The Opelousas courier., 1888-04-07
senator Eustis at Baton Rouge

We make the following EXTRACTS from the
epeech delivered at Baton Rouge
last month y Senator Eustis and commend
to the careful perusal OF our readers:
when, in 1876, after repeated contests, Re
publicanism was overthrown in the State OF
louisiana, those who participated III that
memorable struggle scarcely would nave pc
lieved that that disorganized, dishonored and
disgraced party, would dare to assert its pre-
tensions to government in Louisiana, Com
posed as it was of INSCRIPTIONS leaders anu
Ignorant and misguided following We iau u
right to believe that that party Would only
exist in Louisiana by the ineffa ceable remem-
brance of its foul, loathsome misgovernmeht.
It's temperance in the political held con
tending for the suffrages of the people is only
rendered credible by the stern fact that IN
our front exists a deciplined Republican army.
seeking to deceive and betray the people Oh
our State and it behooves us, not only to es-
innate it's numerical force, but its motiVes'
its purposes and its pretensions.
It has been suggested that this Repu6iean
experiment in Louisiana is intended to break
the solid Democratic column IN the south ;
that its aspirations spring from the CRAFTY
counsel of Republican national Leaders, VINO
expect our State election to be the sKlfih 4hia
battle of the presidential election. III tnls
suspicion is well founded u double duty de-
wolves upon us. First, to rescue our otate
government from the threatened bilgntlhg
curse Of Radical domination, anu heAt, 10
nreserye our State in line for the presidential
contest.
why has this Republican experiment been
attempted In Louisiana? Why is it that the
Republican party alone i'll Louisiana, OUTSIDE
of Virginia and all the Southern States, dare
to assert its pretentions 10 political supren'
acys Why is it that in Louisiana alone Oh inc
Southern States the Republican party has
the audacity to claim to enlist the suffrages
Of the people ? Certainly the history OF our
past troubles does not warrant such an as,
sumption. In no Southern State, afflicted
with the carpet-bag rule, have the white peo-
pie shown more unfiinching determination
more nndaunted courage, more invinciDle no
roism, more undying hatred OF Republican
rule. No people have ever made such sacrl-
fees, have ever exhibited o more untiinching
devotion TO that pride of race, have ever en-,
dured a more terrible ordeal to assert anu
maintain their righf,bhan have the people OF
Louisiana. In the darkest hours OF theif
struggle, when there was scarcely q SILVER
lining to the clouds that overhung their des-
TIMES, when every energy and every resource
Of their proud manhood was taxed to the ut
most limit, when they resisted the encroach-
ments of the Federal government itself and
refused to be seduced by the Establishments
or terrified by the terrors of Federal power.
it was believed that they had taught a lesson
to Republicanism, and that under no circum'
stances or conditions did they intend to sub
init to negro domination and negro govern
ment. For the same reason that the North,
ern communities would not submit to the gov
eminent of anarchists, socialists and commun
lists, the people of Louisiana cannot accept a
Republican government; for it means the
overthrow of social order, destruction of pros
perity and the extinguishment of civilization,
These are not vague apprehensiOnSi this is
not a distrust founded upon a mere Suspicion;
this is not an apprehension which has its root
in a mere possibility but it stands in bold
and unblushing relief as the unimpeachable
and ipeffaceabIe record Of the Republican
government in Louisiana. So ~scandalous,
monstrous, criminal and diabolical is that in
effaceable record that it shocked and amazed
even the Republicans of the North. Remem
braces of Republican government in Louis
lana causes O shudder and invokes q remon-
STRANGE from every son of our State. The in
famies and enormities of Warmoth's era
would have been a disgrace to q third-rafe
mud village ON the banks of the Nile. Nc
personal right, no interest of property, no SO
cial Requirements, no political or State ext
gencies did Id ever pretend to recognize OF
respect. Its platform was public plumber, Its
creed was spoliati0n, and its mission was de-
struction of every personal n social inter
est until disappeared amidst the universal
execration of all Well-thinking people, North
and South, Democrat and Republican. Sc
shameless was it's career, SO utterly indefens.
ible wal it's very existence, SO revolving to
the American conscience, so shocking to pub
lie decency were its pretensions, that General
Grant, although he had twice interfered by
military power to sustain 1t, in 1876 determ-
ined to let it disappear from the face OF Lou
isiana, az o blighting, leprous curse. 1t would
have been far easier, more patriotic and more
constitutional for him to have defended pira.
cy, or any other heinous crime against the
law of nations, than to have longer given his
executive countenanee and support to the
continued existence of Republican govern
ymenb In Louisiana.
Such, fellow-citizens, is the simple and un'
exaggerated record of that party which to-day
under tho leadership of W0rm0th, is attempt.
ing to- seduce the people of Louisiana from
plea of youth, of inexperience, of GAficult sur
rounding circumstances, cannot hg safely ac-
cepted as q justification of the pTytigata sat
urnalia Of m-isgoyernment when he was the
carpet-bag governor of Louisiana. No pro-
mise of reform, no sign of repentance, no spe-
cious argument upon the tariff, 20 temptation
OF political patronage, no seductive illusions of
q white mans government under a Republic
can rule, should weaken or impair our loyalty
to the Democratic party. White supremacy
in this State can only be preserved and main
tanned through the Democratic party. To that
party do we owe in the past the glorious
achievements of our redemption; to that party
M@9NG III ph4G A0bulCH Wv VIC WV VI Satt W1OhGg
the preservation and ~perpebuation of our lib
critics, our prosperity and our civilization. II
she Republican leaders suppose that they can
acquire strength by reason of any dissensions
in the Democratic party, they are indulging
IN q prepost8rous hallucilatien. There were
dittsrences Of opinion, there were decided pre-
ferences expressed as to who. should be our
acknowledgements in the coming contest. That
was q right exercised openly and publicly by
the Democrats. Lines were closely drawn
during that contest, and almost every one in
Louisiana exercised the privilege of express
ing bis choice, but when the Democratic con-
venti0n at Baton Rouge, composed as il was
of able and distinguished men from every sec
fion uf the State, true Democrats. exercised
that supreme and final power of political iudg-
ynent BY declaring through d majority Of that
convention who should Che our standard-bear-
err, II became the duty of every democrat III
the State of Louisiana to accent that decision
loyalty, IN good faith, MS the unimpeachable
and nnappealable verdict Of the Democratic
party,
IEs harmony OF the proceedings Of that con-
yenti@n, the iudicious and eonciliatory alter
anees oX him who was nominated for tie chief
executive, the satisfactory declarations of the
pRanclpieANof our party, and the uncomplain-
ING SUBMISSION of the minority, should have
lbeam q HnfaicTsnt attestation that the political
brotherhood oEthe Democratic party was nm
1mpalred and That we would present a united
and determined Er0nt to the enemy. Today
there are no discussions in the Democratic
party. For the election of the ticket that was
selected headed By Francis T. Nichols, it be-
comes our duty, as Democrats, to labor as
earnestly and as enthusiastically as though
Ehe ticket Of cur choice hid been nominated.
NO sting OF disappointment no yestige of re-
sentiment, no recollection OF past contest,
no past disseusi0n In onr rsnks, should linger
IL oar memories. We should Nall recognize
and admit the equal devotion of each other I'd
the great principles Of the Democratic party,
and following the example of our Sllustrions
present governor, we should by oun energy