Natchitoches union. [volume] ([Natchitoches, La.]) 1859-1864, 1861-11-07
The Militia and the Foreigners

| The duties and obligations of ths
Militia, in relation to foreign residents
in Louisiana, have never been defined
in clear and precise manner, and Oh
the part of the high authorities of one
State, contradictions and conflicts ap
pear every day. Some examples will
suffice toedify our readers.
The Natchitoches Chronicle of the
I'd November publishes a letter adress.
cd to Capt VIM Payne, as follows:
ATTORNEY GENERAL's OrrrcE, !
| New Orleans, Oct. II, 1861. I
Captain VIM Payne, Natchitoches:
| S,-Yours Of 18th received Forcig.
ner residing i'm the tate sixty days'
are bound to defend the country. and
are subject to militia duty. The Gov
ernor has no power to exempt any one
from militia duty; bis proclamation has
nothing to do with the matter.
Respectfully
THOS j. SEMMES
Here then we have the orders aud
proclarnations Of the Governor, destroy.
ed by letter, which may have the
merit Of being very laeon,c, but which
Is not very clear. What does the At.
torney General mean by the the word
ountry2 Is it the place, the Parish or
the States inhabited by the unuatura-
lized foreigners? Or is it the whole
eontederatioa2 According to the tenor
of the letter adressed to Capt. W lillian
Payne, we should be teHpted to be-
leve, that we should not consider the
proclamations of the Governor as
serious, unless approved by the Attor-
ney General.
dmidst this. conflict between those
high functionaries of cur State comes
the op MON of Count Mejean, French
Consul at New Orleans, an opinion
whief, on such subject is not with
out Importance. 1t is expressed in the
f,lluwing letter communicated to us,
tor ihe purpose Of enlightening the
French Residents OF Louisian !.
EpUS,ur tt,psr,, .rr
NEW. OaLEANo.
New Or cans Is, October, 1861. |
Sir,
| received your letter of the lit
and hssten to answer it, The Militia
Law, IN tine State OF Loulsiana. and
IN the other Southern States.
5 clear, All maze white inhabitants
rom Is to 45 years, are obliged to
sabmlt To t. the only concession made
ly the Governor uf this State In favor
II Foreigners is, to accept, for the
protection Of the Twos and Parishes
which they inhabit, and without being
'e4ilir u t., serve beyong them, all
,od'es of companies o. men Composed
'ntirely of. foreigners not naturaIlzed.
FROM this Law, foreigners have no
way Of escaping or could only do SO
~ leaving the Country But as in do
ny this, they would be obliged to a.
random their interests and the proper
y acquired here on the faith OF trea-
les, | thl k that ny remaining and sub.
hitting iorcedly to the Laws, they do
ut violate, in any manner, the neu-
raity Commanded by the Govern
ndnt of the Emperor.
Receive, sir, the assurance Of my
distinguished consideration,
CouNr MEJAN,
French Consul.
Mr. Louis Duplex
Natchitoches, Louisiana.
W hat are we to think of all thisp
That, we cannot know, in q clear and
precise manner, the duties of each
Foreigner toward the Confederate
Government and Louisiana, until the
shall have passed Law
which can be undertood, as well by
he Governor and Attorney General as
" the humblest OF our citizens.
~~~~-~~~-~.-sebs
SIoSs OF WESTERN VIRGINIA. - The
Northern soldiers in Western Virgil.
'ia are getting alarmed. They say
hat there is guerrilla band of two
housand rebels On the Kanawha, and
hat the mountains are also filed with
hem, their force being at the present
arg than ever" They say that the
general opinion among their soldiers
that "the campaign has just now
Uf the condition uf their
rmy they sag
The hospitals at Charleston and Gal
ipolls were filled with sick soldiers,
Who have been out in the mountains,
nd were subjected to the severest I
ards.:ips ; typhoi fever being the |
redominant complaint: I
Six hundred and sixty-seven prison I
RS were brought to Richmond from !
>eesburg On he Gath instant-a-
lDngSt whom twentv-fOur commission. f