The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-12-13
rIlE HEROlsM OF SUBMISSION.

submit 10 Tue lnuiCSioA VI "0
til at outrage all our convictions OF
Justice and stir up all the sentiments
Of our manhood, requires the exer-
CHE of more of genuine heroism and
self-control, not to say bravery, than
to march up to the belching lannon's
mouth or ride with the six hundred
in "the valley of the shadow OF
DEATH" When brave and generous
people are called upon to display
these attributes of the heroic, they
have a better opportunity to make
an enviable record for themselves
and to obtain the plsudits of all hon
est men, than when they tramp forth
with chosen leaders and flying ban
ners to do open battle with their foe.
The people of Louisiana are now
face to face with just suchsan issue
and just such an opportunity isl
theirs.
They have fairly elected their
State ticket by an undoubted and
overwhelming majority, and together
with their brothers in the South and
their allies in the North, have cho
sen President in whose hands they
felt that their interests were safe.
They have seen band of perjured
conspirators backed by the United
States army, overcome that majority
by casting out their votes without
excuse and in fragrant violation of
LAW, and yet they are called upon to
submit to the outrage and withhold
their hand THAT could crush the usur-
pers and conspirators at one blow,
and to let the matter be tried in an
other way and before another tribu-
nal than that of force. To a people
who have been free slavery is gall
ing, but if resistance only rlvets
stronger the chains that bind them
and draws closer the cords that gall
their flesh, then discretion as we'll as
heroism dictates the absolute neces-
sity of submission. The poet has
told US that in any event discretion
is the better part of valor," and when
ITO amount Of valor can win the eau e
dnd q discreet acquiescence pro tem
lOre is likely to break our chains and
loose our cords, then patriotism and
| duty both combine in requiring our
submission.
When alsimilar outrage was COM
united in South Carolina General
Hampton counseled submission, the
people submitted and the approba-
tion of that course was universal and
| expressed in no uncertain tones
Now our gallant Nichols, who left
two limbs upon as many bloody bat
tie fields as pledges Of his bravery,
calls upon us to submit TO the fraud
which has for one of it's objects to
deprive him of the high office to
which he has been elected. The best
| evidence that this is the course
which We should pursue is that our
3ppressors are praying that we may
by resistance to their frauds draw at
tention away from the frauds them
selves to the "new rebellion as they
would call any forcible measures we
might take to avenge their insults to
pur manhood or punish their crimes.
1T is safe axiom that what your en-,
envy wants you to do, it is not to your
fnterest, to do. No attentive observ-
Ter of recent events can have any
doubts that our sworn foe and relent--
less enemy, Grant, is anxiously wait
| ing for any disturbance in the South
ito declare martial law, unite the
| North and insure either the peacea
ble inauguration of Hayes by fraud,
| or the retention of himself as ne
cessity. Disorders in the South now
would overshadow the Radical frauds,
would be taken as vindication and
proof of their assertions and would
force those in the North who would
help us to the defensive and would,
finally, through the intervention of
Grant and his army, fail to achieve
any results that might be even tenn
porarily beneficial.
The justice of our cause must in
the end appeal to the sense of right
pf the people--the clearness of our
proof must finally convince even our
enemies-and in the end we must
and will triumph over the enemies
who are threatening our liberties, or
we will in our captivity and meek
submission to our oppressors like
Sampson, captive and blind, pull
down the whole fabric of American
liberty and perish in the common
ruin. The body polite, like the cor
pereal embodiment of man, must suf-
fer and finally die from the gangrene
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