The Louisiana Democrat., 1881-03-09
UNDER WHICH KING?

dlslntegrated by the Withdrawal VI
the Southwestern....States from its
fold. The causes.of discomfort ap-
pear TO he numerous--sosn numerous.
and so long exis,ing,..that it is sur
prising they.were not discovered un-
til now. They may, however, all be
said to spring from an angry impa
tience of the opposition of some
northern and eastern democrats to
the construction of needed public
works in;the southwest, and notably
of such as are imperative for the
States bordering the lower Mississ.
ippi. An alliance must be made, it
is said, with the great northwest,
whose interests are Identical with
our own, and by whosesaid we shall
obtain all that we desire.
This sounds very pretty, and will
captivate mercurial people whose
lively imaginations picture the in
stant accomplishment of that which
seems 30 feasible and so desirable.
Such persons will forget, because it
is inconvenient to remember, that an
alliance, political or other kind, be-
tween two people can be made only
with the consent of both. An alli-
ance implies not alone that the two
parties have agreed upon something
in which they have common interest,
but that each will subordinate some
special interest of its own to the ac-
complishEent of the common OBJ
ject. How is it to be effccted2 The
democrats OF the Southwestern
States are 10 allure allegiance to
their party, but they must belong to
some party in national politics, or
their strength is wasted. The north.
west Is wholly Republican. Are we
to ask admission into that party
Shall we throw ourselves into the
arms Of Couger because we are dis
gusted with the violence of Braggl
While our reslive friends are sug,
gesting, rather than advocating, po.
litical affiliation with the northwest,
the republican Inhabitants of that
region do not exhibit an equally af
fectiouate solicitude for our compan.
ionship. On the contrary, the sole
use they have for us is as targets fo'
their abuse and villi6cation, and the
surest.passport of public man to
their favor is his capacity and read
mess TO hurl bill,ngsgate upon u.s.
While therefore sentiment, and the
remembrance of past indignities, re-
volts at association with such ele.
ments until they have been purified
there are no material advantages tc
accrue to US from it that we are moi
as likely to attain by honestly adhe
ring TO our principles and our party
Sentiment ought not to control po.
litical action. Cast it aside then
but remember when you are making
an alliance Of policy, unsupported BY
friendship, the object Of both parties
being largess out of the treasury
and having nothing in common bu'
that, the slightest disagreement
about the distribution Of the spoil.
will be the prelude to its dissolution
If sentiment is bad ligament tt
bind party together, the cohesion
Of public plunder is worse.
The Democrat party has not de
serted its principles, nor been faith
less to its promises. It's majority
in Congress forced the River ane
Harbor bill through last week. i
has accomplished great things in The
past, and its capacity for future goot
is innxhaustible. 1t has survived
its own great blundcr Of 1872, ant
its adversary's greater fraud o.
1875, and its abundant vitality ha.
been exhibited by dividing the pop
ular vote in 1880 for Presidentia
electors so nearly equally that it il
not yet known which electors re
ceived the larger vote, and by divi
ding the States cxactly-nineteel
voting for each candidate. TAX,
away the negro vote, and the Demo
crat party has majority of thre
quarters of million of caucasian
voters. A party that has tha
is not mOribund.
~-oe>o~~~oe~~~>>-~--~
RATHER CURIous.-The age OF th,
Egyptian obelisk, recently placed i,
the Central Park of New York, is as