Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet., 1865-07-13

tutlOH dud otNh "S'
Louisiana, have been overthrown
by the rebellion, and the creation
of a new Government is not within
my province, If admitted the me-
cessity. :,
| do profess, and do hold, Eowev-
er, contrary to your confidently ex"
pressed opinion, by the form of elec-
ton which took place in February,
1864. and in DO respect act, ''inde.
pendent of the formal organic law
as you affect to believe.
It is true the exceptional condi-
tion of our political affairs compels
recourse to military authority to
supplement, momentarily, the def
| ciencies of the law, when my pow
| ers, as defined by statute, are I'm.
equal to the emergency. This re-
source however, ! have sparingly
invoked, and only against persons
in Office, whose shameless abuse OF
their places, Or venal conduct, COM
PEELED it.
Neither have /, as you erroneous
" assert, transcended the require.
ments of law in defining "the quail
fications of those who may be ad-
mitted to the registration as voters
in New Orleans" All persons le.
gally entitled to vote, and none 9th.
ers, can register So, too, do you
misstate the fact when you say
that 81 permit o different rule in the
country" In both instances my
conduct 10 controlled by the law.
No registry that | am aware Of has
ever existed in any State of the Un-
ion in rural districts. None GER
tainly ever has in Louisiana. !
see no reason now for my depar-
ture from the usual course and if
| / did, / do not claim any compe-
tence to direct it to be done.
When you ask, therefore, that !
shall "before any general State
election, order a complete registra-
tion in every parish Of the State OF
all loyal citizens, without distinc-
ton of race or origin" for the reas.
ons already advanced, ! decline to
comply.
In coming to this conclusion,
have no other difficulty than is pre-.
sented by your confident predic.
tions of the evils that must follow
a noncompliance with your de
mands. Political prophesying, how
ever, has long since ceased to alarm
mankind. / recollect political pro
phecies made by the chief signerf
, of this address, within the past
twenty years, which have been 81
falsifed by events that the appre
tensions their present ones nigh
otherwise inspire, arc blunted OF
=, dissipated completely. Both in The
, Native American and Know.Noth
, ing cras their vaccinations were al
boldly made that the naturalization
:, and immigration of foreigners woult
as certainly destroy the nation, as
they now are, unless the negro
ignorant, inexperienced and incapa
BILE as he is admitted to he, is en-
dowed with the elective franchise
Are these gentlemen less falliblt
to day than at the time referred to
Even within the last four years
some of the more conspicuous mem
bers of the Central Executive Com
mittee of the friends Of Universe
Suffrage" lent their powerful assis
tance to transfer the political powe
of the State from the parishes con
tanning o large white population tt
the few white owners of larg'
;. slave property in others. This wa
called the total population basis o
representation.
; I do not call in question, gentle
+ men, the sincerity of any of YOU
e ] take it for granted you are pei
. fectly sincere in your love of ou
g emancipated people, and coDscier
4 tiously believe the latter are emit
0 tied to the elective franchise bu
you cannot be surprised if ! canne
e come to your conclusions SO speed
!. ly IS you have done, recollectine
= as / do, the eloquent letter Of you
Pesident, Mr.. T. j Durant, who 8
j. late as 1862, in memorable lette
j. to President Lincoln, proteste
If against the taking of slaves froI
y their owners and the iniquities {
= the blockade of the ports Of tn
e States in rebellion.
Where gentlemen, who claim
It represent an organization SO sono
j. GUS in name as the Central Exec
It tive Committee of the Friends {
;" Universal Suffrage have .exhibite
d 80 much versatility of opinion in {