The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1891-07-04
DR.. Palmer's Speech.


degree of surprise when we find man
like DR.. Palmer, leaving his pulpit and
taking the stump to declaim in bigoted
language against measure which con-
Germs the material interests of our State.
Can II be true that this eminent
divine at his age of life, with the con-
stantly recurring years to remind him
OF his approach to that "hourne from
which no traveller returns" is prepared
to enter the arena of politics and SO far
forget himself as to ignore the peaceful
teachings of him who spoke as never
| yet man spoke, and advise resort to
violence and revolution to defeat meas
ure against which he seems to have so
much prejudice and hate. Far better
would it have been for him had he
counseled more peaceful and Chris
tianlike course to be persued in his
crusade against the revenue amend
ment9 The advice which he gives if
needed by his hearers, might be the
cause of drenching our soil in the best
blood of the state, and the responsible
ity would lie at the door of the man
whose mission in life is to preach peace
and good will towards mankind instead
of stirring up the embers of sectional
hate and advising fratricidal strife
that would endanger the lives and de-
stroy the happiness of our people.
Is it possiblef that in this the nine
teenth century with the bright lights of
civilization around ms in the grand
march of progress and Developments
that preacher of the gospel upon
whose brows the SHOWS of many win
ters have passed, should mount the
rostram and hurl the thundeFbolts of
his wrath against the amendment, the
object of which is to bring to our i'm
poverished state the much needed re-
sonrees, without which she must strug-
gle in hopeless endeavor to free her
self from the debt which, like Il grim
monster, IS lowering over her, paralyE
ing her efforts destroying her good
name and bringing her into contempt
as a sovereign state in the Union. The
ants must be in desperate straight,
aud they certainly mistake the man
hood of our people, if they think that
by dragging DR.. Palmer into the arena
of politics, they can add one iota to
their strength or convince d single pro-
lottery man of his error, by the wild
utterances of man whose language
shows that prejudice and bigotry have
so far overpowered him that he could
not approach a subject of SO great i'm
portance as the revenue amendment,
without flying from his base and ad-
vising resort to means and measures
that would disgrace the annals of the
darkest ages. His style would have
been excusable in some impassioned
youth, fresh from the battlefelds OF
some sanguinary strife eager for the
fray and thirsting to drench his hands
in the blood of his coantrymen. How
much more would it have been in ac-
cord with the teachings OF the good
book which Dr. Palmer has been en-
.deavoriDg to expound for SO many
years and with which he should be SC
/ familiar, had he, in a meek and Chris
tian spirit, called upon the lottery men
to forbear if, in his opinion, their efforts
we're fraught with SO much evil. With
his talent aud skill as an orator, if the
subject was one that deserved SO much
censure, how easily aud how kindly
could he have placed his argument be-
! fore the people, without departing q
single line from the calling wherein he
is placed. The imperfeetioBs Of oul
degraded human nature will crop out
\ at one time or another III the lives q
4 all men, and at some ungaarded or nn.
rejecting time they will do acts, or e8-
press sentiments that strike with ani-
azement those who hava always looked
to tbem for teachings OF far differenl
character. We hnd this ministel
whose lips have ever moved ~ surpll
cation to bis hearers to bear each 9th
j, er,s infirmities and forgive each othei I
Fl offences and reading i'll loud aud IN.
spiring tones that article OF the deca
Il ingue which says z thou shalt not kill
{ suddenly rising in his wrath aud for
getting tlie mandate, which descended
from Mount Sinai III the days gone bye
he counsels the already ovetheatet
antis TO resort tu feyOlntt1n III defeat
i inc d measure, sent ia the people b
the people upon which they have !
right to vote, secured TO them BY til
constitution aud laws OF our country
Ii occurs to us that this same minister
upon d former occasion used language
something like this: & Thanks be to Al
mighty God the domain of thought i
sacred and cannot be Invaded by th'
bo|dest tyrant that ever lived, you ma.
manacIe nv limbs and Chain my bod
ID n stone wall, but that tyrant nepe
{ lived upon this globe, who can impris
on nv thoughts and prevent me iron
thinking as / deem to be right. Hoy
Is it that the same speaker now seem
10 lie so intolerant Of the opinions Q
others upon question of such vital i'm
nortance as the revenue amendment
How much fairer are the statement
expressed By Judge Ferner in his dis
senting opinion In the recent mandaIuu
case when he says that he has reached
that are in life, where he puts behin'
! him ali conceit of opinion, when he lla
discovered the infallibility of human
Judgment and seems to concede som
respect for the opinions OF other people
although these gentlemen are pursuing
different avocatioDs, it would be we'll Z
, inauire whose sentiments breathe mon
af fhe Christian spirit. Extreme meas
ures are always dangerous and mesli
anl course is always TO be preferred
Ambition often carries its votaries t
sncl, dizzy height that it ends In thel
destruction and DIR. Palmer mlstalSIni
the sentiments of our people and think
ing thew we're against the amendmen
s;mnly b5ause lie moved oDlg in tlla
class. thought this Q splendid oppoI
a. to carva far himself q niche j