The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1873-10-10
supposed to be inherent in the Amer,-

can people.
There are many of us who are prone
to believe that the Democratic party
commands, and has commanded, at
every election since the war, a majority
OF the legal votes of the country. The
timidity and seltishness Of its leaders is
fast bringing Generalization in its
ranks and contempt upon it's name and
organization. We are utterly at loss
to understand how ballots are to win
against bayonets, and until this matter
is decided we naturally halt in our
allegiance.
The eN-President Of the Confetteracy
has been much censured for stating in
some remarks before the Southern His
torical Society that the people Of the
South had been deceived, not conquer
ed, though the statement should have
reflected the sentiment of every true
Southern man. Deceived by whom or
what: Not by such men as 1:utler,
Wilson, Morton, Cameron and Stevens
Of Pennsylvania, and such leaders of
the Radical Republican party. The
deception, if deception there was, must
have came from those who represented
the conservative sentiment of the
North, and such deception, it is much
| to be feared, has been continued since
| the war. We have been repeatedly
! called on to take part in elections, when
| it should have been notorious that so
| far as we were concerned such elections
were a fraud and mockery. We have
been repeatedly called on to make in
effectual efforts to rid ourselves of Rad
ical rule, when it should have been
apparent that such efforts could only
make our condition worse. We are
being crushed out of existence because
we are faithful unto death to the prin-
ciples of the Conservative party, while
the Northern element of that party
looks tamely Oh, and after having
helped to reduce lis to our present con-
dition, can offer nothing but sympathy
to extricate It's.
Is it any wonder, under such circum-
stances, that disaflection and Glemorali-
zation have become general; that our
strength has become split up into par
ties and fragments of parties; that we
have lost confidence in each other and
in ourselves?
Our legally elected Governor in Il rc-
| cent proclamation has advised IL call for
a convention of the people Of the State.
1t is to be regretted that the advice has
not met 81 reader response. and that
| the call has not been issued. Such n
convention should be the representative
not of any political party, but the peo-
pie Of the State of Louisiana. Its duty
will be perhaps the most arduous which
has ever fallen to the lot of any conven-
ton: to decide the political status of
the people Of this State. Its appeal for
aid in behalf Of its lost liberties and
| legally chosen government should be
not to Il corrupt President, the creature
! Of Il more corrupt Congress, but TO the
conservative sentiment Of the y ort hcrn
people.
AS perhaps the last act of q sovereign
State, it is to be hoped that the action
of the convention will DC worthy Of a
| glorious t'HSt, ana th;tt the policy of
exl'ediency which has cost us SO dearly,
may for once be sacrificed to principle.
Its decision AS efiecting our political
condition should be final, and above
all it must determine whether the BAY
onet or the ballot is to rule If the
bayonct, let us make the best terms
possible or cmigratc. IT the ballot
then its results must be enforced and
rs they have aided to deprive us of the
power, ii is their duty and not Ours ia
enforce those results.
Your Obedient servant,
WADE II. EoIt N.:.
DEATH OF HON. }. Il. BALDWIN.