The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-20
THE ATTITUDE or LOUISIANA.

Democratic party has exhausted LII
methods of resistance to the fraudu
lent counting out Of Gov. Tilden, ant
that 1t is prepared to peaeeably acqui
esce In the Inauguration of Gov. Hayes
The party, as now organized, will bt
Inevitably disrupted, and its prestige
for the present Is utterly destroyed
This Ia what we anticipated when
represented In the person OF Mr.
| Hewitt, 1t stood timorous and submis
| siye before the threatening Republi
cans, as II, like Sterne's ass, ii were
aying Don't thrash me--but IL you
will you may"
There has never been a more dis
graceful overthrow than that which the
national Democratic party has met
with. The greatness OF Its fortunes
the mighty trusts 1t held; the magni'
tude OF the issues 1t represented; It's
noble history and heroic contests, only
serve TO show the pitifulness of Its fall,
and the cowardice which paralyzed it's
arm In the supreme hour OF its destiny.
The recent election was q clear and
emphatic reputation Of the Republican
party by the American people; the
election of Tilden was, as we have said
before in these columns, the grandest
civic victory ever won over advancing
centralism. But the party which won
ii was not equal to the greatness OF its
fortunes. The moment the leaders OF
the defeated party began threatening to
maintain their power by force, the lead
ers Of the triumphant party began to
prate Of the necessity OF peace and OF
determining the controversy by a new
election. The bill creating the Elee-
toral Commission was cowardly sub
terfuge of the triumphant party to
evade the responsibility of maintain
ing its victory, hesupremacy of the con-
stitution, and the we'll settled usages Of
the government. And finally, when the
Commission, which the Democrats ere
ated themselves, by its bold and arbi-
trary rulings reversed the result OF tho
election, without leadership or courage,
they literally abandoned the struggle
and submitted to the fraud.
The South must now look to her own
interests. Louisiana has no longer
any tie that binds her destinies to the
fortunes Of the National Democracy.
That party has obdicated the po,cer she
and the other Southern States elevated u
to. Abdicated IL not as Diocletian or
Charles v. abdieated their imperial
thrones; net like king, with kingly
dignity; not in the day OF power.
when there were no great duties
to desert; but in the face Of dan
ger; In the manner of coward
aye. 1t skunk out Of power to es-
cape the responsibility Of maintaining
the great cause that was In it's hands.
From such a party Louisiana has moth
Ing to expect.
The Republican party upon the other
hand holds the government by lawless
means, except In 80 far as the folly Of
the Democrats legalized its lawlessness
through the electoral bill; Mr.. Hayes
will hold the presidency by fraud
his Administration will be tainted to the
end with fraud. But IL we were forced |
20 choose between government whose |
title was based in fraud, and one in
,pired by cowardice, we should choose
he former. Great and beneflcent |
policies have sometimes been estab-
ished by governments based on force,
but we know of no great or beneflcent |
hing that has ever emanated from
,owardice In government, though that
were fortified by constitu-
ions, legitimate SUGGESTIONS and undis-
,uted majorities Of the people.
II then Gov. Hayes shall be made
President through fraud, though Gov.
rilden was fairly elected, and the gov
,rnment, based In fraud, shall adopt a
wise and liberal policy toward the
south, recognizing the Hampton gov
,rnment In South Carolina and the
yicholls government in Louisiana, in
riew of the timidity. cowardice and
want of leadership displayed by
ne Democratic party, we are not
to say that the result
will be unsatisfactory or unfor-
innate to this section Of the Union.
Had Gov. Tilden been made Presi-
lent, the Southern States would, in the
nature OF things, have been identified
With the National Democratic party
md its policy. With its weak and
imorous spirit, displayed In the great
'risis OF its destiny, and largely
lolding the prejudices OF all North
I'm people against the "rebei South"
{ would never, we fear, have
Jared to give us the legisla-
ion our ruined section requires; 1t
veuld not have dared to peril its own
ortunes in the Northern States by Civ
nv va on augmentation for the MiaSia- |