The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-01-06
TMr Wars or PEACE.

currenCe OF the people Tor whose pro-
lection the laws are devised. y Governor
de fdctO.
II peace "the great need" then step
down and out Mr. Kellogg. Why is
there not peace In Louisiana? Is 1t not
alone because you and your co-partners
In usurpation and spoliation have been
and are In the offices which rightfully
belong TO the people of Louisiana, and
| the good and true men elected by them.
Is IL not because wicked, unconsti-
tutional and immoral effort has been
| made for years past, what has been at
tempted in every other Southern State,
but defeated in all of them except IN
one other and In this distracted com
monwealth. to subject the intelligent
and honorable and heretofore prosper
ous native residents Of Louisiana, to n
government Of adventurous carpet-bag-
gers, and negroes reveling insdisorder.
plumber and oppressionp You now
have IL in your power to heal oil Of our
distractions, and to confer perfect
peace upon tho community. 1t Is
simply TO resign your bayonet-inade
Office. and to allow the natural and
reasonable authority residing In the
great conservative classes OF the State.
TO rule and execute It's laws. and to
administer it's government; md let us
say TO you, Mr. Kellogg, that II your
idea of peace means q quiet submission
TO debt, taxation, us,irpation and
wrongs. there wiU nero,' bo peace as long
as yow are DE .facto Gorernor! There
arc some, possibly, in Louisiana who
may be willing in the midst Of issues
from which they shrink, to purchase
what you call "peaco" with your
self and others, from tho hand Of
coercion and tyranny by which every
right Of tho people and their fathers
memories are insulted, and even In
substance and form Il republican gov
eminent denied the State but we shall,
indeed, have cause for bitter sorrow and
disappointment II the overwhelming
masses Of our conservative citizens are
not on this question as lntIexible as cour.
age, true honor aud the best common
sense can make them. Ha
The history Of this people prior to
tho advent of yourself and Mr.. War
moth on It's political arena, promised
to be one of uninterrupted local peace.
Tho conservative masses, those
who best comprehend the value Of good
government, and who pay the large
proportion OF taxes necessary for Its
support. all love peace, while loving
good laws more; but they insure peace,
and not onlystlis, but always crown
peace with prosperity. You cannot flil
TO perceive that you, and those pre-
ceding your arrival IN our midst, have
introduced all that political malaria
which has threatened both our social
and moral existence ever since. You
corrupted pure and peaceful Mt
inosphere into ono of tempest and
death. Notwithstanding this. you
want, it seems, "the enforcement of the
laws with the active concurrence Of the
people for whose protection the laws are
devised" What lawsp Instead Of deal
ling In these "glittering goneralities, !"
would 1t not have been best first to show
that your laws, or The laws, Gas the Elec-
ton, Police. School. Levee, and heaven
knows how many others, each worse
than the last), are for the protection of
the people. and on showing this com
Portable truth, ask good men to respect
and enforce themp Would it not have
been rs we'll too, to satisfy citizens since
it cannot be denied there is some doubt
on the subject--that many OF thoseimak
ing and promulgating your laws have a
right to do so, and then ask us to re-
spcct and defend them. It is certain
that only n person occupying your
unfortunate position could have been
guilty Of the political proiIigacy Of re-
questing people to respect and enforce
unwise. insulting and oppressive laws.
hateful and hated.
Yes, you are right In one thing, the
great need" Of Louisiana is peace, but
in connection with peace, and us the
basis on which it can safely rest, still
greater need is, free and civilized rule,
freedom from painful and humilia-
ting usurpation OF our republican form
OF government, freedom from mon and
plans Of administration we distrust
and know to be costly and corrupt. 1t
Is in your power to confer upon Louis
lana this equal or greater need than
fine sentences about peace when you
know well, in the language OF Patrick
Henry there Is no peace" by the re-
moval Of those obstructive processes
which you and Others playing the
same infamous role have erected
during the hidcous eight years past, that
have fingered out their record OF plumber
and torture; and then real Peace, sweet,
broad-winged Peace, restoring, sooth
ing Peace, will follow in the natural
order OF things and bless US with her
glorious presence. But, mark you. with
yourself or any other person in the
Gubernatorial chair OF the old Pelican
State, put there by force and sustained
by Federal bayonets, there may be
silence, but do not mistake it for peace.
The very atmosphere that surrounds
you is fatal to peace. Peace feels with
the profoundest fears and convictions
both, that she cannot lie down safely
under the Upas tree you have planted