The Constitutional. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1860-1861, 1861-03-30
RETROSPECTION.

Wien the people Of Louisiana were call
ed upon to elect delegates to a State Con-
vcntion, there was but one question before
them, i. r. what course should Louisiana
pursue under the circumstances that then
existed. Every one recognized the nee
essty of some definite and decided action.
The country had long enough been asita-
ted by the eternal NEGRO" question; South
ern rights had been trampled upon and we
were in danger Of forever losing our equal
tyin the Union, without which it would be
hopeless for us TO strive to remain within
| il. There was no American citizen that
did not regret that the forcbodings Of
Washington and the fathers ofthe Republic
| had so soon met with their iuliilncnt
While all recognized the necessity Of ac-
ton there were few indeed who did not
believe that We should first strive 10 obtain
our rights within the Union. Few if any
favored submission to Northern aggression.
Some dcspaired of peaceful solution
while none believed that could We once
succeed in convincing the North that our
determination was firm and unalterablc
and that we would sever every bond of am
ity aud friendship rather than to submit 70
Stewards "irrepressiblc conHict'-they
would grant full and complete recognition
Of our rights by such constitutional amend
ments as would for ever remove the sIa-
very question from the political arena.
The most probable course to accomplish
this was the united action of all the Slave
holding States. Fifteen of the most pow
erful States of the Union, led on by gal
liant old Virginia would have carried that
moral weight with them before which
Black Republican fanaticism would have
quailcd and sunk TO the insigniiicance il
deserved.
South Carolina by her precipitancy
blasted this hope and forced us from that
course which we believed was best calcu-
lated to accomplish the object we had in
view, redress of grievances, and n
restoration to our equality in the Union.
When this hope failed us, we resorted to
that which seemed the only way open to
us, that of separate State action. The
voters Of Rapides will well remember what
views were, at the time OF the election, of
delegates to our State Convention attribu-
ted to those delegates. How many were
told, that although they were in favor of
the secession of Louisiana, that they only
| advocated this measure rs the only prac-
ticable means of convincing the North OF
the earnestness and determination of the
South, and thus having obtained our rights,
to reconstruct the Union. The question
was not one Of preserving the old Union !;
for that was already broken up; but how
we might best reconstruct a new one.
Elected upon these grounds, and with
these views, our Convention assembled.
Their powers were from necessity limited
to the purposes and objects for which they
were elected Although the people did
not, each and every one Of them, deposit
in the ballot box list of instructions in
which they exactly and definitely defined
the extent aud limit Of the powers they
conferred upon the Convention yet, it
was as well understood as if they had
The delegates knew that the people only
intended them to act upon this one cues
ton and such other questions as grew i'm
mediately from it, Such, per chance, MS
the formation Of temporary alliance will
the seeding States and the establishment
of provisional government to carry out
the objects of4that alliance Here their
action should have ceased anything be-
yond this. was an usurpation, and of mess
dangerous precedent. There is no power
on earth, in a republican government tC
control, restrain or abrogate the action OF
= Convention except that of revolution.
1t overridcs all the powers Of government
executive, judicial, Legislative, the Consti
tuition itself; it is supreme, autocratic il
its powers. All the horrors Of the French
Revolution were effected through n con
vention, which in its autOcratic power
declared itself permanent, and concentra
ted in itself every branch of government
What could have prevented our Convsn
ton from declaring its sessions permanent
The laws it passed override those of tn,
, Legislature they could have unsratel
the Governor-dismissed the Legislator,
turned even Judicial officers from pow
{ Ter. They could by n simple resolution