The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1874-09-26
Louisiana.

The St. Louis Dispatch, if not the
most prominent, still the ablcst and
most brilliant journal in the West,
publishes the following editorial on
the situation in Louisiana. The ar
ticle shows a perfect acquaintance
with the feelings Of our people and a
perfectly clear apprehension of the
results that will flow from Federal in
reference in our affairs. We pub
4 fish the article of the Dispatch and
endorse it as if it were our own ut
tetance
Robbed, tortured and abused as no
people have ever been since the be-
ginning Of christianity, the Louisian.
| ians have risen at last in revolt, seized
the capital Of their State, forced the
armed guards of the satrap Kellogg
| to surrender, and driven the Governor
and his commander-in- chief, Long
street, to tho shelter OF tho Federal
guns at the custom house.
OF course the end is not yet. The
pretext so long labored for and cun-
nipgly sought to be made acceptable
to the North, has come at last and
Louisiana will be inundated anew
with United States soldiers. Then
what? We veril y believe there will
como out of this ominous beginning
war by lake aad lagoon.-the war Of
the bayou aud the swamp, the marsh
and the canebrake.-that slow, pa
tient, inexorable, lnercl(css guerrilla
war which poisons everything that it
touches, which is constantly being
extirpated, and yet which never dies
or loses aught Of its savage 1espera-
ton and ferocity. That time has
come in Louisiana when it will be
profitable to 90 to war-wllen it will
be mercy to win OF lose by quick,
sharp stroke, rather than to die by
inches and under the blows of their
plunderers and their masters.
We think We understand tho full
meaning Of the uprising. As long as
lit is possible the State troops will
keep from conflict with the Federal
troops. An appeal will be directed to
the nation in behalf of the right of an
outraged people to save their proper
ty and protect theif wives aud chill
dren from actual want. This will fall
upon cold and unheeding ears. Grant
will support Kellogg. Troops enough
to hold New Orleans will be sent to
New Orleans. There will be a militia
~ government established in the
State just as Austria established one
in Italy by holding the large towns
and certifying them, just as the French
did in Mexico by governing the cities.
Outside Of these forts, however, the
guerrilla warfare will be incessant.
The State troops will fight the Fed.
eral troops-be sure Of that-and no
power on earth can prevent it now
but the President. Up to a certain
point, One United States flag and fif-
ty men in blue might march anywhere
in tho South, camp anywhere, receive
respects and kind treatment every.
where; but beyond a certain point
the present regular army Of the gov
eminent is not sufficient to hold even
LouisiWa in subsection. Fifty Mo-
docs held tlcir oven for months
against ten thousand soldiers it took
four or five regiments of cavalry aud
as many of infantry to keep Guam
trell and his fifty men out Of St. Louis.
Bill Anderson roamed at will, Kill
ling and defying State full of regulars
and militia. Won't it be fearful when
instead Of one Quantrell in Louis.
lana, there are fifty instead Of one
Anderson, each parish has a leader
just as savage and just as enterpri-
sing7 But in the end say those who
reason about it, the Government will
triumph and the guerrillas will go to
the wall. Unquestionably, but this
is one of those things about which
the Louis;anians will not reason. They
say aud say truthfully that We have
endured everything, suffered every
thing, been robbed Of everything, the
jumping-off place has come, and while
sight is yet left to us, we will lay hold
of the columns that support the tenn
pie and bury everything in common
ruin. For months and months the
people of Louisiana have been pitiful
to their appeals. If they were read
at all, they were as speedily forgot
ten. They have described their suf'
ferings, recounted their wrongs, plead.
ed for bare justice, asked to have a
little left to them, got On their knees
to their task-masters, and now human
nature has revolted. This is all. In
the North the conflict, under similar
provocation, would have been stimuli
taneous with the offense. 1t is not al
en,eute, a hasty and passionate blow
| a sudden spasm Of resistance +; but j
is the calm and deliberate purpose O.
brave men who have fully organized