New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1878-10-02
THH MaTTONALs.

The party assuming this compre-
hensive name seems to be daily grow
ing in numbers, power and import
ance, and gradually making itself
felt all over the country. What it
can do when well organized is suf-
fieiently shown by the result in
Maine; while the semi-capture of
the Democracy by the Butterflies in
Massachusetts opens a chance in the
Bay State for the progress, if not. the
success, of this growing young party.
Indeed, it is confidently predicted
by many that it will hold the balance
of power in the next Congress. In
this State, the Nationals seem to be
composed mostly of upright and in
telligent citizens who have for years
past formed an unwilling, but ac-
quiescent, portion of the so-called
Democratic party. Never sharing in
its tyrannical and intolerant spirit,
never submitting completely to the
party lash, always CALLED by the de-
grading alliance, these men have
still acted with the Democracy as a
choice of evils, as something not so
bad, in their opinion, as Republican
ism. The time has now come, how
ever, when they can stand the con-
nection no longer. They have quit
the Democratic camp, shaken it's
dust from their shoes, set up a new
banner, and, under the name of
Nationals" undertake to rid the
State and city of the crushing evils
of Democratic rule. These evils need
not be enumerated. They are the
theme of every tongue, the burden nf
every complaint. Even the scOurge
which is now desolating our homes
is not unjustly laid at the door of our
incapable or unfaithful city govern
ment, which has misapplied the peO-
ple's money and left untried that
simplest preventive Of infectious
diseases-cleanliness. But it need
ed not this to drive this better por-
ton of the Democratic party to the
steps they have taken, the need for
governmental regeneration was too
pressing to be longer disregarded.
The depression of business, caused
by Democratic management, has
driven enterprise and capital from
our midst, the rule of social Ostracism
enforced by Democratic intolerance
has caused the departure of thou
sands of philosophical citizens who
had come here intending to remain,
and so paralyzed and degraded the
minds of others, that the paltriest
considerations of pecuniary profit
have caused them to belle their po-
litical connections; the system of in
timidation in politics, practiced by
Democratic decree, has not only de-
tered the immigration of labOrers,
but had a tendency to expatriate
even the native laboring class, on
whose steady industry the welfare of
the State SO greatly depends. All
these evils, and many others, the
offspring of Democratic rule, have
melted this large, dissatisfied adjunct
of the Democratic party which, act.
ing with it, has never been of it, to
take the step of organizing the Ma
tional party. The object Of this step
being the regeneration of the State
and city government, it is to be ex-
pected that in their selections of
candidates for the various Offices to
be filed, the Nationals win fix upon
upright, intelligent, broad minded
men. This they have done in the
two nominations already madej the
gentlemen chosen to represent the
First and Second Congressional Dis
tricts being such as any good citizen
would be willing to support.
The Republican party of this State
approves many of the objects pro-
posed by the Nationals; and should
the other nominations of that party
be such as we have indicated above,
men who win permit free speech and
establish unintimidated polls, men
who will free the State from its pre-
sent vassalage to prejudice and in
competence, it is not unlikely that
the Republican party, uncertain of
its ability to succeed in the coming
election in carrying through ticket
of its own, may be willing, through
its nominating convention, to lend
the. Nationals helping hand.