The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-06
RIGHT OF INSTRUCTION.
Editor of the New Orleans Bulletin

In Thursday mornings Picay,ne there ap
: pears the most unfair article on the Fright D
!, instruction that could well be imagined. L
the contributor to the Picayane really In
q tended to enlighten its readers, when quoting
Daniel Webster "a very able, but one OF the
loosest of American statesmen), why did be
e not, per co1ia, introduce Mr.. Calhoun, one
of the ablest and most consistent statesmen
that any country ever produced? Why did
he no. tell that Mr.. Calhoun once advocated
1 IL very important measure in Congress-; that
! his constituents condemned him for if; that
he tlied from the stump, to convince them
that they were in error; that he failed aud
that, acknowledging the right of his instruc-
ton, He returned to Congress and obeyed lis
constituents;
Nor has he mentioned the shining example
Of benjamin Watkins Leigh, a real statesman
and true gentleman, who, recognizing the
paramount right Of instruction, but holding
conscientiously to his Individual opinions,
| placed his resignation III the hands of his peO-
pie.
The contributor pays poor compliment
indeed to the craftsmanship and intelligence
OF the South when he travels to Massachusetts,
to choose as an oxampler Daniel Webster,
man whom it is more than doubtful if Massa-
chusetts herself would choose o-day.
But the contributor does worse than all this
holds the motives and circumstances Of his
action, and thereby wholly misleads the
reader.
Goodrich says: "Mr. Burke did not oripi-
nally seek the honor Of representing the CITY
Of Bristol, in the House Of Commons On
the dissolution Of Parliament in 1774 he was
chosen member for Nation, in York shire
through the Influence Ct Lord Rockingham,
and was in the act Of returning thanks to his
,rlap Il I T..
Bristol, informing him that he had been put
in nomination by his friends there. He re-
paired Immediately to the spot, and after a
severe contest, was elected by a considerable |
majority"
Mr.. Burke was a statesDlan, whose services |
were thus sought without pledges Our com
promsers have only 10 look back to the Baton |
Rouge platform to tind themselves so.emny |
ptedgd. Indeed, they have only to look back |
to the date Of their expulsion from the legis-
lative hall of the State to find themselves,
Of their own voluntary will, solemnly pledged
to each other aud to the people not to enter
that hall, until the restoration Of the stttus
quo. There it is on the record
But let us do what the PcQpt,,e contributor
has not done quote Mr. Burke in full:
No. l DID not obey yor Instructions. |
conformed to the instructions Of truth and
nature, and maintained your interests against
your opinions with the constancy that be-
came me. representative that was worthy
OF you ought to be a person Of stability. l
am to look, indeed, to your opinions; but to
such opl,lons as you and | must have i've
years hence was not to look at the flash of
the day. hao,c that go" close me, IN M
pSnce, "tony 'rW Others, to be piNar Of tie
Stte, and not q ,redher-coch o,, tie top Of tie
edrice, e.c'tHed for my rensatHy and leriy, anil
y no use JH to indcote the shJlinqs Of erergI
fashionable yde.
Here was a real statesman, man of pre-emi-
nent ability, man made to lead men, simply
against an effort of his Bristol con
tituens to make him subordinate q State
policy to their local selishness The people of |
5rlstol wanted Mr.. Burke to work for Bristol.
slr. Burke conceived that his first and ,
highest obligation was to the State 1t is not
y any means improbable that ii some of our
compromising members were to examine
themselves carefully they might find that they
ave subordinated State to Parish considera-
ions. q
Bat at last it seems to be altogether NAL f
propos for the contributor to the Picogu,,e j
0 be citing Edmund Burke as authority on r
he subject of the Right Of Instruction" Al 4
II. The government under which Mr. Burke G
'as acting was monarchical- government q
urports to be republican. The people in il
his country have right to demand Of their O
ubllc servants that their behests be carried q
ut If that servant can 90 before the people &
nd convince them that they are right, all well: a
ut the conscientious public servant will al b
ay' resign rather than defy the mandate of O.
be people. b
But more than all, this lame defense of the Fl
aucus ty the Iieayne contributor is totally a,
ithout force when viewed from another &C
andpoint. Even granting, for the sake of e.
'8ument, the independence Of the represen- u
tive, the case in question is not covered
he compromisers OF the Caucus are going Of
ear beyond mere clash of opinion between tn
emselves and their constituents. They are W
ca
l. function unknown to the organic or 50
atutory laws Of the State. nc
2. Powers under this artificial function RI
ley are neither more nor less than usurpers: CO
d there Is no more patent fact than this, da
at II there were not bayonets to enforce 70
cir illega acts they would be no more avail til
fore the people of Louisiana than Papal a.
Ills issued against comet. Were United lie
ates soldiers off the soil Of Louisiana today, fo
ID republican principles to be allowed to m,
'ert themselves, the compromise would at ba
&c vanish into air. If it stands against the re,
nstltuents OF the Caucus, it will be because In
the very bayOnets that drove us from the of
,islative hall on the 4th Of January Have ii,
2 Caucus ever thought of this? he