The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-08-29


aud sixty-one, entitled An act.to provide
increased revenue from imports. to pay In
terest on the public debt, and for other pur-
/ poses" until January first, eighteen hundred
and sixty-eight.
Approved, July %, 1866.
/ DEPARTMENT or STATE,
Washington, Aug. 8, 1866.
a true copy.
R. S. CHEW, Acting Chief Clerk.
The Statement Of Mr. Wells Of
Louisiana
j. Madison Wells, Ex-Governor Of Lou
isiana," is out in long manifesto upon
the subject Of the Louisiana Convention
of1s64. Commencing with an assertion
that he must have known was false,
namely: that three hundred persons
were killed or wounded in the recent
disturbances in New Orleans, he pro-
ceeds to address, and uphold in their
revolutionary course, the disunion ele-
ment of the State and their black accom-
plices who blindly followed out the in
functions that had been given them,
and protected the conventionists at
the expense of their own lives.
| The public, by this time, is tolerably
familiar with the political anomaly
known as the "Louisiana Convention
of 1854" and which Thad. Stevens
himself called that t" bogus concern Of
Banks;D and it is not necessary, there
fore, that we should follow Mr.. Wells
| in his comments thereufon. 1t is
enough to mention, in this connection,
that the only possible appearance ole
gality about the reassembling of this
Convention that Mr.. Wells could dis
cover, was that it was further well
known that the Convention did not adj
journ sine die, but subject to the call Of
the President" The fact that Mr.. Du-
Erell, the President referred to, refused
to reconvene the Convention, because
he believed that the proposed reassem-
bling would be Illegal, deprives Mr..
| Wells Of the only argument upon which
he might have based a declaration as to
the legality of the body that Mayor
Monroe happily termed "the Extinct
Conventions
Commencing, then, in fraud and usur-
patton, convened for the purpose of ele-
| waiting the negroes of Louisiana to the
sudden dignity of citizens at the ex-
pense of the liberties of the people of
the State, it is not strange that a violent
fate should have befallen it. But it is
a little strange that the man who was
elected Governor under the provisions
OF the Constitution which the "Conyen-
ton was called to overthrow, should
have proved so recreant to thetrustt that
was confded in him as to attempt to
sanction, with his official action, the
contemplated violence against the lib
critics OF the people whose liberties he
had sworn to protect when he was cleo
ted to the Office of Governor.
| Mr.. Wells, in his statement is
frank enough to say that he fully reali-
yes that he is "butan insignificant atom
in the great cause Of maintaining and
perpetuating the union of these States.n
This is highly gratifying, and, coming,
as it does, from person who may be
supposed to know Mr.. Wells intimately,
this expression of opinion cannot well
be considered as other than the truth.
But when we read in another part of
the statement" that, "if the advoca-
/ cy Of these measures Qualification of the
acts of Congress, etc., identifies me with
the Radical party, in opposition to the
President, must accept the situation, =
we are forced to the conclusion that,
whatever else might be the claims to
respect of this insignificant atom,p
logic, surely, eannot be numbered
among them.
1t is much to be regretted that Mr..
Wells was so ready to 6 accept the sit
uation of Governor a few months ago,
when, even in violence to their feelings
and in apparent neglect of a noble but
.unpardoned patriot and gentleman,
the people of Louisiana, in order not to
appear "srlllenn and "hostilen and
/" disloyal,n invested him with the pur-
pie that he is to-day trailing in the mire
of unseenly scandal. It is lamenta-
BILE spectacle this-of the foul kite rails
ed by chance into the eagle'seyrie trans
forming the dignity of his place into the
scene of the orgies of the bird of prey !;
aud when we reflect upon the chances
that a hard fortune compelled the peo-
pie of Louisiana-in electing Mr.. Wells
to the position of their Governor-to
take, we are less disposed to look with
astonisfoment upon the remarkable
" statement" that, in the interest of a
revolutionary, bloody minded and vul-
gar faction, has been presented to the
world as the "plain, unyarnished state
ment of the origin and progress /" of one
of the deepest-Iaid an6 most atrocious
plots that ever sprang from the heated
imaginations of cowardly white braves
and deluded black assassins.-N. Y.
News.