The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-03
OBSOLETE IDEAS.

i The advent of Gen. Phil. Sheridan in New
Orleans, and the mission which has been in
trusted to him by the Chief Civil Magistrate
Ulysses S. Grant, have induced us to refresl
our memory by reperusal Of State paper
the ideas of which must appear very oh
solete to that parsonage and to his confden
tial advisers, the Williamses the Mortons and
the Boss Shepherds That document was pub
ished to the world nearly one hundred years
ago, and it bore the signatures of John Han
cock, Samuel and John Adams, Benjamin
Franklin, Charles Carroll Of Carrollton,
Thomas jefferson and about twenty-five
other Americans not altogether unknown to
fame.
Among other declarations embodied in that
solemn appeal "to the opinions of mankind, -
we find that all men are endowed by their
Creator with certain inalienable rights that
among these are life. liberty and the pursuit
of happiness that to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men, de-
riving their jus! po,cers from the consent Of the
governel; that whenever any form Of govern
ment becomes destructive Of these ends, 1t IS the
RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO ALTER OR TO ABOLISH
IT, and TO INSTITUTE NEW GOVERNMENT, lay
ing its foundation on such principles, and or
ganizing its powers in such form, as TO THEM
shall seem most likely to effect their safety
and happiness. .
And little further on the authors Of this
immortal declaration-the Mama Charta of
our country-say that "when long train of
abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably
the same object, evinces design to reduce
them under absolute depotism, it is their
right, it is their duty to hror off such a gover,s-
ment, and to provide new guards for their tu-
ture security"
The above doctrines are doubtless consid-
cred by Ulysses S. Grant and his bosom
friends and advisers as reasonable in the
highest degree, and any attempt to carry them
out, on the part of the citizens of Louisiana,
would be put down by the army and navy OF
The United States, which are now employed
not as protection against foreign enemies
out as instruments of oppression against a
portion OF the American people.
Grant and Sheridan will have their oppor-
unity on Monday next, when the men elected |
~ Louisiana to conduct her own government |
will present themselves and demand possess
ion Of the Offices to which they have been
airly elected. Although Messrs Grant and
sheridan may obtain temporary triumph
'ver the right by taking advantage of the well
,nown determination Of our people not to
ONE into collision with the Federal military
nd naval authorities, it may be as well for
hem to consider that day of reckoning will
come for THEM as well as for the
ad men who urge them on in their present
yrannical and Illegal course, and that no
of previous military reputation or OF
ersonal popularity will save them from the
Of UNFOLDING by force Of arms
nd imposing upon our prosecuted and out
ageously plundered community the intolera-
lie yoke of kellogg and his crew of land
rates.
No appeal to violence, no resort to arms is
equired to vindicate our case, which has al
lady been pronounced upon by that supreme
ibunal, tie AMERICAN NATION. The attempt
Grant to stem the rising tide of popular
,dignation by which his administration is
estined to be swamped, can only be COM
AIRED to the celebrated contest Of Dame Part.
lgton with the Atlantic Ocean, and will come :
the same laughable end.