The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-24
LOUISIANA MUST BE SAVED.


LOUISIANA MUST BE SAVED.
The gigantic fraud whereby minor
ity candidate for the presidency Is
sought to be installed as ruler OF over
forty million people having nearly
reached its contamination, 1t behooves
us to consider what relation we bear to
the power which has carried to sue
cessful issue the most i perate under
taking recorded in the annals Of gov
ernment, and shown itself to be the
master of the people. In recent ar
ticle, which appears to have occasioned
some comment at Washington, we took
the position that, the Northern Democ-
racy having proven false to Its mission
and basely surrendered, not to superior
force, but to buster and threats, the
rights which the South had won
for it under trials and hardships
almost heart-breaking to contemplate,
we felt ourselves absolved and released
from all allegiance to that party and in
tended In the immediate future to pay
little heed to the feeble slogans Of the
Democracy. We felt that, abandoned
In the darkest hour of our need by a
pusillanimeus ally for whom, because
OF community of sentiment and prin-
eiples and supposed solidarity OF in
terests, we had even periled our politi-
cal existence, we were fully justified In
foregoing for the present the luxury OF
abstract principles and looking to our
own material interests. That feeling
we stlll entertain. We are ready, there
fore, to disengage ourselves from all
former entangling alliances and to con-
centrate all our energy and strength
upon the struggle to retain what little
is left to us Of property and political
liberty.
The objective point Of that struggle Is
the maintenance of the Nichols govern
ment, and, so far as human endeavor
can avail to effect its purposes, 1t must
and will be maintained. The leaders
Of the Northern Democracy have told
us, by their recent compromise and
surrender Of the rights OF their constitu-
ents, that principles are no longer
worth fighting for; that pollu ed
ballot-box is a better defense against
usurpation than leaden bullets, that
peace on any terms is preferable to a war
which might involve the depreciation Of
securities and loss OF trade-in other
words, that the constitution and repub-
lican institutions are proper subjects
for discussion on the stump and in
legislative halls between lawyers and
| debaters, but have no such sanctity as
| would justify resort to arms to vfndi-
| cate and maintain them. Very well i;
| we take the cue from them. The cleo
| ton being over, we shall postpone the
consideration and discussion Of princi-
Piles and policies Of government until
the appointed time for the outburst of
political oratory, and look for the
present only to the conservation Of
| those interests the threatened loss
of which would probably impel even
Northern Democrats to take up arms,
Our position may as we'll be clearly
| stated and thoroughly understood at
| the North. If the National Democra-
cy, acting through its accredited lead
ers, should finally resolve to exhaust
| their physical and material resources in
patriotic struggle to save the match
less charter of liberty bequeathed to
them by their forefathers. and rescue
this fair land from its threatened doom
| OF Mexicanization, we think we speak
the voice of The entire South when we
say that they will be sustained by this
section of the country as long as the
banner of liberty shall wave before
their eyes, or as long as there will be
material here for the formation of a
battalion of soldiers. IF, on the contra
ry, they propose to persevere in a policy
of empty protests and windy resolution,
and meet force and fraud with nothing
more effectual than angry indignation,
we give them notice That we can stand
| usurpation in the Federal gov
eminent as we'll as they can,
and that we do not Intend to
waste any Of our strength in beating
the air. But the people OF Louisiana,
with scarcely an exception among the
honest and intelligent citizens of the
State, have firmly resolved not to sub.
nit, on any terms, to usurpation in
their State government. We heartily
4 concur in what prominent merchant
i OF this city, Id communication which
y we print this morning. saYs on this sI1h-