Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-08-13

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the length and breadth of the country.
The remote and Immediate causes of this
! outrage demand Z thorough investigation
and explanation, and as the Chief Magis-
trate of the State l feel a solemn duty
resting upon me to give a plain, unvar-
nished statement of its origin and pro-
gress.
In doing this it becomes necessary for
me to commence, in the year 1864, at the
reorganization Of civil government in
that portion Of Louisiana which had been
wrested from rebel authority. l regret
hat I shall, in this connection, be obliged
to speak Of myself. 1t is not to satisfy
any feeling of vanity that 1 do so, for 1
fully realize that l am but an ~insignif-
cant atom in the great cause of maintain
ing and perpetuating ofthe Union of these
States.
The political history of the country
teaches US that under the policy OF the
late lamented President all the loyal cit
liens Of Louisiana, in the parishes then
within the Union lines, were invited and
authorized, in the proclamation issued BY
the military commander of this Depart
ment, to hold an election on the 22d dav
of February, 1864, for State officers. The
| election was held, and then being u refu-
gee from my parish in the rebel lines. in
consequence of my Union sentiments, l
was nominated by the Free State party.
as it is called, and also BY the extreme
Radical party, of which j. Durant was
the acknowledged leader, as their candi-
date for the Office of Lieutenant Governor.
The first named ticket, headed bv
| MT,hanl Heb e. E--uu-
| Gov. Hahn served until the 4th of March
1865, when by his resignation succeeded
to the office Of Governor. In the mean
time, and by virtue Of military authority
an election for delegates to the State Con
v%entiOD, TO amend and revise the Consti-
tuition Of 1852, had taken place the Con
vention had met, framed a Constitution
declaring slavery to be abolished, which
Constitution is now the Fundamental law
of the State.
II is further well known that the Con-
vention did not adjourn sine die, but sub
ject 10 the call of the President for anv
cause. \ Legislature had also been elect
ed, and was IN session at the time of the
assumption by me Of the duties of the
office of Governor.
Shortly afterward the collapse Of the
so-called Confederate Government took
place, and by the surrender of the forces
in the Trans-Mississippi Department. the
entire territory of the State was restored
to the lawful authority of the United
States. When this event took place. what
was my conduct toward the population of
the eighteen parishes reclaimed? AL
though l had been prosecuted and driven
away from my home by the rebel authori-
ties, L suppressed all feeling of rancor so
natural TO many, and expressed the belief
that a majority had been seduced from
their allegiance to the old flag blythe wiles
Of artful d~emagogues, who brought on the
rebellion. l determined to try the effect
OF kindness and Cancellation in weaving
them back totheir first love. | addressed
thenA a proclamation congratulatiag them
on thelr restoration TO the protection of a
Government OflaW and order. and as
sured them that so Iur as I WAS concerned
l was willing TO forget the psst I baggad
them to submit cheerfully and uureser-
vedly to the new order of things. and as
sured them that although a State Govern
ment had been organized, yet l was
anxious that Il general election for State
officers should be held, in which the whole
State could participate.
fulfilled every word of my promises.
l appointed men recommended to fill the
! offices in the several parishes; l signed
tneir applications to the President of the
United States for special pardon: 1
persisted in my curse Of reconciliation.
Notwithstanding the warnings and
remonstrances of Union men, who be-
lieved that my policy would be u~nayail-
ing in accomplishing the purpose intend
ed, n who predicted that at the very
first election these men. in every parish
where they held the power, would pre-
scribe every man from office who had not
been IN the rebel army aud fought for the
rebel cause. These predictions have
been realized to the letter at every suisse
quent election, with the exception of my
own case, and it is well known. for il was
publicly avowed, that 1 was put at the
head of their ticket, simply because il WAS
thought that l could be useful in securing
a representation of the State in CONGRESS.
1t Is further well known that the platform
reported by the committee appointed for
that purpose, TO the Democratic Conven-
ton held in this city, was a reiteration of
the doctrines Of secession, and it was only
through the exertions of 4 few Of the more
cautious and polite of the party that this
platform was made TO assume the form in
which 1t was adopted at the same conven-
ton. n well known citizen and live De-
mocrat was publicly censured. by r~esolu- |
ton, because in a speech delivered before
that body, he said that secession was worse
h a a crime, it was a blunder.
Not NJ bcfonISr !
Democratic party, another candidate was
put IN the field in opposition to me, who
had OBLIGATED as Governor under rebel
rule, and who, had he been in tho coun-
try and signiied his assent, I have no
doubt would have been overwhelmingly
When the members Of the Legislature
met In extra session, in tho month of Nov
ember, 1865, convened by me for the pur-
pose Of raising money to restore the
levees and to take measures 10 re-
the credit of the State. l fopnd that
hey were more intent on calling a con-
7ention to change the Constitution Of
1854 than TO promote the material inter-
of the people. Their chief objection
o that instrument was the character of
he men who framed it, and the abolition.
of slavery.
Having failed at the extra session 10
a bill calling a convention, the at
empt was renewed at the regular session
leld in the month Of January. and more
han half the time of that body was spent
n discussing that question. Finally a
.ommittee was sent to Washington TO con-
ult the President, and the Legislature
My abandoned the measure through his
l considered a convention mex
and for that reason opposed if.
had learned enough of the real senti-
nent Of the people to convince me that il
new constitution was made, it would be I
ess II harmony with the views Of the +,
resident and Congress than the Consti- I
ltion of 1864, the result of which would /
e to lessen the chances for the admission {
our representatives. I urged these 7
on the members of both Houses of I
"a Legislature, but they had no effect t
18th the majority. :
l deprecate the city and parish election 7
II the reason that l feared the result. be- t
Of the character Of the men that
ould be elected, because l have seen T
tough Of public sentiment to convince +
e that more Of those who had served in t
lie Confederate army or who had gone in L
Ie Confederate lines, would be elected TO n
ice. foresawthat such a result would n
justly regarded by the people of the Fl
yal States as showing e defiant spirit. Ii
Id as still glorying in a cause that had II