The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-06-03
NORTH LOUISIANA.
E-ytfrrys or RtDYGiJ RULE ~ THE
CDENJRI.


PLEASANT HrLL. DESoTo PARISH, /
May a. 1876, \
Editor Democrdt-In my last to you
from Mansfield | promised to give your
| readers u letter upon the POM ~ sltua-
tion of this parish us compared to those
| have lately visited, and that are under
rule OF Radical bummers and thieves.
In promising, with the hope OF proving
interesting. | desire to call attention To
a point well worthy the consideration OF
the political student of the day, ana that
| is, that notwithstanding we may have
4 exclusive control OF our local affairs.
unless the State government Is man.
aged by the intelligent, virtuous ana
| honorable. there can be- but little real
good enjoyed by the citizen
| DeSoto. exclusively in the control Of
her own people. feels the weight Of the
| irresponsible State government, and the
| blight uf Radcalsm is visible In her
| towns and business. From parish capital
| to country village the down ut heel IS
to be seen In Mansfield fully a score
of once fashionable business houses,
large and commodous in times past are
now deserted and in ruins. At one time
business to the extent Of hundreds ot
thousands of dollars was transacted
here. now the traffic has been reduced
to the minimum. People who had invest
moved their business 70 other States,
where capital is not hanpered
with the restrictions of Radical
law This exodus Of capital and bust
ness men has. you may rest assured,
effected in d great measure the material
interests Of the parish, and to feel and
appreciate correctly the blight OF Radi-
cal State government, even when com
munities are under control OF their own
local choice, one must come TO Mans
field. town which possesses many
natural advantages, and whose people
are enterprising and thrifty Previous
to Radical reconstruction the interest
taken in education by these people was
greater than any in North Louisiana,
which can be proven by the numerous
fine private schools and colleges and
The manner with which they were sus-
tanned. This village had q fine male
and female academy, keachi also. and
at Mansfield one of the largest, most
popular female colleges in the state.
Some idea may be formed Of the preva
lent idea Oh education by the manage
ment even now OF the plttanco given
the parish from the general school
fund as told YOU of in my last. Those
private schools were filed with students
from adjoining parishes Caddo, Bos
sier. NntchtuChes. Rapides. Ayoyelles
aud others. contributed largely to their
support. aud added business. wealth
aud general prosperity 10 the entire
parish These parishes have been
robbed ~ q Bonett. Blunt and Myers,
by keeting Harper and Levissee. by
Wells. Il Souer and others. to such an
outrageous extent as to jmpove1ish the
citizens. and no matter how much they
may desire. they have not the means TO
educate their children at these schools. |
The people of DeSoto are firmly inn |
bued with these ideas. they know full
well the causes that have brought about |
this ruin. aud are fully alive to the i'm |
portance OF radical change in State
affairs.
l have never found in all my travels a |
more united and determined people.
This parish had many ''old Wings" in
"Whig times" and Pitkip-J X. G.. the
old Whig (?) Of tho Radical party, who,
| am told, Joined the Confederate army
az rampant Yankee slayer, and after
getting a taste OF war at the battle
Of Shiloh, worked himself out of the
army by q deyterous use OF a piece
Of soap under his tongue this blath-
crskite has filled this parish with
his appeal. but scorn and indig,
nation have met his expressions from all
parties Unqualified fealty to the Dem
ocratio- Conservative organization is the
watch word. and the feeling to do their
full duty Is manifest on all sides.
This same feeling has encouraged me
greatly. / had thought perhaps that
Leonard might have had some few fol
lowers i'm his grand ideal Of new party /
and | made that letter a subject Of
searching inquiry. but have failed to
find one single person that did not de
nounce IL in unmeasured terms. | learn
from parties lately from Caddo that the
people there did not heed the teachings
of such letters. and were alive to the
of united action Of the
people There may be those who are
inclined to be discouraged in parts Of
our State. but they are Of the Interest
ed order of manhood. weak in purpose
and timid in action. TO such
would commend sixteen day
ride through the seven North
Louisiana parishes bordering on Red
River. and | can assure them that If
they have but one spark of patriotism
in their bosoms it will be famed to a
blaze. Here all private feelings are put
aside, all personal ambition smothered.
and the people are actuated by the lofty
motive of driving out from Office the
plundering horde who have so long
rioted over the State. The determine
tion to have a rigorous and titdl cam
paign is openly expressed and nothing
short of that result will satisfy the good
people of North Louisiana. The late
threats from the Radical papers about
the free use Of the Returning Board does
not frighten a single person. that has
lost its terrors. The people of North
Louisiana intend to conduct this election
i'm strict accordance with right and JUS
tice. No intimidation will be allowed |
from either party. and when the victory
is won by the Democrats, as it surely |
will be. no Returning Board will dare !
deprive them of its fruits. The DEM |
oCRAT meets the wants Of our citizens /
and is The journal of the people. Long |
may it live as the defender of the rights /
OF the oppressed. J. II. C.
The Grand Hotel at Point Cloar rears its
breeze wooing front Immediately facing the |
Gulf. Go there.