The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-06-26
Very sound advice.

suggestions from the New York Times
to the careful consideration of two fac
lions In this State-to those-whO profess
to be entirely honest, and to those i'm
practicable Iast-ditchers who vainly
hope they will be asked to step fortl
and save the State by accepting public
office. The Times, twill be seen, il
chiefly discussing South Carolina, bu.
the remarks fit Louisiana very we'll:
IN. Q. Republican.
THE SOUTH. 20
If it were possible for both the pOliti.
cal parties Of the day to unite in the
endeavor to put right whatever may be
wrong in the condition of the Southern
States, it would be an excellent thing
for the whole country. But a combina.
ton of this kind on such a question il
out of the range of probability. The
Democrats may rejoice ever the troub,
les which arise in the Southern States
simply because they hope those troub,
les will supply them with that oppor,
tunity which neither time nor the wis
dom of their leaders appears to create
for them. They can never deal, as a
party, with questions arising in the
/ South. They are the cause of most OF
the difficulties which prevail there, and
if they were allowed to pursue a policy
of their own, they would simply run the
risk of producing civil disturbances
scarcely less formidable than those
which confronted US in 1861. Even
State riglits-which always ought to be
~reverentially observed within constitu-
tional limits-they construe to include
the right of secession. They are dis
qualified from approaching the subject
by the insane course which they adopted
for so many years, and which misled
the South into the fatal error of attemp-
ting to overthrow the General Govern
ment. The only party which can pro-
tect the States in the exercise of theil
proper functions, as it has hitherto de-
Tended the existence of the federal gov
eminent itself, is the Republican party,
It can never be suspected of pushing
State rights to a ruinous point-tO that
point at which the nation would perish,
and a medley of independent govern
ments alone remain. 1t may be trusted
to preserve, liberty, while it would also
preserve that principle which undoubt-
edly lies at the basis of the constitution
namely: the maintenance of a central
power capable at once of repelling enc
mics from without and enemies from
within.
For these reasons we have been anx
iOus to bring before the consideration of
the Republican party the evils which are
alleged to exist in the South. We have
no desire to see political capital made
by the Democrats out of those evils. It
is the business OF the Republican party
to deal with them, and that can be done
without calling upon Congress for any
new legislation. Take South Carolina
as an example. If we can believe the
evidence before us in relation to that
State-and it seems impossible to reject
well. Now, if they once understand
that the Republican party will not stand
by them through thick and thin-will
not countenance any attempt to estab-
lish organized corruption i'll South Car
DINA or any other State-it can not be
doubted that the warning would have
a very salutary effect upon their minds.
Indeed, the remonstrances which we
have already uttered upon the subject
have not been thrown away. The Re-
publican journals in South Carolina
have quoted our. remarks, and have
plainly told the colored people that the
government of the State must be re-
formed, or they will lose the support of
the great party which gave them their
freedom and their political rights.
The party will not and al not justify
measures which lead to the Wholesale
contiscatiOn of private property. South
Carolina necessarily suffered punish
ment during the war, and it was pun
ishment which she had provoked, and
| which she had deserved, and concern
ing which there was nothing more to be
said than that a State in the Union
which wantonly forces III a war must
take the consequences. But the present
misrule in South Carolina is not to be
regarded as a " war measure" 1t is an
evil to be 'redressed, and it can only be
redressed by the party in power. The
Republican party is in favor of honest
government, and is and always must. be
a foe to corruption. When the eolored
people in South Carolina are made to
understand that, we shall hear no more
of wholesale confiscation as means of
carrying on a local government.
Weneed waste no words IN the puerile
alarm of few Republieaniournals when
questions like these are discussed. They
seem to think that it is a very danger
Gus thing to tell the truth. We believe
ON the contrary, that it is q very dam
gerous thing to conceal it.. There has
been no public question for fifteen years
past with which the. Republican party
has not shown itself fully. able to cope.
But it has hitherto 3deaItWith such ques-
tions in a spirit of-true patriotism and
with perfect. fearlessness. It will deal
with the turmoiis in Arkansas and other
States in the same manner. 1t will not
try to hide them away IN holes and cor
ners. lie Republicans in the South wish
to receive support they must act as we
wish and expect Republicans in the
North to act-that is, with good faith,
and a due regard to the responsibility
which every party owe to the peolpe
who put it in power. Here and there a
Republican paper may think this a very
dangerous doctrine to pronounce. We
a not help that. We have not labor
ed to suppress TWeedism in this State
merely that we may give either an open
OF a covert support to TWeedism else
where. Nor can we see that corruption,
when it is practiced in the name of Re-
publieanism, is i'll anydegree better than
corruption when it is practiced in the
nane OF Democracy. 1t is cur duty to
condemn it wherever we may happen
find it.--LClinton Patriot-D Democrat.
GRAND IODGE.-Bro. Bachelor.
Grand Secretary, sends out O book of
five hundred pages, and calls it the Pro-
ceedings of the Grand Lodge of the
State of Louisiana. Kentucky andLouis-
lana give IS pages as proceedings
than any other grand jurisdictions, and
their grand secretaries spendany amount
of means, time, patience and labor to
make them complete aud useful. The
proceedings before us are those had at
Annual Communication in New Orleans
from February. 0 to Is, 1874, inclusive.
II includes numerous tables, statistics,
historical accounts, names of every af-