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

petuats its power by every means at its
command. Constitutional Restrictions
would weigh as naught against political
e1pediency aud party necessity. One
by one che barriers would be broken
down and before the expiration OF It's
four years term OF Office our govern
ment would have assumed the charac-
Northern and Western fellow-eitizens
may deem this the exhalation OF O fe-
vered brain, or the rhodomantade OF O.
disappointed eroaler, but the people OF
Louisiana know, by bitter experience,
that such may reasonably. be ex-
peeted TO result from the seat
ing of Mr.. Hayes. History constantly
repeats itself, and the condition Of
Louisiana to-day will be the condition
Of the whole country four years hence,
unless the inevitable despotism should
be successfully resisted by force of
arms. 1t must not be supposed that
this would be an easy task. The ad-
ministration would strengthen itself by
multiplying offices; peeulation and ye-
nality would extend their baneful in
huenes, and thousands of sturdy re-
ernits would flock to lis support
from both political parties. We
ean correctly forecast the condition
Of the United States four years
hence by comparison with the
spectacle presented by Louisiana to-
day. Here the honest and intelligent
men Of all the old parties, whether
Wings, Democrats, Republicans, Know
Nothings, or Roman Catholics, are
leagued against the officeholders, back
cd by the ignorant and deluded masses.
Then you will find the honest and in
| telligent men OF both parties opposing
fbn i1Ct1rrat{x,n and fhp
yenal and ignorant OF all parties 1t
must not be supposed that this Is in
tended to reflect upon the character OF
Mr.. Hayes as he stands to-day. He
may be, and probably Is, an honest
| man, @ liberty loving and law-abiding
| citizen, but the very necessities OF bis
position will force him to adopt this
course, regardless of his better in
| stinets.
Thirdly, the election may be thrown
| into the House Of Representative se-
curing the election OF Mr.. Tilden as
President and Mr.. Wheeler as Vice
President. This seems more fmproba-
| BILE than either OF the two first. though
1t may be adopted under the misnomer
of compromise.
| Fourthly, no decision being arrived
at by the 4th of March, new election
would be held. This would involve the
whole country in fresh strife, business
would be paralyzed, and no man can
foretell what would be the result.
The electoral bill was offered and ao-
oepted as compromise to secure the
peaceful solution of q vexed and dan
gerous question. Like ell compromises
of principle, and all actions outside OF
the organic law OF the land. 1T may
prove to be the reverse, and lead us to
| fts Haf ,nlr eir1r Mt haapt tn
contemplate. A wise statesmanship
may yet avert the threatened danger,
but every true lover OF his country
should calmly but resolutely review
the situation In all Of its bearings, lest,
lulled by false sense OF security, we
may drift upon the rocks that now
threaten the ship OF State.
Such being the situation Of our ma
tional affairs, what is our duty?
| No citizen of Louisiana Of ordinary
intelligence doubts the fact that the
vote Of this State was honestly cast at
the polls for Tilden and Hendricks ;
that result has been certified to by John
McEaery. the lawful Governor OF the
but but de i'J facto. Governor, william,
2. Kellogg, to the Hayes and Wheeler
electors. The solution of the question
as to which set of electors shall cast the
vote rests with the Congress OF the
| United States, and our only duty now Ia
to uphold the right by our moral force.
Here our duty, so far as concerns this
national question, ends. Should Mr..
Hayes be declared elected, and be In
stalled in the presidential chair, 1t will
be our duty to accord to him the same
obedience as we would yield to the can
didate OF our choice.
| The situation as regards our own
State, and our duty to our State, re-
mains to be considered /; the paramount
length this paper has already attained,
renders 1t necessary to devote to 1t q
separate article; but, as the air is
already tainted with reports from
Washington of another compromise, a
word OF warning cannot be deferred.
Compromises have led us to our pres
ent depiorable condition, and how can
any citizen Of Louisiana, worthy to
bear the proud title Of American citizen,
consent to any more bargaining away
Of our tights Imagine, Ii you can, the
effects that must flow from cempre-
mise engineered by William 2. Kel-
logg, the usurping monster that has
fed upon the yitals OF the State and
trampIed upon your dearest rights for
four long years, and who now de-
nounces you as band OF assassins,
whilst, in his own person, he fur
nishes a living proof OF his
own mendacity. Far better that
every man, woman and child within the
borders OF our State should seek shelter
under the branches Of the fatal Upas
tree and wake up in eternity than
listen to any offers OF compromise. The
time has arrived when you must staad
ready to maintain your rights at al
hazards, or, forfeiting your title as
American freemen, consent to be hence
forth the willing slaves OF your oppres
sors. JNo. B. LAPITTE.
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