Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-04-14

Washington that the people Of Lonisianl
had began movement in accordance
with L
From about July, 1861, had cores
pended with different persons supposed
10 be interested in seeking q reconstruc
ton Of the Safe Government Of Boais-
lana. When the message of 1868. with
the plan before mentioned, reached New
Orleans, Gen. Banks wrote to me that
he was confident that the people, With
the aid Of his military cooperation,
would construct substantially on that
plan. | wrote him and some Of them 10
try IL They tried il, and the result is
known. Such has been my only agency
IN the Louisiana movement
Ny promise is made, as | have fre-
quently stated, bat as bad promises are
better broken than kept, l shall treat this
as bad promise and break il whenever
/ shall be convinced that keeping il is
sverse to the public interest But /
have not yet been so convinced.
have been shown letters on this sub
ject, supposed to be able ones, in whcih
the writer expresses a regret that my
mind has not seemed 10 be definitely
fixed on the question whether seeded
States, 80 called, are in the Union or ont
of it Il would have added astonish-
meat to his regret we're he to learn that
since have found professed Union men
sndeavoring TO answer that question,
have purposely forborne any public ex-
preston upon it. Itappears to me that
the question has not been, and is not vet
q practically material one, and the dis
cussion of il while it remains practically
immaterial could have no effect other
than the mischievous one qf dividing our
friends As yet, whatever it may be
come, that question is a bad base Of
dispute, and good for nothing at ALI
We all agree that the seeded States, so
called, are out of their proper practical
relation with the Union, and that the
sole object Of the Government, civil and
military, in regard to those States, is to
again get them into that proper relation.
l believe that 1t is not only possible, bat
in fact easier to do this without deeid-
ing, or even considering whether these
States have ever been out OF the Union,
for when finding themselves safely a.
home, il would be utterly immaterial
whether they had been abroad or not
Let as all join in doing the acts neeessa-
~ 10 restore the proper practical rela-
tons between those States and the I
Union, and each forever after innocent.
ly indulge In his own opinion, whether
ID doing the acts he brough, the States
from without into the Union, or only
gave them proper assistance, they never
having beed out of it.
The amount Of constituency, 90 10
speak, on which the Louisiana govern
nent rests would be more satisfac' DRY 10 1
all if it contained $4,000 or 60 coo, or |
sven 10000, instead of 1900, as it /
1oes 1t is also satisfactory TO some to |
know that the elective franchise is not /
given to the colored man | would N.Y. 4
'elf prefer it were conferred on very in. 4
.elligent colored men, and on those who 1
'erve our cause as soldiers. Still, the
question is not whether the Louisiana
government, as it stands, is quite all
hat is desirable
The question is, would il be wiser to
axe il as it is, and help to improve it,
" to reject and dispense it, Can Louisi-
ma be brought into proper practical re
alton with the Union sooner by sus-
aiming or discardiug the new govern
nent2 Some twelve thousand voters in
he heretofore slave State Of Louisiana
AVE sworn allegiance to the Union, rs
umed to be the rightfui political power
# the State, held elections, organized a
state Government, adopted free State
Constitution, giving the benefit of the
,ublic schools equally to black and
Vhite, and empowering the Legislature
o confer the elective franchise upon the
'olored man.
The Legislature has already voted to
atty the Constitutional Amendment re-
emily passed by Congress, abolishing
lsvery throughout the Union These
z, 200 persons are thus fully committed
o the Union and to psrpetuate freedom
q the State--committed TO the very
hings and nearly all the things the ma
ion wants, and they ask the nation for
ecognition and assistance to make this
:ommittaL We have rejected and
purned them; we in fact say to the
White man, You are worthless or
worse. We will never help you nor be
ielped By you.
To the blacks we say, this cup of lib
rty which these your old masters held
o your lips, we will dash from you and
cave you to the chances Of gathering
he spilled and scattered contents in
Iome vague and underlined way. When,
where, and how this course. discourag- !
ug and paralyzing both to the whites
ind blacks, has any practical relations
nth the Union, / have so far been I'M
.ble to perceive. II, on the contrary,
ye recognize and sustain the new gov
'rnment of Louisiana, the converse of
III this is made true, encourage the
hearts and nerve the arms Of twelve
thousand to adhere to their work, and
lrgue for it, and proseIytize for it, and
light for it, and feed it, aud grow it, and
'ipen it, to complete sucoess. The col
,red man, too, in icing all united for
him, is inspired with vigilance and en-
,rgy in laboriDg TO the same end.
Grant that he desires the elective fran
.hise Will be not attain it sooner by
Iaving the already advanced steps to-
Eard it than by running backward over
hem. Concede that the new govern
nent Of Louisiana IS only to what it
'hoald be as the egg to the fowl, We
hall sooner have the. fowl by hatching
he egg than By snatching it. Laugh
err Again, if we reject Louisiana, We
eject one vote in favor of the proposed
to the National Constitu-
ion. To meet this proposition, it has
been argued that no more than three
,ourths of these States which have not
attempted secession are necessary 10 the
7alid ratification of the Amendment
10 not commit myself against this fur
her than to say that such ratification
would be questionable, and sure to be
questioned, while q rati-
cation by three-fourtbs Of all the States
would be unquestioned and unquestion
able. --------.
Irepeat the question, can Louisiana
be brought into her proper practical re-
lations with the Union sooner By pre-
servinO or deatr0viug her new State I