New Orleans Republican., 1875-11-18
scURRILITY AND IGNORANCE.

proportion to conscious want of knowl-
edge or ability arises the tendency to en-
ploy scurrilous language. want of de-
cency is undoubtedly want of sense" and
people having nothing else to say employ
vulSarity to express their passion. Those
who desire to convince employ different
agency 70 reach the reason Of those whom
they address. Those who have confidence
In their own logic or eloquence seem to
employ the weapons of the stews or the
barrel house. Speakers and writer's who
have no confidence in their own abilities
nor in the capacity of the people, seek by
opprobious epithets to arouse prejudice
where they are not able to assign reason,
and when they have not the knowledge to
argue a cause on principle, would carry it
by denouncing the defendant or SANDER
ing the tribunal
Democracy is working up the public
prejudice to an artillery campaign in
Louisiana from the singular scurrility with
which its organs refer to the Republican
administration. Here are several speci-
mems:
The Radicals of the federal city of swim
dies burned quantity of stolen powder on
| the Thursday evening after the Stale cleo
tions, and then five hundred or more de.
partInent clerks and other loafers went to
the White House, where Grant sometimes
stops, to serenade him. To get rid of the
| gang the President was obliged to ONE for
| ward. after n ROmawhat haEtv fpiIAt and
make the expected bow. To the astonish-
| ment of the drunken rabble he said some
thing, and the reporters put it in English as
| follows.
No perpatetio vagabonds or drunken
proclamations can steal the six votes of
Arkansas away from the glorious Demo-
cratic vote.
Regarding Louisiana it is said:
Returning boards. lying officials and the
base panders of otiiceholders will permit
her to record her eight votes in condemna-
tion of the damnable dynasty from which
she has suffered so long and 50 bitterly.
This administration and the Republican
party, which numbers certainly large
proportion Of the American people, are
thus set down as represented by thieves,
vagabonds and liars. With what pro-
priety, then, can it be said in the same
issue:
We most cordially welcome the recon-.
mendation of the Levee Company to solicit
the aid of the United States government.
We do not need the statement just issued
by the Louisiana Levee Company to assure
us that the State is now too poor to keep up
an adequate system of levees.
Can it be expected; can it be asked con-
sistently with any belief in the truth of
the obloquy just uttered, that the legisla-
tion asked for should be given by party
so infamous and an administration so be-
sotted and so corrupt? 1t would seem
that high-toned patriotism when ap-
preached by such President, or invited
by such a constituency to accept portion
of the public appropriations would scarce
ly receive an admitted right at such
hands.
Hath dog money! Is it possible
Acur can lend three Thousand ducats!
We expect the Republican administra-
ton to do its duty, as when it granted
general amnesty and remitted confscation,
wholly regardless of what partisans may
say, but would not self-respect remind
any one that those from whom we asked
favor, or even justice, are entitled to
respectful treatment? If all is believed
that has been asserted, then the applica-
tion should not rest on the merits of the
application, but upon square PROPOSE
ton of bribery to large number of the
House OF Representatives. and to a ma
jority of the Senate, and to the President
spoken Of in such terms of contempt,
Certainly there would be no sense in
making an appeal for intelligent Justice
to party alleged by the applicant to have |
elected man who Can not speak intel. |
ligible English, and who allows drunken
rabble to "burn stolen powder, or send |
"peripatetic vagabonds,' under "drunke n |
proclamations, to steal the votes of a
State.
That the vituperation of the Democratic
organ grows out of the lack of argument
and fact may be seen from the language
employed in support of the levee appro-
priation. In the first place the power of
the government to appropriate money for
local advantage has always been obstinate
ly denied by the Southern Democracy.
MIR. Calhoun justified the improvement of
Mississippi navigation on the ground that
the river was like an ocean estuary within
the jurisdiction of the government. Mr..
Calhoun opposed the tariff for protection
or with the effect of protection. He
placed that objection on the ground that
the whole republic should not be taxed
for the benefit of a special interest. The
advocates Of the tariff argued that it
woulapromote the general welfare by re-
lieving the whole people from foreign
commercial dependence, would create a
market, and ultimately cheaper all pro.
tected commodities. Is there any differ
ence between this argument for protecting
raw cotton or cotton cloth, or raw sugars
or refined sugars?
The federal government u.s., therefore, to
determine whether this protection of
special interest is lawful. It is o great
and grave national question. It is de.
pendent upon the form as we'll as policy
of the government, and it can not be dis