The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-23

higher duty than even that to the United
States, stood as barriers to such action and
pleaded with voice more potent than could
come from the Union itself.
Among the first important measures was
the passage OF the silver bill, and without
discussing the merits OF this act, it is SUI.
WAS greatly relieved by it's passage
from the onerous financial oppression Of the
moneyed and creditor East That silver
which had been deprecated by q fraudulent
act of q Republican majority for personal
aims, became once more the coin of the realm,
in which the bonds and their interest as well
as the duties could be paid, and that the Shy
locks Of the North, who had demanded their
pound OF flesh in gold coin, were required to
peenaty Of tRe bon se foBe na Sa e ea
felt throughout the land. The countless mil
lions, the product of the rich silver mines of
the West, which had been deprecated In the
shape Of bullion, found once again o mar
value China, towards whose mysterious
centre has flowed for the last 200 years the
silver OF the world, demanded ship load after
ship load of the trade dollar and tho new
coin. The great, cry, that came, from the
moneyed men Of the East, whose bonds were
payable in coin, and who demanded gold
| alone, that the passage Of the silver bill
would inaugurate the financial ruin of the
country, has sunk into a puny whine of per-
| sonal complaint under the stern logic of facts !;
and the frfghtful spectre Of ruin, which they
| danced before the eyes OF the public, has
faded into nothingncss under the bright sun
| light Of truth.
1t Is needless, however, to pursue this sub
| ject further, for to all who are not welded to
| their vast possessions OF bonds, and who Wor-
ship at their golden idol, the merit of the bill
and benefits to the country that accrued from
its passage were as clear rs the sun that
shines in cloudless sky.
If the silver bill gave much relief to the
country, yet 1t was in the river and harbor
bill that the Louisiana delegation obtained
special appropriations for their own State
she became the fairest Of that glittering
galaxy which compose our Union.
For the great Red river on whose bosom
floats q commerce Of millions and whose
crimsoned waters wash for q thousand miles
the shores of several States, was obtained
| $685. 200. For the harbOr OF Now Orleans,
where are to be found ships from every cline,
that over the great oceans have Travelled
many q weary, watery league to find that
Crescent City Of the South whose harbor, the
great Mississippi, the artery Of the conti-
| nent has been their refuge from the waves
| and storms OF the treacherOus gulf, was OBJ
tanned no less than $4,000; And for the
Bayou Lafourche on whose levied banks lie
three OF the fairest parishes OF our State, was
procured $4,000, to naugurate the work of
removing the distractions placed therein by
Gen. Jackson in 1914 and 1915.
There was one resolution, however, pre-
sented by our party before the second SEES
sion of our Congress had expired for which /
did not vote; for | have not yet been, and |
| trust to God never shall be. willing to sub
ordinate truth to policy. This was the reso-
| luton which stated that Hayes and Wheeler
| having been declared duly elected, there was
no power in Congress. In any court of the
| land OF In any tribunal that could be created,
to reverse such declaration.
Perhaps ] am unduy welded to that grand
old common law maxim, that fraud vitiatcs
| byr In nd ify1-
ton; and that truth, though buried for q hun
dred years. shall prevail when brought to light
and clearly established.
The great underlying question in this case
is not whether the present incumbcntS OF the
office of President and Vice President of the
United States shall be disturbed in the eXalt
ed positions which they at present occupy,
but it is rather whether there is any one
whose rights and whose dignity, are above
the reach of the law of the land, and who,
having been foisted into such position by this
fraudulent and corrupt practices Of political
buccaneers, can hold the same in defiance Of
the will OF the people, and OF the rights OF
States, and boastingly proclaim that his
right thereto Shall neither be CUES
toned by Congress nor determined in the
sacred forum of justice; but that he will hold
his office in defiance Of every well ostab.
llshed principle Of law, by the strong hand Of
physical force and remit the settlement Of
the issue only to the bloody arena of civil
war. La vain is it proclaimed that it would
be unconstitutional to attack the title Of the
President, even ii it be clearly shown that he
is an intruder in an office to which he is not
entitled Such is not the constitution that
our fOrefatherS framed aud handed down to
us to guide the greatest republic that has
ever checrcd the dropping aspirations OF hui
manity. Our government is divided into the
executive, the Legislative and judicial and in
their coordinate capacity they move in their
respective spheres
But it is not denied that if the Legislature
enacts q law OF the Executive makes an aD-
it is the right and duty of the judiciary top pro-
nOunCe such act or appointment null and
void; and certainly the law that is applicable
to the lowest officer in this land is equally ap-
plicable to the highest, and the authority That
exists in the courts to inquire into and render
Judgment under a quo lnn1T0nlo exists as
much in the one case as in the other. Does
the exalted position occupied by the Presi-
people as any officer of the land place
him more above the law than the hum
blcst citizen of the States? And the
Same proceedings that are applicable to Dust
any intruder in office are as much applicable
to the highest as to the lowest. Would the
Executive resist with force an unfavorable
decision Of a tribunal constituted by Con-
gress? No! The people OF this country
recognize that we are to be governed by law,
and not by force, and that all must bow to it's
States, even sustained by the army, would
not dare to hold an office obtained by fraud
and corruption in defiance of the verdict Of
the people, expressed through their legal
representatives and decided by, a tribunal
formed for this purpose. Should he make
the attempt, them indeed would we have be-
come "Mexicanized, and il successful one
usurpatiOn would follow another until this
glorious republic, the wonder and the admira-
ton Of the world, would toppe to its fall and
go down, crushing out forever the rights and
liberties of the people.
But the great financial question is the issue
upon which this campaign Is to lie fought.
And when the Republican party failed to note
and take advantage OF that tidal wave of public
sentiment which has rolled across the country
demanding an increase in the currency, an
abolition Of the national banks, a cessation Of
contraction in futile attempts to reach a
speedy resumption, they lost that golden
opportunity of continuing in power which
they will never have again.
The different opinions on the financial Ques-
ton are, however, not confined solely to party;
for we find some Democrats in the North,
who are advocates for hard money, rim other
words, a currency upon q strictly coin basis