Year: 1871

that are considered certain for one or the


other of the two great parties leave a


small majority for the Democratic party


and of the doubtful States the calculation


is vastly favorable to the election of a


Democratic President This is a Demo


cratic calculation or prediction, it is true,


based upon very doubtful grounds; but


then, as there has been an apparent rise


from the clover depth to which that


party had descended in the estimation of


the people, it is quite natural that they


should make all the capital they can out


of it.


If the leaders of the Democratic party


can make it appear that the Republican


party is becoming unpopular with the
| people in consequence of an odious ad-


ministration Of the government, instead


of apathy and party divisions and dissen-


sions among Republicans, they are GER


tain to do it. An aggressive war of this


kind might prove more profitable to them


than their war upon principles that have


been accepted by the people. For this


and other reasons Republicans should not


be over confident in majorities that have
| heretofore crowned them with success.


They have been in power just long enough
| to render them careless, and infuse them


with contempt for the strength of the
| enemy. The weakness of their political


foes may prove fatal weakness in them


selves, If, forgetting the common enemy,


they become divided in war for the
spoils Of Office and personal aggrandize-
ment This is too apt to be the result of
the conduct Of the party that has so long
enjoyed the confidence of a majority Of
the PEOPLE as to make them value too
lightly the efforts of their political oppo-
nents to regain power. The Republican
party must not fall into this error. 1t
has vigilant active, unscrupulous and
ambitious party to contend with; party
that has long enjoyed the honors and
emoluments Of Office, and the dispensa-
ton of political power in this country
Its thirst for power is great at
this time, and it will make a
mighty effort in the coming Presi-
dental election to wrest the political
scepter from the hands of the Republican
party. As such result would undoubt-
edly not only change the policy of the
government, but might be the means of
changing its republican principles, par
ticularly in regard to the right of suffrage
and the equal civil and political rights of
all men living under it, it behooves the
Republican party, and particularly the
administrators Of the government, to
whom political power has been trusted, to
see that it is welded in the interest of the
people and Republican principles. We
can not afford to run the risk, through |
apathy or dissension, of losing the vote of
a single State. The vote of Louisiana, |
though small one, might possibly deter
mine the next Presidential election In |
the election of 1874, when Mr.. Clay and |
Mr.. Polk were the candidates for Presi-
dent, the result in this State was looked
for with great deal of interest, as
the election was very close here
as well as in other States of the
Union, and it was thought that if the
State was carried for Mr.. Clay he would
be the President. The Democrats, by
their extraordinary efforts, carried it for
Mr. Polk and made him President. 1t is
then, that this State should be
,arried for the Republicans in the COM
ng Presidential election, and this can
lot be done unless the different elements
# the party can be made to harmonize,
hereby securing united action and activity
mong those whose peculiar duty it should
,e to work for the success of Republican
principles instead of their own advance
nent. 1t is impossible to have Repub-
lean majority in this State in the next
election if we can not have
ederal representatives here, in federal Of
ices, who will work for the success of
principles instead of the sue
ess of faction. With men of Judgment
nd political sagacity in those Offices
nen who will unite with the State ad-
in the coming contest, sue
ess is certain, but not otherwise.