Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1864-03-18
Spirit Of Louisiana.

We have received aeopy Of tho inaugn-
raj Address Of Gogernos Allen to the Lou
isiana Legislature, sid also copy Of his
Message His adsl.taa is full Of sriris.
The Yankees nsay base supposed that. l"ek
ing from the tcmporsty Capital Of the State
on the ruin sH:ch has been inflicted on It's
people, its Governor .ould shrink from a
prosecution Of the uar, and be ready to
bend his knee to the despoiler. Iiso, they
are mistaken. as sle reader will see frsm
the following burning sad defiant ian
gaage;
Let there be no peace between US until
we. are free forever from. this accursed race !.
Is peace SO sweet as to be purchased at the
price of reconstruction Oh. think not of
reconstruction. Reeonstrueion means sab
|jugation, ruin and death. The martyrs Of
our holy causc-thcse heroic men who shed
their blood for US at Manassas, at Shiloh,
al Sharpsburg, aud hundred other battle-
fields, would rise up in solemn procession
from the chambers cf the dead and rebuke
this unholy alliance. "A gallant young
I.ouisianian was dying on the field of Shi
loh; as I passed him, he called me TO his
side, said he:~ "My Colonel, j en- dying.
If you should live to get bask 70 Louisiana,
tell my eyed father. thatI died for my
sountry, and OH tell him TO fight this bat
tie Quito lose negroes and lands and life
itself. but never, never go back to the old
Union" !
These words are still ringing in my ears,
! and tell them to you to day; lose ne
groes, lose lands. lose everything, lose life
itself, but never think of reconstruction
There is sea Of blood between US, we can
not pass that sea. Let US rather add there
to wall Of living fire, and gulf deep and
dark of eternal hate. ! speak to>lay by
authority | speak as the Governor Of the
| State of Louisiana. and wish il known at
| Washington and elsewhere, that rather than
reconstruct this government and 60 back to
! the. Unionlon auysterms whatever, the peo-
/ pie of Louisiana will in convention assem-
blcd, without. dissenting voice, ccde the
State 10 any. European power. Give us
the gulllotltle or BOTANY Bag, the knout or
Siberia, the bow strong or the Bosphorus,
rather than suffer the brutal outrages of
Yankee subjugations. | speak to-day not
only for the loyal citizens Of Louisiana who
have stood by the State in all her trials,
but in behalf Of the misguided individuals
who haye. been compelled to take the cath
Of allegiance to the Federal Government.
!. In their. hearts they are trIe to US. and
are praying daily for the triumph Of our
arms. They have. felt the very iron in
their souls, and kaow full we'll the curse OF
reconstruction. | speak by authority, for
they write me daily that they would rather,
/ by ten thousand tines, be the subjects OF
the Emperor of France than the slaves OF
Abraham Lincoln. IfGod in His inscru
/ table Proylaeuce should permit the enemy
to overwhelm US, then let US retire to ouI
mountains and our caves, an d there let us
swear by the blood Of our fathers and broth,
ers-by the sulferipgs and the insults O
our, mothers. wives and sisters, that we vii
issue forth and hunt the, et.einy as we hun
the. Wild beasts Of the forest. Oh. give II,
honorable graves .by far, ii p-efprsnce 4
base servitude, to chains aud Slavery.
ttAye" better be -;
| Where the ensanguined Spartaus still ere free,
| In their proud charne of Thermbpyls."
/ Kaor. Register