The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1879-10-17

claims, and fitness for public place and
merit are the true considerations upon
which all appointments to public place
ought to depend. Happy it is for the
republic that I am able to add that the
Democratic party has constantly sought
the best interests of the entire people,
without regard to mere locality. In
Louisiana 1t is just source of gratula-
tion that the Democracy can refer to
members of its organization all over
the State, in the glades of Carroll, on
the shores Of the lakes of Caddo, be-
meath the groves of st. Tammany, on
the plains of the Attakapas, among the
hills of the North, on the wooded
banks of the Ouachita and Atchafalaya,
In the fertile valley of the Red River,
on the farms of the Southeast, on the
banks of the Mississippi, and on the
coast of the restless Gulf, everywhere,
are to be found fellow-citizens of our
common political associations; men of
courage, character, patriotism and tai
ents worthy of the highest dignity of
the State.
fE,:5 sensible, therefore, of the situ-
alton in which L eianu, II would soo
highly unbecoming in me to assume
induced the choice you have made of
Known by my share in the public his
tory of the State and time as friend of
good government, as q promoter of in
ternal improvements, an advocate for
the education of all, as a firm believer
in popular rights, and the authority of
the body of the people to control the
policy and destinies of the State, hav-
ing constantly insisted upon the duty
of obedience to civil rule, to law and
to order, the subornation of military
authority within its true bounds, and
the preservation of the rights of the
States within the limits appointed by
the constitution of the United States, I
can have little, if any doubt that the
present choice of the convention, COM
ing, as it does, with the force of so large
and f1attering vote, and from the
first representative men of the State, is
designed to express approval for my
past adherence to the principles to
which have referred and confidence
that I will persist in my devotion to
them in the future. It being my judg-
ment that parties are necessary to free
government, aud that the best results
are apt to follow from the collisions to
which party contests give rise, it may
not be out of place for me to say that
it is my belief that the suffering for
tunes of Louisiana are likely to be re-
stored by a return to the cheap, honest
and simple manner of government
which is connected if not identified
with the fathers of Democracy, and
that, trust, practical benefits may be
derived by borrowing from the exam
pies set by their experience, wisdom
and patriotism; and that its will be the
effort of the administration to which
your favor will have been chiefly in
in calling me, to show how
much good, how much progress, how
perfect An administration of public JUS
security to life, liberty and property
everywhere throughout the State can
be effected by Democratic government.
The present Is an suspicious period.
It is destined to be an epoch in the his
tory of Louisiana. A new constitution
is about to be adopted, and the bless
ings of well-regulated liberty will be
rapidly diffused among the people.
The Constitutional Convention was
composed of true and able men. There
have not been better men ever assem-
bled for similar purpose in the State.
A constitution was prepared, the spirit
of which looks always to the best in
terests of Louisiana. 1t is difficult to
do justice to the 1abors of the Conven-
tion. They were conscientious, dill
gent and protracted. Every article Of
the constitution and every paragraph,
I ought to say every sentence, every
line, was examined, discussed and
weighed; all united in an effort for the
good of all, and contemporaneous his
tory was ransacked for just such pre-
cedents and safeguards. The result
achieved is, believe, the best organic
instrument of government which has
been presented to the people of any
State for ratification. Public approval
has already made itself manifest in
favor of it, and it is soon to go into
active operation. The duty naturally
devolves upon US, as faithful represen-
tatives of the people, to aid and assist
the popular determination to prove
before the world, by securing for the
constitution vast preponderance of
votes, that it is really the people of
Louisiana who pronounce for gov
ernment of their own choice, and who
assert, with settled and patriotic pur-
pose natural to proud and free COM