New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-26
4 Sational Governments

y
the people Of the colonies were recommend
ed to organize themselves into governments
of such form as should "best cOnduce to
the happiness and safety OF their c0nstI
tuents in particular, and TO America in gen
eral" In pursuance of this recommends
ton. various State governments We're
formed, which, up to certain PERIOD, tol-
erably well answered the purposes for
which they were created. That period,
however, is now certainly passed. No OBJ
servant man can doubt for an instant that
the happiness and safety of the people and
the nation has quite passed beyond the IN
tluence of the State governments. L0hbleS
and legislative rings hold the former, while
the latter has no existence whatever; the
nation being neither happy nor safe, but
overtaxed and menaced with many serious
dangers, among which tyranny and usurpa-
ton are not the least.
We are now become too numerous ma
ton, with too many great and conflicting
interests among our people, to remain
longer safely under the present loose form
of administration, and ii Congress tails to
exercise the powers entrusted to it by the
people, they will surely be grasped. by
usurpers-tOr welded they must be by
some body
There are now outstanding some three
thousand millions Of federal, State and
local debts, upon the basis of which stand
probably ten times as much corporate and
private Indebtedness. This entire fabric of
credit is affected by che teCblenes5 of our
federal government and its neglect to af-
ford safety 20 person and property through
:. sound and rigid administration of civil
jurisprudence. The interest on this lm'
inense sun, Of credit vii! now probably
average seven peg cent and amounts to
over :wo Thousand millions yearo With
an improved administration OF Justice it
wOui. ,all to tive per cent, and save the ma.
ton six hundred MILLIONS year Id interest.
Moreover. there ~ zoo much reason to
fear that considerable portion of the
debts due by the States and municipalities
vii! either be gepudiated or suffered 90 be
protested on maturity. This is a nationa!
question. in which every man in the coun
Try possesses an interest: tor such az He
currence will be sure t. aztec: the credit of
every State. corporation and Individual III
the Union. The United States government
can not afford 20 lc. the paper OF any o. the
States go +. protest. and should be prepared
with measures to avert such q disaster.
These measures should provide that when
State fails TO pay its indebtedness or the
interest thereon. the United States shall do
SO. and reimburse itself by RELOCATING such
State 20 the territorial condition. and as
Stunning contro! OF its finances. which II may
administer after the manner OF y receiver.
The creation and control OF corporations
by the States, andztheir assumption of pow.
er over Shc local affairs OF the municipal
tiles have become evils which are also 0j
natIOna: interest. and also demand the An.
reference of Congress. Railway and insnr-
ance corporations, Guit-, az much as bank
ing houses. demand the protection and sU-
pery!slOD OF 4 government amenabls to This
whole people instead ot to only compare
lively small communities thereof. u short.
all corporate bodies. except those OF strictly
local nature. should be created and COY.
erned jy the people az larg.-.he only gov.
eminent that ear hold them in check. We.
strain thal. SXGessese and. IN turn. protect
them from State legislative ''strkera.'
The control and management o; harhOrs.
aEchcr.gss. MARRIAGES an! quarantine. -s-
seN:ial!y national subjects but now prost.-
tutcd 20 the greedy arpctites OF yemoTselsss
State officials, ant: ir fine. the supervision
of all those matters in which ara bound up
the 'happiness and safety of America in
general, should az once be assumed Sy
Congress in the name of the people.
Organized anarchy is the only term chat
correctly describes the condition of our
people to-day, and such a condition calls for
immediate relief We must have liberty,
security and justice; and since the States
have failed to afford us these inallenable
rights if there existed no other reason, the
federal government Is bound to do so IN
their place.
1t is not capitalists who are most con-
cerned in a resumption OF its latent powers
by the United States government, but the
poor and the lowly for capitalists can and
do purchase legislation and administration
from the faithless officials of the States and
municipalities, while the poor can not, but
instead, are saddled with the burdens to
which such Partially consigns them.
To our AID in the glorious work we have
begun, We invoke every lover of his coun-
try-every man who takes pride in the old
flag, and would defend it against the cancer
of State sovereignty and State corruption
as he would against manlier foes in arms
We would organize the materials with
which to reconstruct the almost forgotten
lines of our temple-the temple of Ameri-
can f eedom and American happiness-the
federal Union