The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-10-17

In Aodenstown churchyard there is a
green grave,
And freely around it let winters wind
i rave; g..
Far better they snit hinl-tle rain and the
gloom
Till Ireland a nation can build him tomb
To the People Of the United States.
The statements in an official letter of
his Excellency Governor Wells, to T.
III. Jones, ESQ.,, evidently written for
publication, are of such startling and
extraordinary character, and cast such
obloquy on the good people
Of Louisiana, by representing them as
iminical to the Constitution and laws of
the United States, and as being fatally
bent upon undermining the very foun-
dations on which this great Govern
mcnt rests, that they require to be no
ticed and answered, ...s.s....,...-. -a,g,,
The charge that Northern citizens are
prosecuted in their social intercourse
and business avocations, is known to
have no foundation whatever in truth.
Northern capital is needed, and it is
constantly invited within the limits of
our State, and the numerous citizens
hailing from the different States North
feel a sense of perfect security in our
midst, both in person and property,
nor need they have any recourse for
protection to the courts any more than
our ewn citizens, for the plain reason
that if they have recourse to litigation
such is also the necessary result OF
commercial relations in all countries
and at all times. AS to the record OF
crime and offences, we challenge any
city Of the United States, North Or
South, to compare Statistics, for no
where is there less crime daily commit
ted than in New Orleans, when num-
bers OF population are kept i'll view
i It is the imperative duty of the peo-
pie of Louisiana to refl;te these asper-
ations by reference to incoutroy eit E'le
facts y .saa 5~s3r..F.f g.I-a,fsI ,aafL
In the first place, we assert it as an
undeniable fact, that the distinction be-
tween Union men and secessionists has
been entirely obliterated. We are all
constitutional Union citizens, desirious
to restore and revive the happy days of
the Republic, when it was an honor in
deed to be able to say, 81, too, am an
American citizen.n This is the feeling,
and these are the sentiments of the
vast majority Of the people of Louisi-
ana. There is an Insignificant minoi.i-
ty of wild and restless agitators and
revolutionists who lately attempted,
with unparalleled impudence, to SUBJ
vert both the State and municipal gov
ernments, by the fundamentally of
certain individuals who had been mem
bers of convention that had long
ceased to exist, and who were encotu-
aged in their blended course by mis-
guided freedmen, sulreptitiously
brought from the neighboring parishes.
The riot and consequent bloodshed
was commenced, by this class Of per-
sons, and they alone are responsible
for the dreadful calamity flowing from
it. All the statements that have been
so intlustriously fabricated and circulal
ted, that innocent aud law -abidingpeo-
pie were deliberately murdered, is
utterly false, and those who made them
know that it is SO, -
Heretofore riots for very many years
have been unknown in New Orleans,
and were it not for the riots. originating
from the. attempt to resneitate the
Convention of 1864 riots which were
confined to the immediate vicinity OF
the Mechanics Institute, and were
luelled by the police Of the city in less
than two hours--we would not have
on record for very many years one n
stance of bloodshed and riot in our
streets to offset the feaEfnl massacre OF
poor unotfending negroes in New York
city, besides Philadelphia and Boston
riots. 80, nj s,is g.a',4f3- .F.,so
This naturally suggests the, question
of the military, an increase of which is
demanded by the Governor. If the
object of having troops chartered in the
State be to maintain order and tran
guilty, and to protect the freedmen or
so-called Union men, all we have to say
is that an increase Of troops is wholly
unnecessary; indeed, if there were not
a single company Of soldiers in our
midst the result would ibe the same,
as the people are not disposed in the
least to let law-breakers and eyil-dis-
posed persons interfere with public o.
der, and the courts are fully able and
willing to enforce the law, preserve
public tranquility and protect all and
every, ore in the full enjoyment ofilife,
liberty and property, without regard to
color or nationality. Should the troops
now here be continued, oreven increas-
ed, we shall continue to extend to them
the amenities and civilities to which
thetGate entitled and which aFe al
ways extended to them with pleasure
at the same time, in the opinion OF this
committee, their presence is not neces-
sary, tlie'city and State authorities be-
ing abuntlantly capable of. preserving
order and protecting the Inhabitants,
colored and white, III all their rights
In suppsft Of which we refer to the fact
that within the last eighteen months,
the aggregate value of the property ,o1
the city of New Orleans has nearly
doubled the value it had before the uns
fortunate civil war, and the rents have
greatly increased, in some cases doubled
during the sailfes period.
New debts are promptly and pltnctu-
ally paid, and protest is seldom heard
of. Now, let us ask, what are the eau.
ses of this unbounded prosperity? We
answer, it is IN u great measure attllb-
utable to Northern enterprise and
Northern capital, which has been and
is still pouring into the State in one