Year: 1872




The Opelousas Journal, in an editorial on
the Liberal Republican organization, closes
in this manner:


What, then, is the only possible course to
remedy existing evils and restore good gov
ernment, State and nationals We believe
that we speak the sentiment of an over
whelming majority when we declare that
the Cincinnati platform and the candidates
standing upon it offer the sole hope of pol
itieal salvation. All other projects must
and will be abandoned as impracticable,
and the sooner it is done the better the
prospects of relief. No existing organiza-
ton can unite enough of opposing elements
to carry this State in the interest of reform.
The Democratic party is hOrs dH combat.
1t failed to head a great popular movement
when the leadership was offered to it, The
aspirations of individual men, the strength
of party ties and other causes blinded their
eyes to the good of our common country,
and the golden opportunity Offered for the
first time in all the dreary years of disaster
and misrule that have elapsed since the
war-was suffered to pass by. By common
consent, by consent of a large majority of
the men who have hitherto been of that
party, its day of usefulness as an organiza-
tiOn is over. No existing necessity requires
the maintenance any longer of the party
machinery, through which its operations
have been conducted The army has dis
sOlved-why then perpetuate the semblance
of an organization through captains and
lieutenants, without corporaPs guard to
follow their head


In like manner the Reform party has an
swered no good purpose. If it ever had
we'll defined mission, it has failed to COM
prehend it. If it represents. in the recent
schemes of some of its leaders at Baton
Rouge, any fractional portion of the people
of the State, outside of the parties imme-
diately concerned, we are not aware of it.
Indeed, had the union at one time contem-
plated between the Reform and Democratic
party, been effected, the combination ticket
proposed could not have been successful
The aggregate strength of the two would
have made up the Democratic unit that has
so often met defeat. What we need is, not
so much to present a united front to the
enemy-that we have always done hereto
fore and without effective want and must
absolutely have recruits from the enemy's
camp. We demand a plan of campaign
based upon the old war maxim, that to di-
vide is to conquer. In order to accomplish
this great work, dead issues and effete
party organizations must be consigned to
their proper resting place, the tomb of OBJ
liviOn. Something higher, something nObler
than the qualification of personal ambition
anu S4O AAAtA~AAO'AAouOO VI BAL " acNOAAuAOJ
is expected at this juneture from the leaders
of the people throughout this State, and the
public man, whoever he be, that opposes
his puny arm to the rising tide of popular
feeling, will be swept away into the abyss
of forgetfulness.


The hour for our redemption has struck
let the people of the great parish of St.
Landry manifest, in some decisive manner
their wishes, on this, the great question of
the hour. Let them respond to the call of
the State committee of the Liberal party
and hold mass meeting here on the tWen-
tieth of July next. for the purpose of ehoos-
ing delegates to the general convention to
assemble in New Orleans on the first Mon
day of August.


Let the people come from all parts of the
parish at the appointed time, to take part
in the glorious and patriotic duty upon
which hangs every consideration valuable
to US as citizens of this commonwealth of
Louisiana. Let the men who, everywhere,
daily proclaim their adhesion to this new
departure, show, by their own acts, the1
appreciation of the Importance of the Md
and the sincerity of their declarationfele.
let them send down to New OrleaDnizens
cation of intelligent and inhuente known
that will give true expression I'll give st.
wishes of the people, and thahcils of the
Landry that weight in thee in numbers,
State that her preemiBtly enSitle her to. |
wealth and intelligence