The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-07-19
Benz +. Flanders, Thomas Lynne,
A. Gomniagere, Sebastian Seller
ID. g. Woodruff, RI w. Stanley,
ii. G. Yarmouth.
y ExEcufIyE DEP ARrNEYT

IA ~. WaiiiouiH.
ExEcUfIyE DEPARTMENT
New Orleans, July 10, 1865. {
Messrs. 1'hos. j. Durant, VIM. r. Crane
/ Benz, r. Flanders, Rufus NAPLES an
others,
GENTLENEy Ian Address signed b,
you and some twenty others, repre-
senting what you call the "Centra
EXECUTIVE Committee Of the Friends
|of Universal Suffrage was handet
me a week ago. Until the ppesen
time my official duties did notallov
me the leisure to reply to it as fe
|quested.
lst. You ask that the elective fran
chise be extended to all the inhabi
tants of the State who are loyal with
out distinction Of origin.
I'd. You inform me that tie rebel
lionshas oyerthrown the constitution
and civil government Of Louisiana
and rendered necessary the creat;or
+of a new State government by the
direct act-of the people.
Sd. You allege SHAT the recent at
tempt to establish government on a
limited and imperfect suffrage is an
admitted failure" and that | do not
| ~ 4 ~
Election which tool- yIas ps :, NJ =
ruary. 1867 Yon assert fnrtbar
more that II exercise = nouar l ;ade,
pendent of the organ;c law i
4tb, You al nof hesitate T. dec,sro
that s.under nv discretionary = ,,n I'VE,
Il have defined the nnaliAcaIft;pns Il
those who NAV 5be admitted 70 the
registration as voters i New Or
leans. bit that I hermit the abser
vance of ! different r,nle n tho conn
.trv y and Won uroe ma 10 enact mi
formitvn
Tn answer i, yo,,r address SO aicto
rial and nresnmntive i wonld say
HAT tba aIeet;va francb;se : da6ned
Nv lawsand ito eyerc;sa ,anst bs IN ac
cordanca herewith, =
I do,not believe. HAT tho conat;tn
ton and civil Government ,, of I,on;s;
ana has baan oyerthroun IN tho ~.
.hall;on and ,Ha rrnsf;on e nas,
payernme, l II il NOT within NV nro
vince = # I admitted The neceas;tv :
T a. nrofess and do baId how.vo,,.
contrary n vnnr eon6dantlv avnresso .
onin;on III Tho fam, of alact;,,s u,h;cS
took nlacc IN Fahrnarv IeGs and :,
NJ rasne c act ..indehendenf If ,h h.
Town Il nan,c}law = an,, aA..et -
believe !
T. i trna tbo o,oo,,.;ono, cond;,;a,,
of a,r naI;t;sa, oaana,s -
COME. : n;,;taru a,,thar;ts. - po nn,,ta
mnat mon,antar;Iv tha daGc;oae; pp :,
the H. - 49, 49,. no,,,ass - J,esa :,
Nv sta,n,a s,.a ;nd p - .ba an,a :
n o. Tb;s raca1rse bowernr !
5aTe s.,sr;;n o.iv ;nqaiod, s,,d ai,a
against narsops i nf;ce' whose
shameless .,b;,se IF their Mares =,
yanal conduct con,nellsa = :
Neitber have + aaxou eroneonslv
assert AT t,anssanaaa tba rer,u;rem,,sn
law Il deGn;ao .stbo anal;acat;an !,
&c those who nav be adm;tted n the
registratior, as voters in Nav ar
leans.a An. nersons leeaIly entitled
to vote. and none ot],ers7can reoister
So too. do van misfake f,,e fact when
YOU saw that G I permit q different
rule in the country In both instan.
ces nv conduct is controlled by the
law. No registry that I am aware Of
has ever existed in any State Of the
Union in rural districts. None Ger.
tainly. ever has in Louisiana. I see
50 reason nowf for any departure from
the usual course; and If / did, / dc
not claim any competence to direct it
to be done.
When you ask, therefore. that
shall before any general State cleo
ton, order a complete registration in
every parish Of the, State Of all loyal
citizens, without distinction of race
or origin, for the reasons already
advanced, / decline to comply.
In coming to this conclusion11 have
no other difficulty than is presented
by your confident predictions Of the