Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1878-11-02

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their candidates than they did Of flying.
They had what they called a platform
"The Union, the Constitution and the
enforcement of the laws" They pnt the
Union before the Constitution! and their
platform was simply ridiculous. The re-
suit of all this mismanagement is we'll
Remembered. The Abolition candidate,
Lincoln, was elected. Secession follow
ad, then war, and since twelve years of
chaos, tyrany, oppression, rascalitles,
robberles and public plunderings. At
last, we in Louisiana, got to have our
own governments government by our
own people, and for our own people. In
our parish. we begin the first campaign
with the field..to oursel an
enemy in sight and with no divisions
among our people, politically. At the
first meeting, which was advertised duly
for one month beforehand, the people
there assembled quarreled as to the char
acter and formation of the public meet.
ing, or convention, and after two months
were spent in trying to effect some COM
promise and adopt some rlan which
would unite all the people, they failed to
agree, and with the we'll known result OF
two factions and two tickets for parish
officers. 1t looks almost, Mr. Editor, as
if our people were unfit to be free-inca-
pable of self government.
Itswas bad enough to split, but we
split on no question of principles whatey-
er, ard divided merely. on question of.
who should hold Offices in our Parish,
10 should run and who should not be
permitted to run, who should control he
patronage of tho Parish and who should
handle and hold the Parish funds. AS to
the charge that the men who. composed
the Sterlings Spring convention were in
favor of giving control of the Demo-
cratic conservative party, or our Parish
affairs, up to tho control of tho colorcd
people, it was groundless, senscless and
even insulting. They denied the charge
individually and collectively, aid finally
selected candidates above reproach on
that &, ound, and adopted a platform
which is plain, semphatic and decided up
on all issues, National, State and Parish.
No man who has any respect for himself
should repeat such q charge when the
men who compose that wing of tho par
ty are known, their candidates selected
are criticised, and their platform ofprin-
ciples read. How is it with the other
wing of the party, Mr.. Editors Your
wing, the Firmens Hall wing 7 While
claiming before and since that they were
the ratic-Conservative party of
the Parish of West Feliciana, and allude-
ing to the men who composed tie other
wing of the party as persons, never call
ing them Democrats, or seeming to regard
them as worthy of Cancellation, or cour-
tesy, they fail to effect a union of the
party, after every serious impeachment
was removed and the final differences
had become too small ia importance to be
capable of debating about. 1t looked
finally to persons not Immediately pres
ent and concerned personally on either
where Individuals whished to cary their
points and get the better of other Incl
viduals through spleen, spite or ambition
to rule party matters. Both committees
may have been 10 blame some what, but
it does not admit of argument at this
late day, that men on both sides actua-
ted by spirit Of unsel1ishness and look
ing to the public good could have effect
ed all agreement in very short time
When your wing met finally in Flremen's
Hall, in Convention, to nominate Par
ish ticket, they adopted no platform of
principles at all except rs to reforms in
Parish MATTERS looking to lessening the
Parish expenses, which the other wing
agreed to, and about which therefore
there was no disagreement. They never
alluded to State, or Federal politics, or
said word about State platforms adopt
ed by the Democratic Conservative party
and never even promised to support the
candidates nominated by their party for
State and District offices. Why was this
Mr.. Editors Was it an over sjght7 If SO,
it was q great omission and showed great
want OF thought on the part of your par
ty managers. You had gray-headed poll
titions, many lawyers and great tacti-
tions in party plans, who came into the
room with every thing worked out, plan
cd and agreed on to the minutest mat
ter, and still they failed to announce to
tho world who they were who had as
sembled there that day-what they had
assembled for and what principles they
were contending for. 1t would seem
that such plain and palpable things
were required to he done, and ought to
have been done. What makes the matter
worse is, now you in your paper and
Your wing of tho party Claim all the
merit due to the followers and members
of the Democratic Conservative Party,