The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-09-26

pie can preserve their liberties IN
less at all times prepared 70 sacri
flee their lives in their defense. All
history teaches that whatever may
be The form of government there is
constant tendency on The part of ru-
lers to extend their power, and on
the part Of the governed TO resist en-
cfoachments upon their rights. A
perfect government would be one ia
which a perfect equilibrium between
these two opposing forces was con
stantly preserved; unfortunately no.
thing of human origin can be per
feet, and hence bloody conflicts be-
tween the rulers and ruled most con-
stantly recur. A chain with every
link of equal strength will break
wherever the stain is greatest; that
greatest strain was in '76 at Lexiug-
ton. and at IA at New Orleans; who
can say when or where it will next
occur, though come it will; con-
stantly recurring in some one sec
ton OR another, and God grant that
come when and and where it may,
whether North, South, East or West,
it may ever find the watch fires Of
liberty burning as brightly as at
Lexington and at New Orleans.
When viewed solely in the light of
the results that flowed from Che
events of this day it will still be
$ found to rank second to none in our
past history. At the close Of the
war between the States. the South
ern people laid down their arms and
accepted in good faith the results of
their defeat. Unfortunately, not on
ly for ourselves but for the entire
county, our late adversaries doubt
i ed our sincerity. The assassination
of President Lincoln was, for both
the South and the North, the most
unfortunate event that could have
;. occurred. Unprincipled men at
tempted to make political capital o!
that terrible calamity, and by their
o Vaccinations greatly embittered the
feeling toward the South.
. A horde of lawlcss pluntlerers wcic
iutned loose upon US, and they, III
order to cary out their viliainoUs
. schemes ba,ely mi>lcpgesented Us
TO the people Of the MOI th. We met
theiI foul ISLANDERS with renewed pro
I, 'e>tations OF iealty to the Union
We declare, that under 10 circum
stances could we ever again be in
duced 10 take up arms against the
federal government. Fatal error
Not that we were lacking in sinceri
'd ty, not that we over estimated ou
A. powers of endurance, not that we ig
" norcd the fact that the spirit of lib
ertY can never die out in q peopl
= who have once been free, or that re
- sistance TO oppression is an undyin:
IN instinct of the human heat, but il
n, that we underestimate the devilisl
er ingenuity of the vampires who hat
fastened themselves upon us.
!, These vampires, encouraged b
our submission to unheard OF wrong
'' and emboldened by our repeated pro
ne testation, that we would never agai
e. take up arms, whilst poisoning th
minds Of the American people wit
% the basest ISLANDERS, continued {
" heap wrong upon wong, spoilatio
90 upon spoilation, insult upon insult
y until seeing the last vestige Of libel
a ty being wrested from you, you 0
- this ever memorable day arose i
. your might, reasserted your mar
no hood and your rights to America
10 citizenship, and freed the State frol
of their loathsome rule.
OF 1t is true that upon the demand {
nj a single Federal officer you again SUI
an rendered your State into the hand
es of the marauders; but their pOWe
m was broken. The American peopl
m began TO realize the truth of you
position, and the instinct Of libert,
,rt which must ever animate them, b.
,c can TO close the chasm which ha
. hitherto separated you. They fe
of that people who could in a sing
Y? day regain the entire control of the
NJ. State, retain it for three days, mari
ct ed by no single act of violence {
~ wrong, and yield it upon the d
he mand of single Federal officer, mus
If indeed have suffered wrongs beyon
he the power of humane endurance.
,e, The events of this day tore ava
I'm the veil of falsehood, in whose dal
of folds your enemies had envelope
you, and taught them a lesson NJ