The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-08-16
LOUISIANA.
History Of the lsiot. By the Cow
crnOr Of The State. ny
Address OF GOvernor wells TO tie Loys
al People or Louisiana. 4
Nav ORLEAEs, AnF. s.

city Of New Orleans, on the Both
day Of July, 1866, in which more than
three hundred citizens we-e killed or
wounded, has, TO the credit Of human
ity, created profound sympathy in 1
the breast Of every man throughout
the length and breadth OF tho country.
The remote and immediate causes Of
this outrage demand . thorough inves-l
legation and explanation. aud, rs the
Chief Magistrate Of the State | feel
the solemn duty resting upon mo TO
give plain, nnvarnished statement
of its origin and progress. In doing
this, it becomes necessary for me TO
commence in the year 1864, at the re
organization of civil government III
that portion Of louisiana which had
been wrestcd from rebel authority. /
speak Of myself Ii is not TO crafty
any feeling Of vanity that do 80, for
| fully realize that / am but an insig<
nificant atom in tho great cause %
maintaining and pctuating the Un-
ion of these States.
Tho political history Of tho country
teaches us that, under the policy Of tho
late lament9d President, all the loyal
citizens of Louisiana in the parishes
then within the Union lines were in
vited and authorized, in the procIa-
nation issued by the military com.
mander of this Department, to hold an
election on the 22d day Of February,
1864, for State officers. M
The election was held, and then be.
ing refugee from my parish in the
rebel lines, in consequence Of my I'M
ion sentiments, was nominated by
the Free State party, as it was called,
and also by the extreme Radical par
ty, of which this ]. Durant was theac.
knowledged leader. as their candidate
for the Office of Lieutenant Govei nor.
The first ticket, headed by Mi
chacl Hahn for Governor, was elected.
Governor Hahn served until the 4th
of March, 1865, when, by his rcsigha-
tion, l succeeded to the Office of Cover
nor.
In the mean time, and by virtue Of
military authority, an election for DEL
egates to the State Convention, to an
nul and revise the Constitution of
1852, had taken place, and the convon-
tiOn had met and framed a Constitution
declaring slavery to be abolished,
which Constitution is now the tunda-
mental law OF the State. r3-
1t is further well-known that the
convention did not adjourn sine die,
but subject to the call of the President
A Legislation had also been elected,
and was in session at the time ofthe
assumption by me of the duties of the
office Of Governor. Shortly afLerward
the collapse of the so-ealled Confede-
rate Government took place, and by
the surrender of the forces in the Trans
Mississippi Department, the entire ter
ritory 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 from my home by the rsbel au-
thoritiesY l suppressed all feeling of
rancor, so natural TO the human breast
under the circumstances; and under
the belief that majority had been se-
duced from their allegiance to the old
flag by the wiles Of artful demagogues
who brought on the rebellion, deter
mined to try the effect of kindness and
Cancellation in winning them back to
their first love. l addressed them
proclamation, congratulating them
on their restoration to tho protection
of government of law and order and
that, as far as l was concerned, / was
willing to forget the past. begged
them to submit eheerfully and unre-
servedIy 10 the new order Of things,
and assured them that, although
State Government had been organized,
yet was anxious that q general cleo
tion for State officers should be held,
in which tho whole State could partic-
ipate. eaI
| fulfilled every word of my prom
ises. appointed men recommended
TO fill the offices in the several parish
es. l signed their applications TO tho
President of the United States for
special pardon. persisted in my
course Of conciliation, nOtwitbstand-
ing the warnings and remOnstrances Of
Union men, who believed that my pol
icy would be unavailing in accomplish
ing the purpose inteD ded, and who pre-
dictcd that at the very first election,
these men, in every parish where they
held the power, would prescribe every
man from Office who had not been in
the rebel army and fought for the reb-
ell cause. aH-
These predictions have been real
lied TO the letter at every subsequent
election, with the exceptionOf my own
case, and it is we'll known, for it was
publicly avowed, that l was put at the
head of their ticket simply because it
was thought l could be useful in Sc
curing o representation Of the State in
Congress.
1t is further we'll known that tho
platform reported by tho committee
appointed for that purpose TO tho DEM
ocratic Convention, held in this city,
was a reiteration of the doctrines Of
the right of secession, and it was only
through the exertions of few OF the
more cautions and politiO of the party
that this platform was mado to as
sumo the form in which it was adopt
ed. 3r
At the same Convention, a well-known
citizen and live Democrat was public
ly censured. by resolution, because, in
q speech delivered before that body, he
said that secession was worse than q