The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-11-19
LOUISIANA.

Yesterday afternoon the edftor OF the
Cincinnati Enquirer telegraphed the Dem
upon Louisiana. The dispatch concluded
"a follows: The Northern Democracy pray
that you tuiH not permit us to be counted
out"
Later dispatches show that it is univer-
sally believed in the North that this state
the eyes of the whole American people are
fixed with the most intense interests upon
the little spot of ground which has for eight
years been plundered under the shadow OF
the American flag by the Ke!loggs and
Packards, and the bosom of whose fields
have been tramped into sterility by the
armed heel of the soldiers of the Repu bile,
marching from parish to parish to arrest
and dragonade our free citizens in the in
terests of the piunderers.
The position Of Louisiana to day ls
grandly dramatic. Her situation presents
a theme for the nobiest epic that has yet
been written. With the shackles of eight
years of cruel slavery just dropping from
her limbs; with the rags of her poverty
still ciinging about her, the fate of tue Re
public hangs upon her utterance In this
crisis, and the great Democratic party, the
millions of men who long for reform and
the preservation of free institutions, with
clasped hands pray to her ITO save the
country. Few peoples have before in the
history of the world occupied position 80
trying and yet 30 sublime. We doubt if in
the history of the world there has ever been
so striking and 80 splendid an example of
poetic retribution.
In 1872 the Democratic and Conservative
people of Louisiana, trusting in the
guarantees of the Constitution and ia the
good faith of the American people, went
into the national canvass and carried their
State election and elected a full State
government by over i've thousand majority.
The Presidential election was determined
by the great majority of the other States,
and the result In Louisiana affected only
the property, commercial, and Industrial
interests of her own people. The party in
power stepped in, nuili6ed the will of the
people, and with the power of the army
and navy installed over US usurpation the
most lawless and infamous that ever
cursed the earth. The country wac startled
at the audacity and magnitude of the crime.
Loulsianisns were indignant, but trusting,
in the generosity of their countrymen aud
the love of the American people for con-
stitutional liberty, they struck no blow, but
made their appeal to the people and to the
Congress for redress. How was their ap.
peal answered How was their protest
against this great national crime met?
Literally with der;sion and contempt.
Helpless before the armed power of the
Government, powerles. before the hate
of the North and West; they submitted
as best they could to the outrage Under
the law Of the State another election was
held in 1874 for State officers. After ten
years of peace after they had so patiently
borne contumely, robbery, and oppression
at the hands of wretches protected here by
the general Government, the people of
Louisiana felt that the vengeance of the
North was appeased and that they would
be protected in their constitutional rights
| and against crime similar to that of 1874
They went into the election hopefully, re-
cd TO hoi to
State through the peaceful and coDstitu-
| tional medium OF thu ballot box. Again
they carried the State by over five thou
sand majority. What was the result
The crime of 1872, with aggravated insult,
was repeated. 1t is needless to recite that
| dark, shameful, Infamous story, in which
the names Of Grant, Sheridan; kellogg, and
| Packard figure so disgracefuIly, and in
which the American fl 4g and the American
arms were wrapped in Cloud of dishonor
and coWardice.
From one erd of the Republic to the
other cry of Indignation went up. In
New York, BoetoD, and Philadelphia mon
ster mass meetings were held 10 denounce
the outrage upon the constitutional rights
of Louisiana by the President. But each
speaker wound up his eloquent arraignmept
of the illustrious crimiDals, and each
journalist wound up his editorial with the
sdmOnition to the people of Louisiana that,
|
were lifted to strike at the perpetrators OF
the outrages, the whole North and West,
to a man, would rise up to join the crimi
malls aud crush the State forever under the
| heel of Grant.
Silently, patiently and mOurnfolly we
submitted. Almost hopelessiy we saw
that the reign of lawlessness and plumber
was to go on under the protection of the
American flag, and that all that was left us
was the spirit and the heart to curse, with
bitter, burning curses, the scoundrelf
whose heels were on our necks and in ouI
halls.
Again the election for President came on
Strange to say, the people of Louisiana
rallied for the struggle. In every neigh
borhood within her borders her chiefs raj
lied her people, and her people came forth
to make one more effort for the preserva-
tion of their constitutional existence.
Twice had they won the victory, and twice
in presence of the whole Republic had it
r A.