The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-11-27
The Fruits of Victory.
tFrom the New orleans Tunes ]

1t was a glorious vietOry--sO nneX-
| pectedly brilliant as to be hewildcring.
| This victory must have its fruits, and
frOlp many an interested quarter the adj
vice comes that these fruits should not
be left ungatheled.
There il an old poetical record extant
of II t" famous victory" which left moth
ing for the popular memory to seize
| upon but occasional crOssbOnes or grin
ming skulls. Surely the great political
victory which came to Onr people on the
second and third Of November will have
fairer fruits. A victory achieved amid
:" the clash of moral forces, trrayed under
the forms of law" should be rich in
SpOils, not however OF II mere party
character, hut such spOils as minister to
the general goUd-such spuilsa as the con
science of the country can approve.
Military critics point out several IN
stances in which Southern generals,
during the brief lifetime of the Conted-
eracy, failed to follow Up the victories
prived of advantages which hal been
fairly earned. The advice of the un-
terrified now is, that the bad example
set Ivy these military generals shall not
he followed 10y the political generals of
to-day. All the fruits of victory must
he gathered - places profits every
thing-so that the enemy may tiud no
opportunity of regaining his lost advan-
tages.
This, however, is Il view of the matter
taken from ii s~trategical and wholly i'll
teIested standpoint. A victory such us
that achieved should lave better fruits
than the mere rewards of office and the
party advantages Of retaining them as
long as possible. 1t should have fruits
indeed, good rs the hest that can be
found upon the tree of knowledge.
A Northern paper of strong Demo-
cratic prOcliyities urges the yictOrS III
the late elections to pay less attention TO
spOils, than to the opportunity of show
ing their sincerity rs refOrmers, of sur
rendering dangerous Accommodations OF
power, and of restoring to our institu-
tons that republican simplicity which
the fathers delighted IN. After referring
to the impOlicv of seeking revengtS,
our contemporary declares that 1.-THE
people have not restored the Democratic
party to power to el.able it to settle old
scores with its enemies, to right old
wrongs, or to intlict penalties for the
many wautOn violations OF constitution,
law, and personal liberty by the Republic
Gall pillSS LIE DctblutIittS SHY tIitN are
willing and able t reform the Govern
ment aud restore the strict construction,
the economy, and the official purity and
accountability of earl. days; and the M
iority of the American people are ready
10 try them. But that task is the most
StuptlldOus ever undertaken by Il party {;
md unless the Democratic party is most
wisely and judiciOusly led, it will not ac-
comptiSl it,"
1t It be necessary to the success of the
NATIONAL Democracy thatthr bettrrfGuit>
If victory be garnered, and the evil per-
mittrd to remain untouched, it il ut even
| greater Importance that this wise dis
| erection be observed by the mixed De
mOcracy of Louisiana. Our local De-
mncracy, single-hantled, could have ac-
cnnpliSled nothing. 1t required Il dis
Greet combination of all the elements of
Conservatism, with some aid from dis
/ satisfied Republicans, white and c0lored,
To make effective Roadway against that
organized RadicaliSm which had made
| political vassalage among negroes the
successor Of the peculiar institution.
1t would therefore be specially unwise
for u extreme Democratic friends to
set up patty claims which do not prop
erly belong to them. The work of res
torati0n in this State does not lie in the
line Of party strategy. 1t is IL work of
the people and for the people. They
combined for I'm overthrow of the ex-
Istillg rule because they found it earrupt
aud rotten ; but they did so az citizens,
not az p%artisans, for they had no idea of
building up a party strength which
might, in turn, furnish the machinery
for new party eXcesses.
We trust that cOunsels at ..oncc wise
and equitable will prevail that all Ostra-
cism and bad feeling among those who
worked together for the common good
and contributed To the achievement of Il
common triumph will be abandoned az
at once imp0litic and unjust. Let our
fruits Of victory be those of Cancellation ;
restoration and redemption. With these
all should DO satisfied.