Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1863-08-28

ting their oWn institutions. We USED 70
say that the men in the Southern
States had right to establish there.
in their own institutions that they were
guaranteed that right by the constitution,
and we said that our fellow citizens who,
against the guarantees of the constitution,
desired to interfere with these rights,
were meddling with that which was none
Of their business. Suppose those loyal
people want to regulate these institutions
for themselves have you any objection 7
because it strikes me, ifyou have you are
&C ,upying precisely the ground of the
old-iashion aboition;sts. daughter and
applause.)
Now. whatever | may think of the
forfeiture these men have made, by their
own reputation Of the constitution, Of
any rights and guarantees they had under
it whatever | may think of this as
political question, as a practical question
there is no difficulty in answering it
This is a question which the rebellion has
settled: that yon cannot meyotiate those
men tack into slarery cho hare once
rcorn the uniform Of tie U. S. lm-
mense applause). This power is set out
of the reach of politicians by the rebels
themselves. Still | have no hesitation in
saying here and anywhere, that if in the
settlement of this controversy, the loyal
men in determining for themselves the
conlliors upon which they will come
back into the Union, should come back
| al,
Constitution that we could see that that
which has been such fruitful cause of
disunion in the past, which is the cause
Of disunion now, should be q question
settled by them-by their own act-and
they Should not leave this quarrel US q
heritage to or children and our children's
children for another civil ar-for anoth-
er war Of carnage and death-I should
hold up both my hands and rejoice there.
at. Great appiause) So long as they
were in the Union | was in favor, as l
am in favor now, Of leaving them-the
loyal mcn-to determine this question for
themselves. / am willing to trust it in
their hands.
Now, fellow citizens, much has been
said about Louisiana. We have heard
much Of late from the papers that Louisi-
ana has offered to come back to the Uni
on that the State Of Louisiana had sent
committee to the President profering q
return to the Union upon the basis that
he would withdraw his emancipation
proclamation, and order the military gov.
ornment Of the State to convene the leg
isIatuge OF Louisiana upon the basis Of
the constitution of 81. There is no
question about which there has been so
much Ignorance and msconception in the
public mind as this. approach the dis
cusson of this question with some degree
Of hesitation, with some reluctance be-
cause the gentleman who composed that
committee are some Of them my friends
and acquaintanccs men who in private
life respect men whose character and
| motives | do not intend to assai. And
it is but Justice to these men to say tho
misrepresentation that has been made
with regard to the authority and objects
of their mission, have not proceeded from
thcm. There has boea 10 effort made
by the State OF Lou!sian, as q State to
return to the Union. There has been no
public meeting IN louisiana or any meet
ing known to the citizens of Louisiana, or
even to me whea it took place. although |
was at that time at the head of the civil
government of the State which delegated
this committee. There has never been
meeting that these men attended to ac-
complish any object that embraced over
twenty individuals, and these coming
from not over three or four out Of the
forty-cis sht parishes in the State. They
state that they came as committee OF
i planters. Twenty planters happened to
+ Be, as am informed at the St. Charles
hotel. They being dissatisfied with the
mole which some Of the loyal people Of
Louisiana had undertaken to inaugurate
civil government, went upon their motion,
as mere representatives, of one class Of
e,tiz2as, having Just as much authority as
two members Vi the British Parliament
had whon they undertook that amateur
mission Louis Napoleon, for which they
were 50 much rd;clleI on the floor Of
h House { Cemmous.
The planters they represented wanted
the legislature Of Louisiana assembled on
the basis Of the constitution of 1852.
The history Of that constitution is this:
After the compromise measures of 1889
were passed, there was great dissatistac-
! tiou IN the minds of the dominant ella ss
who had been accustomed to control the
! le -isiation of the South. Conventions
We're calel in many parts of the South
orn States to discuss what they termed
+ the grievances Of the South In Louisi-
ana convention was called to revise the
State constitution. This convention FORM
ed the constitution Of 1872. The object
and purpose OF this constitution was to
place irrevonbly in the hands Of the
IarIe slayehol,ljng p2rishes the entire po-
itieal power of the State, so that when
they deemed it necessary or expedient
ii cou' push the State into rebellion or
revolution. TAty accomplished this re-
suit by two important notifications of
the OH constitution. y basis Of repre-
s.utatiou was established founded upon
popIttion, counting all whites, free col
ortd and slaves, wAlIe whites alone voted.
Practically though not literally about H.
eco siayeaoiiei, voted Tor about 81 900
slaves According to an appoulonmeut
upon this basis, oae parish with less than
,DD AZ Inn. mud an nv r.a ~ to nonulaf inn