The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-26
OUR MILITIA.


There u no bAser or more degrading &ttri-
butte Of human nature than ingratitudc; It 10
worse than malice, worse than envy and.
deadlier In its effects than hatred II has
been truly said: "He that's ungrateful has no
guilt but one; all other crimes may pass for
virtue In him." And al another poet has de-
clared, with no less truth, that "Ipgratl-
tude IL treason to mankind" Danish from
the human heart the sentiment Of gratitude,
and ut one foil stroke you make society y
chaos and life burden too intolerable to sup
port. The psople Of Louisiana owe debt Of
gratitude. that money can never fully repay,
to their citizen eoldiery. to The men whose
strong hands and brave hearts struck down
and destroyed the power Of the usurper. who
was supported by tho bayonets Of an un-
friendly Federal government. to the heroes
who routed kellogg's standing army on the
ever memorable Fourteenth Of September,
and who In January, 1871, lnau9urated the
Nichols government and restored peace to
to our torn and distracted State.
In those daya. when hope Itself had fled
from many Of our citizens who had never
ceased 10 hope In the darkest and most awful
hours OF the war; when II seemed worse than
folly to attempt to overcome the fearful odds
against US: when justice was n sarcasm and
law mockery, and When our people were
dragged from their homes In distant par
ishes to be immured Ia tho dungeons OF the
Parish Prison, II was the citizen soldiers Of
New Orleans who. Drawing every danger,
nobly determined TO free their State from this
intolerable thraldom or sacrifice their lives
lea mNtA a H..
and at what expense Of precious blood
and treasure they achieved their self
imposed and perilous duty, has now
passed into history and will forever illumi-
nate its pages. The valiant gentlemen who
were slain In the strife by the bullets OF Kel-
loggs Hessians. died In az noble cause ~
ever Inspired freemen and elected human
effort. and the whole State mourned them and
still mourns for them a. martyrs whose
blood has sanctitied the blessings OF law and
liberty which we now enjoy. There Ii too
great tendency IN the present age to forget
fulness. some Of the most glorious and ten
der memories Of the late war are becoming
obscured by the swift rushing tide Of events,
and We are al Of us too prone. individually,
70 live In the present and forget the past.
But It must never be said Of the stats of
louisiana that she failed 10 remember with
gratitude and affection the devotion and hero
lam Of her sons ut time when she was
bound hand and foot by tho chains Of tyran-
ny which was all the more CALLING In that It
governed under the forms of law
IT should DO the pride Of every citizen Of
tho State to see that the organizations or
these patriotic and self.sacrlflcing gentlemen
be maintained aud that such liberal appro-
priations are made as will enable them to
secure proper equipments and to preserve
that esprit dc corps which is 30 essential to
good discipline. Gratitude for services rem
dered to the State and 70 the cause Of free
government demands this, and even were
there no higher motives, It would be good
policy to accord It.
These troops are the conservators Of the
peace for the entire State: the mere fact that
they are organized and drilled, ready at a
notice 70 obey the orders Of the
Governor. and to proceed to any part Of the
State to quell disturbances, exercises In It
SELF o powerfully deterrent influence upon the
awless elements Of society. Remove this
healthy check. and the Representatives from
The country parishes In the Legislature would
Ind that they would not be able to protect |
themselves from the violence which might be |
developed. and that the State would have to |
submit to the humiliation OF calling In for
,ign assistance to quell domestic disorder.
The militia OF the city and State must be
and money must be found some-
how and somewhere for that purpose. Un-
ess we greatly mlsinterpret the signs OF the
lines, we shall have need not only for such
are ct present organized. but also for
many more. The great labor strikes all over
he country. the Willingness on the part OF
arge numbers Of unintelllgent laborers to be
suided BY communicate demaeoeues, and the
which will be sure to occur during
he heated political campaign now about
opening. all warn US to prepare suitable
Ind efficient force to maintain order and exc
,ute the laws throughout the State.
The members Of the General Assembly
'hould remember that unless they provide
he requisite means to support the militia
they may find, when the time
ZONES for quelllng riots, that the Governor
9 powerless to enforce the law. The gentle
nen Of Now Orleans cannot be expected to
pend their individual means, risk their lives
md perform disagreeable and arduous SER
ice without some encouragement, some evil
lence Of grateful appreciation for what they
ave done and are ready and willing to do
gain. We trust there will yet be such an
appropriation made az will enable the militia
0 provide themselves with such equipments,
tc, as are absolutely essential to their
f1ciency.
NO BIG GUNS,
It is not pleasant thing to reflect upon