New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-17
FRAGRANT WITH PETROLEUM.


ignorance which has sought to dissatisf.
our people and dispose them to regard tn
customs of other nations as superior Il
their own. 1t was an apprehension tina
foreign governments would send insidiou!
agents among us to plant prncipalities in
stead of republican States which caused
the guarantee of government republican
in form to every State in the Union. Still
we tolerate every theory in law, physica
science or religion which any adventure
from abroad may utter. The immortal
maxim of Mr.. Jefferson has protected US
and error has thus far "ceased to be danger
Gus when reason is lief. free to combat it.
1t is with this PREDATORY opinion that We
call attention to the insidious article Of
the Bee upon republican form Of govern
ment in Louisiana. The thesis Of the Bee
is that law is entitled to respect in a re-
public wher it is voted by the agents of
the people, and where it should conse-
quently represent the purpose Of the ma
jority of nation. 1t says:
In democracy, where the legislators are
| but the servants Of the people. the law
| should be in effect the highest expression OF
| the popular will, and by this title would
| merit the respect and command the Obedi-
| ence of every citizen. But this which is
true of a democracy properly constituted.
| based on reciprocal respect of rights and
| interests, with powers well balanced and
| subjected to serious responsibility, ceases in
| a democracy which has degenerated into
| demagogy, and which has caused to disap-
| pear the balance of power and the respon-
sibilities of Governors and legislators.
Then the law becomes more the result of
an inmical conflict between sOrdid inter
ests, the price of intrigue and often the
fruit of a scandalous swindle. 1t loses its
respectable character, and the citi-ens are
reduced 10 employ other means to rtttdraW
themselves from its application.
1t is a sad state OF society to which cltl-
zens have arrived TO lose respect for law
1t is nevertheless that in which we now
live in Louisiana.
To prove this last allegation the charge
is made that
The government of Louisiana is the re-
suit of a usurpation against which the peO
pie have for more than year demanded
Justice. The enactment OF the law has
thus become as irregular in form as it is
immoral in fact; that it is Of common no
toriety that venal motives had great deal
to do in the introduction and passage OF
many bills.
The Legislature adjourned on the fifth in
slant, and the journals were not published
for nine DAYS thereafter. 1t is rumored
that the journals have been manipulated by
some persons who have arranged the pro-
ceedings OF the last session in such manner
as to give them an appearance OF probable
correctness.
From this conglomeration of assertion
and rumor, the result is deduced that
"THE LAW, in the true meaning of the
word does not exist in Louisiana, with
the further conclusion, fairly dedueible,
that the citizens should neither respect
nor obey it, This is an eminently Gallo
doctrine. A portion Of a people, shown
to be minority at the polls, deny the
legality of the government. They are
thereby justified to disobey what they de-
nounce. They are told in foreign tongue
that they are absolved from all obligation,
and may evade or resist the law at pleas
ure. This would be valid doctrine in |
France, where the citizen is not a party |
by choice to the government, but under a
government the case is differ |
ent. Every citizen of Republic has en-
gagged to obey the laws as they may be
If he thinks them without |
warrant or Of corrupt pas
sage, he has two remedies He may ap-
peal to the courts or he may run opposi-
ton to the law makers and repeal all
obnoxious acts which are repealable. The
American republican never takes two
to have his own way, one TO elect !
his own friends and another to resist or
evade the law. This doctrine was once |
denounced in the South 'as the higher
qualification, and the American people
repudiated both. Their doctrine is: An
null the law through the courts, repeal it
through the polls, and if that portion of
the people among which you may happen
to reside be more numerous than your
friends, and equally determined to have
for which Americans fought and under
which many of our most distinguished
admirers now act-the right to quit this
country or any section of it and go where
the law is properly enacted-perhaps to
France.
The Bee is beyond doubt hostile to the
federal and State governments as at pres
ent administered. We infer from its gen.
eral course that it considers each ga DEM
gogy" and no longer capable of uttering
sound law 1t now proclaims Louisiana
hors de Ia loi-an outlaw sort of LATTE |
among the States. In France such a
might be followed by barri- |
cadeS, and fltsalndeS, and iogades, and |
petroliades. Here they are published in a |
dead language, and are only noticed as a
Red Republican rhapsody, which Ameri-
cans hold in contempt and which others