The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-08-22
OUR ANNIVERSARY.


year of existence, which makes it the
oldest Democratic Journal in the
State. 1t was founded thirty-two
years ago by David Martin, who has
long since "shuffled off this mortal
coip' and gone where good editors
always 60, and it still lives to battle
for the same principles he fought
for and to champion the cause of
that grand old Democratic party
which never had a truer and more
devoted servant than he. 1t was af-
terward edited by Sam. Bard, j. A.
Warner, E. W. Halsey and Mercer
Garfield, and for the last seventeen
years has been under the editorial
management of the writer. The
cares of years and the wrinkles of
age have furrowed our brow and our
hope and highest aspiration is to
live long enough to see the Demo
cratic party in control of the Ma
tional Government, as it would he
now but for the most stupendous
fraud in history, and then when we
shall be summoned hence to trans
nit the record of the DEMOCRAT,
with the establishment to other
hands who will carry it into the
thickest of the fight and wear at its
masthead that same old banner we
love so we'll and for which we have
fought so long.
The thirty-two years of its jour-
nalistic life have made the DEMOCRAT
witness to many varied scenes which
like panorama passes before our
mental vision as we write and casts
a shade of sorrow and gloom over
US. We see the fairest country that
was ever given to delight the senses
and reward the labors of man, TEEN
ing with wealth and groaning under
the burden Of its prosperity. Pala-
tial residences and flower gardens
that rivaled Eden adorned the fair
places of the land and every luxury
that money could purchase or cult
waited taste suggest made the homes
of our people suitable places of abode
for Kings and Princes. A generous
soil laughed in the sunlight as it
poured into the laps of its owners
the wealth that made life holiday,
with naught to do but "eat, drink
and be merry" without care for
the cost or thought for the NOR
row. A happy, laughing people,
well clothed, we'll fed and well cared
for titled the ground, and like their
masters, were burdened with no
cares for the future. The scene is
bright and enhancing, but as we
look we see cloud gathering in the
hitherto clear horizon and as it gath.
ers force it spreads it's sombre shad.
ow over this fairy land and hides its
beauty in the blackness Of night
The fanaticism of the North was
about to precipitate a war of sec.
tions. The storm bursts upon US at
last and now "war's rude alarums''
and the tramp of battling hosts are
come to make bowling waste of oul
fertile fields and to teach US the les.
sons Of poverty and trial. Amid the
four years of carnage, the DEMOCRAT
still lived to cheer our boys in the
fight and to record with pride theil
successes on many bloody field
True to the South, as it had evel
been to party, its regular issues
sometimes on wall paper, at Others
on brown paper, were sent far ant
wide to spread the news of victory Of
soften the accounts Of disaster, and
when at last the cause was lost ant
the sword which had sustained tn,
Southern banner was sheathed in de
feat, sorrowfully, but still undismay
ed, the DEMOCRAT continued the bat
tie for the right under the restore'
Constitution and for twelve years |
has been foremost in the fgh
against the thieves and carpet-bag
gers who would have made US slave
and who have rioted on our sub
stance, while we were struggling 70
the means of sustenance.
When others have forgotten thei
loyalty, while others have bee
tempted by brides to join our foe
the DEMOCRAT has waged an uncea'
ing warfare against our oppressor
and it's voice has always been on til
side of the people. New partie
have had their ephemeral existent
7 and had their organs, but the DEM
GRAFT has never ''gone whoring aft
t strange gods'' and has been steadll