The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1893-09-23
The Courier's 41st Year.

This number begins the forty first
volume of THE OPELoUsAs COURIER.
Established in December 1852, by Joel
H. Sandoz, the father of the present
editor and proprietor, and Andrew
Meynier,-both of whom have past to
the spirit land, it has been published
as fearless and ontspoken Democratic
sheet, except during few months in
the late war when suppressed by Fed
eral soIdlery, the material destroyed
and carried off, and the editor and his
assistants imprisoned, and brief sus-
pension in 1870 when the infamous
printing bill'' prevented Democratic
papers from receiving any patronage in
order to enrich Republican journals,
who would otherwise have starved but
for this legalized theft of the peoples
money. After the death of Mr. Mey
nier, VIM. H. Spencer an elegant and
torcible writer, became co editor and
co-publisher with Joel H. Sandoz, and
retained that position until he fell at
his post of duty in defence of his sec
ton, at the second battle of Manassas
while in command of the 10th Louisi-
ana infantry. Mr.. T. G. Compton, a
we'll known journalist and pungent
paragraphst, edited the COURIER for
one year in Is67-S. He too is dead
numbered with Meynier, Spencer and
Joel III. Sandoz in the "files' of the
past forever gone. But the COURIER
still lives, and continues as it has for
the past forty years to battle for the
best interests of our people. The pres
ent management took the helm of the
paper in 1870, and has consistently
adhered to the character and principles
advocated by it from its birth up to the
present time. The COURIER aoiU con-
tinue in the old Democratic faith.
Reared in it, we find no false theories
to abandon. and no disappointment to
regret. We are willing to be judged
by the record of the old COURIER, aud
are proud of its history through all the
vicissitudes of its long career down to
the present momehl We can truth
fully say that we have never wavered
in our fight against the Radical thieves,
who for eight long years plundered and
misgoverned our State; nor have we
for the sake of thrift crooked the
pregnant hinges of the knee" to the
power that, for so long period, dealt
out to its followers and apolOgists pat
ronage and benefices without stint. If
at times we have lived hard, yet we had
the consolation of knowing it was at
least democratic ''tasso and corn breadn
earned from the willing hands of our
own poverty stricken people. We are
poor. and have made but little money
yet we possess a reward which is bet
ter and more enduring-th the conscious
ness of having always performed our
duty to our country aud our people to
the best of our ability. We intend to
pursue the same line of duty in the fu-
ture, and confidently refer to ihe
COURIER's labors of the past as an
earnest of the fulfillment of all it's
pledges to the Democratic party and
the people. To those of our friends
who have stood by the COURIER in its
darkest days, and at time when both
paper and patron were sorely oppress
ed by the common eDemy,-to those
who have contributed their mite to the
support of their representative, and en-
abled US to "pull through in spite of
enemies high and low, domestic and
imported-we desire TO tender our sin
cere thanks aud we trust none will be
found among them who cannot truth
fully say that he is gratified at having
assisted Us in living through the trying
times We have tTaversed together