Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-10-25
LETTER FROM NEW ORLEANS.

LETTER FROM NEW ORLEANS.
! EDITOR CAPTT0LAN-My intention
to comply with your kind request
that | should express, by letter, the
views brought out in conversation
when we last met, has been delayed
not abandoned.
| Mere matters of date, however, are
OF little moment in the discussion of
such questions; for, though history is
sometimes made with great rapidity,
and one days transactions give place
to more startling disclosures of. sue
ceeding hours, the slow crystalization
of political principles once matured,
remain permanent safeguards from
generation to generation.
You will remember, our discussion
grew out of the many strange and
some crude apprehenslons reported
that the unfortunate death of Presi-
dent Garfield might result in political
chaos and anarchy, in certain posi-
bic contingencies. These apprehen-
sions were not unnatural, coming
from Europe, where the idea of per-
sonal government still obtains, and
the death of one ruler awakens to
life the slumbering ambitions of rival
factions and dynasties. Plotters
about the throne, Pretenders of ROYAL
Blood, the schemes and intrigues of
foreign influence, and sometimes the
loss of the direct line of Royal des-
cent, have occasioned by their bloody
fruits in the past, reasonable appre-
tensions of anarchy and war on the
death of European rulers. But the
true basis and inherent strength of
our constitutional fabric is but poorly
understood by those who apprehend
similar results on tho death of our
President. 1t is true, however, that
the "stalwart' leaders who, since the
war, have so adroitly moulded the
"UnlOn" sentiment of the country to
suit their purposes, would like the
world to believe, that the Republican
party is the especial custodian of the
liberties of the people, and that the
overthrow Of that party means chaos,
anarchy and political night. Hence
in the yawning schisms by which
their party was divided, by quarrels
over the spoils of Office, about the
time of poor Gartield's death, they
would have the people believe chaos
had come, because Their cakes and
ale were in danger. We have heard
constantly repeated as prophetic
utterance-"God reigns and the GOV
eminent at Washington still lives"
This is the real germ of error in the
Republican faith, the Independent ex-
istence of the Government at Wash
ington." 1t is an attempt to trans
plant the European idea of personal
government with centralizing tenden-
cies and substitute it for the qoreyn-
meM Of States of our fathers.
Should this centralizing tendency,
with its dynastic growths and person
al intrigues even, become actually
ascendent, it would not be long before
the Stalwarts would have royal reti-
nues and a permanent president.
On the other hand nothing is so i'm
possible as anarchy under the consti-
tuition as it Is. The Government at
Washington by which is meant the
mere machinery of government--the
heads of departments and clerks and
the executive-might drop out of
sight through the earth, without a
sensation to the country, aside from |
our personal sympatlies for the lost 7
patriots.
The Government at Washington"
las no power, no succession. no
heir apparent" no existence, outside
# and independent of the States that
reate and renew it. The "power