The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-21
WHAT snail WE DO TO BE sAyEDs
Views of n Lifelong Democrat.

After the termination OF the war be-
tween the States the people OF the
South naturally allied themselves with
the Democratic party, that party which
whose cardinal tenet or leading princl-
pie was hostility to the constitutional
rights OF tho Southern States.
The Democratic party In the North
ern States, at that time, was In the last
degree feeble-a mere germ, d nucleus
around which, by wise management, O
national party would cluster. until it
became O. power in the land. The
South, disfranchised by the mos. glar-
ingly despotic. and unconstitutional
acts on the part OF the national admin
istration, and handed over to unprinei-
pied adyenturers, could at first afford
little assistance but the grossly
partisan expressions, the blunders and
corruption, the natural result of D long
tenure OF irresponsible power. strengths
ened the Democratic purity In the North,
whilst the Southern States, year by year,
threw off the domination oil their he
publican rulers and took their places
la tho ranks OF the Democratic purity,
until at the beginning OF the last CAM
paign 1t WAS known that falr election
would give two ut least, and probably
the third of the remaining States to
the Democratic party.
The result OF that campaign, as i5
known to the world, was clear and In
disputable victory to the Democratic
party. 1T was only by the suppression
Of the most notorious facts that the
slightest doubts could be cast upon the
result. Yet, in face OF theso facts,
as clear M the sun at monday, the
Democratic party, or those who con-
trolled Its policy, with q weakness that
Ia inexplicabie, or which can be ex-
planned alone by imbecility, corruption
or selfish cupidity, relinquished their
rights by deferring the. choice Of she
President OF the United States to an
With unparalleled imbecility, the
Democratic House OF Eepresen tatives-
possessing the undisputed power in the
last extremity OF designating who
should be President OF the United
States the insidious proposi-
tion OF their enemies, and submitted
their undoubted rights, and the rights OF
the whole country, to the arbitrament
or national Returning Beard COM
posed in the majority OF their partisan
enemies.
The unchecked and unrebuked utter
ances Of the quasi leader OF the De-
mocracy OF tho United States, the
Chairman oil the National Democratic
Committee, in which he, with incredi-
BILE weakness or corruption, informed
the country that however much the
Democratic party might protest against
being despoiled oflts rights by the seat
| ing OF Hayes, yet, under no clrcum-
stances, would that party resort to the
arbitrament OF force, even to oppose the
employment OF force on the part OF the
the Democracy would quietly and uIl-
reeistingly submit to the intilction OF
this unparalleled wrong. The history
Of all time may be ransacked In vain
for a parallel instance Of folly. When
did ever nation, when arrayed against
nation, or State against State. or party
against party, AYE, or Individual against
individual in the same society, adopt o
policy 30 absurdly foolish, to call 1t by
the gentlest name?
| Whatever might be the final intention
OF the party which contemplated aban-
doning the contest In extremity to their
opponents, did they ever proclaim In
advance that such would be their policy2
Instead OF displacing this weak or
wicked man from his exalted position,
in which his voice was potential for
good or evil, the leaders OF the Demo
cratic party permitted his conduct to
pass unrebuked, and thus silently &C.
quiesced In his suicidal policy.
/ Never was there o cause whose suc-#
cess depended SO much on the influence
of public opinion. Never before was
there cause which the most ordinary
intellect, united with public spirit
and frmness, could have SO easily
made successful. A public meeting Of
the Democrats OF the city Of New York,
/ followed by others In Philaaelphia,
Boston, Baltimore, Chicago, St. Louis
and Cincinnati, proclaiming their sue
| sx, Ma1 af1A
their determination at all hazards TO
seat their duly elected candidates,
would have driven the plotter5 back to
their dens-but 1t was not to be. The
counsel thus virtually given to the Re-
publican party, to persist in their nefari-
ous designs, being tacitly approved by
the leading men Of the Democracy,
|. rendered all hope Of seating Tilden ut
Iterly chimerical.
you, Mr.. Editor, and through you to
the people at large, is this the national
party, and are these the party leaders
to whom we must look for aid to enable
us to obtain the permanent con-
] troll OF the government Of our
, own State, by which alone the peo-
, ple-white and colored-can hope to
live and prosper? The people. OF Lou
, isiana, oppressed, crushed and rapidly
perishing by local nisgovernment;
| utterly hopeless OF relief by the agency
of the National Democratic party,
whose course has been marked by inn
. becility, selashness and moral cow
ardice, must look elsewhere for that re-
lief 80 essential to their well being,
and which this party 1s neither able nor
apparently willing to afford.
In view of all these facts it becomes
grave question whether it were not bsb-
ter fer the people OF Louisiana to secure
, by which alone their interests, now
utterly prostrated, can be restored, by
abandoning the National Democratic
party. which is apparently unable for all
time to come to rescue US from the un-