOURNAL and
its editor? There appears but one cause,
and it an unjust one: this paper fur
nishes its readers, the people, the tax
payers of this parish, with truthful and
practical information, from which they
draw practical conclusions, and of which
they make a practical and sensible use.
Furnishing this information is not
agreeable to the fossil ~aristocrats and
Bourbons Of a past generation and era,
who would Wreak their spite, and hate,
andpigmy vengeance, on the power that
has. crushed them, using the common
people or plebians as cats'-paWs or tools
with which to do it. The information
furnished by this paper has helped to
free the people from Bourbon bondage
and open their eyes to the degrading
and dangerous service that was requir-
ed of them. The people have acted ac-
cordingly, and refused-by paying their
taxes, staying away or taking no part
in the tax resisters' meetings-to involve
themselves in a contest, by force and
arms, with the State and Federal gov
~ernments, on the subject of taxation.
We say a contest, by force and arms
with the State and federal governments
for such movements or meetings, &C
companied with certain languagaHhat
has been used, if carried out to theil
logical results, can mean nothing else
The people-the law-abiding, working
people and substantial property holders
and taxpayers of the country-are not
prepared for this, and they will not will.
ingly go into it with their eyes open
The South, this State, and this parish
have had one contest with the United
States government and they want NJ
more. Resistance to the Kellogg gov.
eminent is resistance to the United
States government, for the President
has emphatically recognized the Kel
logg government, and he told Congress
if it did not intend for him to continue
doing it, that it should take immediate
action to that effect. Congress, or thu
Senate, acted, and decided by repeated
action, to leave the matter in the hand
of the President. The President fur
ther stated, in the most emphatic Ian
guage, that he would sustain the Kel
logg government, if necessary, with al
the civil and military power of the Uni
ted States; and this has been recent,
repeated and carried into practicaleffdec
IN regard to the troubles in Grant ant
other parishes. The President mean
what he says and does what hemeans, q
the history of his life abundant,
proves.
If these tax resisters' meetings di,
not have violence, by organized fore
and arms, in view, why hold them at all