The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-07-10

A DISASTROUS SUCCESS.

~ -E -SE 49, --~-~- .Gt%
from the Lafayette Advertiser July 4th.I
The meeting last Sunday>wa folera-
bly well attended, but only small por-
ton of the crowd sympathlzed with lGS
objects. Extensive efforts and prepare
tions had been made to make the affair
q success and as imposing as possible
After the organization, Z. L. Lewis
ESD, of St. Landry, was introduced as
the Champion of the Cause IN L0u1sl-
ana. He took for his text an article IN
the Advertiser of the Goth ult., ana
undertook to answer some of the ques-
tions there raised. We and many 9th
ers we're anxious to hear all those ques-
lions satisfactorily answered. The only
one he endeavOred to answer by afgu-
ment was, Surprising all the whites
band together against the Repubhcan
party, what can they accOmpllshT" lie
maintained that the white voters were
in the majority in the State and proved
bv the Z. S. Census, that the number
Of white males between the ages, OF 10
and 45, exceeded the colored by over
5000. He was careful however, to con-
ceal the facts, that there are some 900U
white republican voters and owe looogG
aliens who cannot vote at all, included
in the figures exhibited and which he
COullGcu dts w Hue AcdSuC FOICA0,
of the questions, he did not undertake
to answer and the balance OF them
were demolished by his simple denlals
and assertions. He denied that the OBJ
iects of the League. tended to excite a
conflict OF races and before closing,
proved conclusively that q WaI, was
Inevitable. He may find when the time
arrives, that it will require more than
clutch courage" to face the muse
To prove the great strength OF the
| League and that it was not confined &c
a fraction of the whites in a few
parishes, great stress was laid upon the
fact, that the Crescent Club had affilla-
ted with the party. 1t must have APP,
peared to every n else, an evidence OF
weakness, that only II i'll about one
hundred clubs in New Orleans, bad
favored the movement. The Champion
confessed openly and unblushlngly
that in advocating Fusion doctrines 81
a Liberal Republican, he was simply
trying to " pull the wool over the mig:
gers eyes, 1t was a strange anf
damaging confession and the, questions
naturally suggested themselves: Is NJ
sincere now? Who is he trying *
humbug this time? tits not atall strange
that such a champion, has failed to con.
vince the white people OF his own pal,
ish, of the soundness OF his presen
political creed. .s.# ts
Col. Deblane, who is always sincere
gallant and eloquent, addressed thu
meeting in the French language:
h Genl. DeClouet Pead a carefully pre-
pared speech and was listened to witt
respect and attention. .s. .,t4 ~.
G.. Fl. Mouton, Esq, made a short ap
peal and begged the ladies to encourage
men to advance and win tn
fghtT-it was they, who must stand TIN
Eshock of battle. We admire the PIU
j dence and g~eRerGlship Of the Champion
of the Cause in Lafayette parish. a. 49,.
We had expected and were prepare'
to hear solid arguments, but were dis
appointed in hearing nothing but pas
sfonate appeals to the prejudices OF rae
and which had the effect only, OF exc1t
ing a few unthinking men and exposing
the weakness of the cause. Ii the ora
tors succeeded i'll anything, it was II
convincing the whites that they ongh
to rule the country-a proposition tina
has never been denied in this parish
But they failed to convince them, tina
o white minority should govern, al, al
hazards. They failed also, to convinc,
any intelligent man, of the ~expedienc.
and pr~acticability of the movement
without wading through blood. Il n
better reasons and arguments can b
produced, the movement is doomed to
miserable failure and the Champion
will be sorely disappointed in not beini
able to sail into office on that breeze.
81 a'.t.FE ~ --r+