Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-04-22

a material one and that any DISCUSSION oft,
while it thus remains practicable ministerial,
could have no effect other than mischievous,
-of dividing our friends As yet, whatever
II NAV become, that question is bad as a ba-
sis of controversy, and good for nothing at
all ,-merely pernicious obstruction.
1--WE all agree that the seeded states, so
called, are out Of their proper practical rela-
ton with the Union, and that the object of
government, civil and military, in regard to
those states. is to again get them up to that
nroper practical relation. believe that it is
not only possible, but in fact easier, to do
! this without deciding, or even considering,
whether these states have been out OF the
Union than with il. Finding themselves
safely at home, IL would be merely immateriai
whether they had been abroad. Let US all be
doing acts necessary 10 restore the proper
practical relations between these States and
the Union. and each forever utter innocently
indulge his own opinion whether in doing
these acts, he brought these states from with
out into the Union, or only gave them proper
| assistance, they never having been out OF II.
"The amount of constituency, so to SPEAK,
| upon which the Louisiana government rests,
would be more satisfactory to all if it con-
tanned SO. 900 or 10000, or even 10000, in
stead of $4,000 as it does. 1t is also satisfac-
| tory to some that the election franchise Is
not given to the colored man. would my
self prefer that it were now conferred on the
intelligent, and on those who serve our cause
as soldiers.
Still the question is not whether the
Louisiana Government as it stands is quite
all that is desirable. The question is. viii 1t
be wiser to take it as it is and help improve
it, or to reject and disperse? Can Louisiana
be brought into proper practicable relations
/ A., mi nv m
cardng the new Government? Some 1000
voters in the heretofore slave State of Louis
lana have sworn allegiance to the Union; as
sumed to be the rightful political power of
the State: held elections organized State
Government; adopted free State constitu-
ton, giving the benefit of public schools
equally to black and white, and empowering
the legislature to confer the elective fran
ohise upon the colored man. The legislature
has already voted to ratify the constitutional
amendment recently passed by Congress,
abolishing slavery throughot the Union
These $4,000 persons are thus fully commit
ted to the Union, to perpetuate freedom in
the State-committed to the very things,
and nearly all the things, the nation wants;
and they ask the nation for recognition and
assistance to make this committal We have
rejected and spurned them. We do our MT
most to dsorganize and dispense them. We,
in fact say to the white man, You are worth
less or worse we will never help you, nor
be helped by you. To the black, we say,
This cup of liberty, which these, your old
masters, held to your lips, we viii dash from
you and leave you to the chances of gait
ing the spilled and scattered contents in sc
vague and underlined when, where, and
If this course, discouraging and paralyz
both to white and black, has any tendenc,
bring Louisiana into proper practical T
tions with the Union, have so far been
able to perceive it. If, on the contrary,
recognize and sustain the new government
Louisiana, the converse of all this is m
true. We encourage the hearts and ne
the arms of the $4,000 to adhereito Il
work, and argue for it, and proselyte 70;
and feed it, and grow it, and ripen it toe
plete success.
"The colored man, too, in seeing all I'm:
for him, is inspirited with vigilance, and
ergy, and daring, to the same end. Gu
that he desires the elective franchise, vii
not attain it sooner by saving the already
Vanced steps towards it, than by rum
backward over them2
"Concede that tho new govornmen
Louisiana is only, to what it should BE-
an egg to fowl, we shall sooner have
fowl by Matching the egg than by smasl
1t. [Laughter.]
"Again, if we reject Louisiana we also
iect the vote'in favor of the proposed am,
ment to the National Constitution. To d
this proposition, it has been argued thai
more than three-fourths of those States W
have not attempted secession are neces
TO validity ratify the amendment 1 do
commit myself against this further tina
say that such ratification would be questi
Bile, and sure to be persistently questio
while ratification by three-fourths of all
States would be unquestioned and unl
| tionable.
81 repeat the question, can Louisian
brought into proper practical relations
the Union sooner by sustaining or by dis.
ing her new state government And
has been said of Louisiana will apply to 4
states. Yet, so great peculiarities perta
each state, and such important and su
changes occur in the same state, and
so new and unprecedented is the wholet
that no exclusive and infexlble plan
surely be prescribed as details or collate
Each exclusive and infexible plan would
surely become new ENHANCEMENT of impor-
tant principles, and must be inAexible in pre-
sentation, as the phrase goes. 1t will be my
duty to make some new announcement to the
people of the South, am considering and
shall not fail to act when satisfied that action
will be proper