The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-03-05
The Meeting at st. Patrick's
Hall.

| tFfom The New orleans Times, Feb. 27tSs.
The meeting lastnight at st. Patrick's
Hall, full report of which will be found
in another column, was a very large one.
1t was in every respect orderly and
quiet. 1t was called for the express pur-
pose of protesting against the acti0n of
the Conservative caucus. There was
no discussion. The speeches were all
on n side. The other side was mot
heard at all. The speakers were listen
ed to with respect and attention. The
resolutions had been prepared before
hand. They were put and the yeas were
demanded, and responded to loudly.
The noes were not demanded as &all ;
had they been the response would doubt
less have been equally emphatic. It!was
apparent that a large proportion Of the
assembly were not in sympathy with
the avowed object of the meeting As
an expression of public sentiments the
meeting is entitled to respectful con
~sideration, but we confess ourselves I'M
able to see what title it has exhibited
TO a mandatory authority over the;ma-
jority to compel the latter to reverse
their action.
The protesting party constitute the
minority in numbers and interest, and
having made the best showing they;can,
and clearly failed to change the eur
rent of sentiment, or to convince the
majority that they are in the wrong, it
strikes us that any futher attempt to
turn the majority from the policy adopt
ed is unwaIrapted,
The subject matter of the addresses
has been discussed in every phase for
many weeks. Minds eyerywhele are
made up. Large numbers of people are
weary of discussion and demand ac-
tion-prompt-decisive, and fraught
with substantial results. In sentiment
the majority have not heretofore, DO not
now, differ from the minority the; diff
ference is with reference tothe plan of
action, the majority being in favOy of a
positive movement, in support of which
they offer immediate, tangible, ana;vital
results, results which can hardly;fail to
be the greatest benefit to the State, Rllile
the minority, in support of inaction, Of
fer nothing but a continuance Gf the
worst condition of affairs the STATE has
ever known, for two years longer, with
ont a reasonable hope in any Objection
whatever.
There is nothing i'm the resolutions or
any of the speeches which can Sba ac-
cepted as a satisfactory answer to the
question, what is to be gained by doing
HUblfIuS ouppOSG We dCGGpb ifG!EESOlu-
tions as binding, and wait, wait, in our
present situation for two years more,
what will we have gainedg What we
| will lose is already manifest,
We repeat, the case has been fully
submitted TO the country already, and
additional self-imposed penalties will
not add vote to its strength. The peO-
pie at large cannot pass upon th4ques-
ton within two years, and in the mean
time, If we continue at the present rate,
there will be very little left to save.
The resolutions adopted Seem to us
to be open to criticism in many l5artic-
ulars, notably In the assumptions, gra-
tuitous and little short of insulting, that
the members from the parishes Favor
ing the adjustment had misrepresented
their constituents, and calling uIOn the
latter to repudiate their action! The
meeting had no shadow of right to as
sumo such dicbatQrial powers. let the
parishes speak for themselves.
But the argument of the whole case
has been sufficiently prolix, minute and
exhaustive. All parties have been fully
heard and we believe the geneR con-
victi0n to be unchanged and In favor of
the majority of the caucus, aid I'M
pleasant as it may be, we do not see how
they cor choose but go forward boldly
In the course they have marked out.