The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-10-31
THE ELECTION.

Monday next will be solemn day for Lou
isiana. Never before, in the history Of tn
Government, have the people been called upol
to decide such momentous issues as are in
volved in this contest; never before have tn
very foundations ofthe Republic been SO rudely
shaken ; no, not even when the two sections
were arrayed against each other, and vast
armies were decimated in dreadful conflicts.
The battle now is not for the right to hold
slaves, nor is it for any mere local issue OF
dispute. ......
The fundamental principles upon which the
Government was based and which have made
Of the country a place of refuge for the op'
pressed Of all nations, are being SO palpably
ignored and trampled upon by the arrogant
men who control the Radical party, that it be-
hooves every man who truly loves his country
and desires to see the perpetuation Of Repub-
ican institutions, to do his duty at the ballot
box, despite every obstacle which may be
thrown in his way. No man must be lag
gard now. Every man must feel that a
weighty responsibility rests upon him until he
has deposited his ballot-nay, longer, until he
has seen that it is properly and fairly counted.
The fate Of Louisiana, it may be, Of free
government, is hanging in the balance, and
one vote may turn the scale. The citizen who
in this dire emergency shrinks from the per-
Torrance of his duty, or who from inertness
refrains from marching up to the polls with
his ballot, is an enemy to society end deserves
the execration Of all honorable and fair
minded men, as he may be the means Of
fastening upon the State continuation, for
an indefinite time, of despotism more grind
ing and humiliating than a free and noble
people were ever before called upon to endure.
Let Monday therefore be dedicated to the
cause Of liberty; let every man put aside, for
the time being, all other thoughts and cares
and let the State Of Louisiana present to the
world the grand spectacle Of people striving
to achieve, through the peaceful but tedious
means of the ballot-box, that freedom which
they could wrest in an hour with their own
good hands from the base and despicable tool
Of powerful conspiracy.
They have shown their ability to over-top-
pie the un-Republican and infamous Govern
nent which has been placed over them by the
military autocrat at Washington, and to seize
he control of the State, (Which is theirs by
ight); and they have shown, too, a grander
power than that, the power to conquer Them
etves after having overcome the enemy.
No people ever gave a more sublime ex-
libition Of moral courage than was given by
he people of New Orleans, when they with
he right and the might both upon their side,
lowed in obedience to the authority repre- 9
ented by a General with a mere squad Of
oldiers at his back. Having shown them
elves long-suffering in unmerited disaster,
rave, magnanimous in victory, and thorough e
7 true to the Constitution, they are now de-
srmined to exercise the right which is still Z
1T to them of winning their liberties back by Il
leans of the elective franchise. p
The dragons and rough riders Of the Ad-
Illustration have attempted to create a reign {
terror in the country parishes, and the p
my and navy have been sent to this city in =
le vain hope that white men would be intimi- u
tied from voting, and the State be thereby al
we'd to the Radical party, represented, as it u
by the wretched cabal of conspirators at 81
ashington. q
Thank God! we have passed the time u
hen bayonets and cannon can deter the peo- a.
e Of this State from asserting their plain pl
institutional rights. There is more terror VI
r US in single carpet-bagger maintained in
Office where he can securely follow the bent
his natural thievish instincts, than in an
tire corps of the army-infantry, artillery
d cavalry, with mosquito feet thrown in. pt
It is almost unnecessary to advise our Demo- p,
attic and Conservative citizens to see to it b,
at the most profound peace be maintained pr
ring election day, for they are prepared, 70
lille demanding the fullest liberty for them 81
YES, to see that all persons enjoy the same st