The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-08-30
ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA AUGUST 80, 1865.

they should be permitted to "slide." In {
word, we should have no political partner
ship or association with them. But are tllel
enemies Of liberty, for be Il remembered thd
it IS only as enemies of liberty that ace arr
justified IN any degree in our treatment d
fthem7 When they seeded, did they, or die
thsb not farm aadad6pta Constitution aoaaos,
chief object acas the perpstuation of free goo
eminent and the maintenance of the politiea
rights ofthe gouerned2 II they did not, the
matter is easily proved, for there are copfes
of that Constitution still extant, and all who
have read itsay that it differs in NO materia
respect from that Of the United States, in
which it is, in many particulars an exact
copy. The Writ Of Habeas Corpus j
amopR its guarantees, 80 is the Liberty d
,the Press rand the inviolable freedom oil
Religious Worship so is Trial by jury
and the Freedom of Speech. All Of these
great Rights we're secured to the people Of
the Confederate States by their Magma
Charta, and we, who are loud-toned, trum.
pet tongued in our profession of loyalty and
devotion to those great rights, what have
we done?. We have raised armies number
ing in the aggregate over three millions Of
men, a large portion Of whom were foreign
mercenaries, and we have hurled them
against q population Of seven millions of
American, freemen, overriding their civil
rights, trampling upon their laws and our
own, and. as any despotism in Europe would
have done, forced them not into union of
rights With as, or a community of interests,
but into political vassalage. This is some
thing surely to be proud of-Americans
proving to the world, and 10 the tyrants of
the world that none can so well, can So per.
fectly initiate the policy Of despotism as
those who have been born to freedom. Are
we not proud of ourselvesi Have we not
every reason to be grati6ed with our
course? Gould the Gar of Russia more
effactaally sfue1ch out Self'Government. as
we did the other day in Richmond? But
says some wiseacre they were rebels who
were elected. Rebels !? to what? TO tie
right Of election? That is too absurd The
rebels to that right were the men by whom
it was suppressed.
Is it not time that this mockery, this
farce, was over, and that We admit the true
character of the part we have been play
Ing The g Union" has been restored; let
the Administration Be satisfied with that,
and withdraw its satraps from the South.
Every day military rule over the Southern
States is prolonged is but adding to the
overwhelming burden the North is now
struggling under. It is not the Southern
people alone who are suffering from tie con-
tinuance Of this Infamous system Of re-
preston ; we in the North share to some
extent in the injuries inflicted upon them.
The tyranny under which they, suffer is q
grievous burden upon us, and we tell the
authorities at Washington that their persis-
tence in their present oppressive policy
must lead to revolution in the North that
will eventually sweep them and that plant
and slavish tool Of their arbitrary rule out
of power. When that day comes, and JUS
tice shall have been once more restored, the
people will give their special attention to
those by whom their rights have been with
held and the principles Of Constitutional
freedom trampled under foot.
tjk METROPOLITAN Record.