The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1875-12-19

f@om- mADEDs 1SD md PUBLIC.
LAYING been chosen BY the Demo-
CRITIC PubliAAing Company Of the City
Of New. Orleans" editor In chief Of
this paper, It becomes my duty to
try to make II worthy Of the Democratic
and Conservative people Of the State.
While 1.Aa.s not enjoyed the honor
Of heretofore residing In your midst. ]
have been long accustomed to regard
the people otitouidana with anfeigMed
respect. ,snd al Southern man. III COM
mon With al sstfin Conservative men
throughout the country, + have, witt
messed your nobls and heroic struggles
In the pasta against accumulated op-
pressions and inisiortunes With q feeling
II bitter sorrow. mingled with Intense
admiration. No ono can sympAthise IN
q greater degree with your natural.
proper and most reasonable aspirations
for your ancient political freedom and
industrial prosperity.
You wiilyallow mo to say that the
word :" Democrat" (which Indicates the
name aud character Of our paper. car
ries with II. In my conception aud that
OF my associates, no uncertain sound.
II means first and foremost that the
people are sufficiently Intelligent to
govern themsclvrs with an economical
and honest government, aud that when
denied this they have at. least tho right
10 rcnionstrwte sud 10 resist through
the press andsthe bsllot.box any effort
or schemc which tyranny or usurpation
may invent and conspiru for their OPP
preston and plumber,
While the pExoctsAy, therefore, does
not counsel agitation for tho sake Of
partisan excitement Or ends, it will
mover consent " IN spathetic and nn.
worthy peace iil'which dishonor Is tacitly
courted ind our rights and self-respect
are In danger Of being lost. in spirit
either OF venslity or subservience. Its
my conscientious conviction that any
thing Is to DO preferred to such moral
disgrHce. '
/ am we'll aware there u, OF course, O
reasonable desire to enjoy quiet and
tho absence OF political antaconisms
aud contests IN the community, but I
entertain an abiding confidence that all
Louistanians worthy Of their forefath-
ers will never consent 10 bear any tymn-
meal burden; Or to.wear voluntarily a
badge OF inferiority or degradation, or
thut Louisiana shall ever be known as
the Bertha q the South -faithless to
herself and to her Democratic Miles
throughout tho Union. In other words.
I will not believe that I,ouislaniahs will
cyor recognize and uncomplainingly
submit to the idea, llamentable indeed
In every department representing bust
ness or social life, that tho right OF self
government, as VIC have heard assorted,
has persisted In the state. 1t will be
tho duty then Of the DEMOCRAT to de-
mand, a9itasion and persistent resist
snce IN the city aud throughout the
State, BY al rlghtful means. against
the possible loss Of your dearest libcr-
ties. your permanent dishonor, and your
eventual ruin BY the sure demoraliza-
tion Of the people, when once confess
ing. on any pretence whatever, that
they arc nothing better than reluctant
slaves, and altogether unworthy Of their
free and chivalrous ancestors.
It is my conviction that the people,
their interest and happiness. wcro in
tended by tho wise and patriotic au-
thors OF our Independence, and Of our
various governments, to constitute the
basis on which rests our American in
stitutions. I believe that the persons
selected as rulers for the State from the
body OF tho people, by their untram-
meled sunerages, were designed 10 con.
duct administration rs thgservents and
agents Of the voters under Tho direction
and restriction Of inviolable laws. and
for the sole advantage OF those repre-
scented. In this sense the DMocRAr will
be devoted to the interest Of tho people,
and endeavor to tho extent Of It's ability
to combat NIL cIorbitant taxation and
assumptions Of Illegal power in any
quarter. II demands judicious econo-
my and needed reform. and Is equally
the avowed enemy OF usurpers. selfish
monopolies. and dishonest corpora
tons.
In 6nc, those who have originated
the plan Of this newspaper, whose
intentions and views as indicated