The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-06-15

others. But, 40 noI o'te' WI" VI
auolovy for this weakness. On the con
trarv' | despise it, and | regard 1t as
more dangerous to liberty and the cause
, Of 90 d government, than dishonesty it.
self. There is something declared about
dishonest man; he is IA warning III
himself: but the weak public man is a
constant and IL secret danger.
Al! these anti Convention public SER
! wants will pour into your ear floods "'
| boncyrd words about the ''itirNlwrlienry
Of such radical action.' They will tell
you-"Oh! yes, l thought rs you It"
before got behind the scenes: indeed
think with YOU now: but there are points
that you don't know, and that cam
tell. In fact, it is positively necessary
for US to 90 slowly. The Northern pe",,
plc are watching every movement, and
Hayes is counting on our doing nothing
| to mar his policy.
But" Eve answer) "the Northern
people do not care rrd rent what we 40
with Howaru's Lottery, or any other
moropoly: or that we abolish useless
Offices, or cut down cxhorbtant salaries ;
or that We rrorganize the judiciary:
"No. I know that Che will say but
then, YOU know, it is very doubtful il
we could carry the State aid get our
own people into the Convention in CON-
handing majority; and yon know It
would be disastrous to tail and have Il
Radical Convention"
"Bnt did We not carry the state IN 'he
McEnery campaign
"Oh! of course
"And did We not carry it again IN the
Nichols campaigne ~
"Oh! yes, that's So
"And did we not, in both those cam
najuns, have Radical officials in charge
Of fhe machinery, and the United States
troops to back them ?!
eyes, but you know---." "Oh! the
d. take your butts. When you We're
after office, and | could vote for you,
you gave me credit for common sense
now YOU have other masters to serve
and | am a d-n fool
And this is the whole thing in a nut
she'll.
Let tho people of Louisiana not he de
ccived on this great and underlying qnes,
t;on Of a Constitutional Convention. All
oh;rctions to it comes from "tbe money
nower" the holders of unnecessary Of
Sres. and the receivers Of exhorbitant
nnblic salaries or perqnisites in Office
and those public officials who have thus
far defeated the public demand for a
Convention are either the instruments OF
ono or all of the elements, or else are Sc
feeble of opinion as to be worse than &C.
tive enemies.
Another every day argument of the
ant; Convention officials l must not
forget to record here All of them speak
the little speech as glibly as the ten
Years old school boy does his commence
ment platform exercise, though not as
innocently. This so-called "argnment
is. that in 1.-The present excited state of
the people-tiushed as they are with
| hard won victory over relentless and
despotic political foe-they Pre- not to be
trusted in Constitutional Convention ;
thew would surely run into excess. After
awhile, when the cool and sober second
thought posses them, it may be right to
hold . Convention"
If this "argument' were uttered in
| sincerity, should be forced to brand it
rs insensate twaddle, and worse than
unworthy of real men; but there is no
sincerity in it. and if the people do not
| mark and punish every holder who has
| dared thus to insult their patriotism and
intelligence, then they deserve to wear
the collar of servitnde all their days.
Talk of the people of Louisiana going
to "excess' in CONSTITUTIONS! Convention
assembled What part of the history OF
this people thus characterizes them !!
On the contrary, does not their conduct
under Warmothian and kellogian rule
proye them to be almost criminally pa
tient Look back to the l4th of Sep
tamber, 1874, when with arms in thu
hands they strangled despotism in an
| hour and paid the price of the best blood
in the land! Who, then, was guilty OF
"excess." not one man. And was not
that the hour for "excess,' if it was ever
! to come! Could we not then have wip-
ed ont of existence the last villain who
had had his accur>eil foot upon our neck
And if we had done so, even though the
haunts of unreasoning and raveping
Radicalis,n would have seethed and boil.
ed over with bowling condemnation,
would We have found no hearts to have
sympathizcd with and approved the act :
| "Excess" indeed! Would it be Eek
cess" to frame a Constitution like that
| of Pennsylvania, or like unto any other
| in this country that has emanated from
thinking and patriotic people' And do
the people of Louisiana desire a Consti-
tuition worse than that of Pennsylvania
Out npon the faithless political buck
ster in office, who, while holding lucra.
tive or honorable position at the hands
Of the people he has Aattered and ca,
ioled into trusting him, plays basely
false in their hour Of need, and even
insults their manhood and intelligence
If additional proof were wanted in re.
gard to the wonderful patience and for.
bearance Of the people Of Louisiana in
matters political, it is clearly to be found
in the calmness with which they have
received the hitherto unheard of action
of the late legislature in virtually resolv
ing itself into a Constitutional Conven'
ton, and Offering their usurpatory spawn
to the votes Of their constituents
Let us hope that the calmness with
which this outrage is received is no in
dication of submission to the indignity OF
acquiescence in the wrong. On the con
trary, let rs hope that it is but that
calm which precedes the storm, and that
! through the hallot box this fall, the mer
who composed the last legislature will
receive rebuke which will make then
hang their heads in shame and contu
sion.
It will never 10 for the people Of
Louisiana to even appear to sanction tht
outrageous nsurpation attempted by the
last legislature in offering to their votes
some twenty amendments to a Constitu
ton which the people never framed, ant
at the same time retaining intact thu
most odious and oppressive features O
the instrument. Even if the amend
ments included the elimination of ever!
Objectionable feature. a people tenacious
of their rights and watchful over thei'
Liberties will never permit servants
i A. al IN