The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-08-22
The Governors Plea.

the Loyal people OF Louisiana" on
the political topics of the day, including
his defence Of his career as Governor
and OF his cooperation with the Jaeo-
bin conventionists of1s66, the remnants
Of the obsolete Banks Convention of
1864.
A perusal of the paper itself is neces-
sary to a correct understanding of what
the Governor means by i" the loyal peo-
pie OF Louisiana" There is, in his es-
timation, nobody loyal but himself and
the few malcontents who have looked
to resurrection Of that defunct Con-
vention as ameansfor political saliva
ton. Everybody else is disloyal, Or
would be if they dared, the Governor
being witness aud judge Of their most
secret thoughts. He has no faith in the
stability of anything OF the integrity Of
any constituency in Louisiana until the
country is upheld by the incorruptible
virtue and heroism of the negro.
He tells us impressively how he had
some hopes of the State, until he dis
covered how much nearly everybody in
it differed from him.
He began to suspect the party which
elected him, because somebody in a
convention somewhere had, as he was
told, ventured to restate an argument
in favor of the obsolete and trampled
out heresy of secession. 1t was as fiat
treason as though some radical in Eng
land should mutter scandalabout Queen
Elizabeth. He looks with horror on a
set of men who might possibly have
been near the place where such enor-
mites were committed.
He believes, too, that if there had not
been good reasons to the contrary. the
people would have elected Gov. Allen
instead Of Gov. Wells last year, and the
defeated wish so rankles in his mind,
that everybody whom he suspects of
having entertained it is a bloody mind
ed traitor in thought, unfit forever to
vote in Louisiana.
He began to distrust the Legislature
very early after they met and most
singularly his suspicious of their loyal
ty began when they agitated the sub
ject of touching the constitution of 1864
| by the calling of convention to revise
it. He was afraid the people would de-
face the thing, then so sacred in his
eyes, and therefore he resisted it until
by the advice Of the President of the
United States the plan ofmoving in the
matter was abandoned.
Gov. Wells treats of the project of
summoning full convention of all the
State, the intention of which was, as
Gov. Wells well knows, not to alter the
constitution materially, but to give to
| it sanction of consent which it never
had had, as thought 1t were a positive
disi2yalty to touch that instrument.
Within six months the Governor him.
self is found to be at the head ola cabal
Of a few members Of the rump Of the
extinct Convention, to supercede that
constitution wholly by executive and
revolutionary action.
His complaint extends to the conduct
Of the whole people of the State. They
have done good many things he did
not want them to do, and left undone a
good many things he thinks they should
have done; each and all Of which are
included in one formula-that they
should have submitted absolutely to
the dictation Of the Radical cliques with
which he surrounded himself. They
have not voted to please. him-they
have not bestowed offices on the per-
sons who believe themselves entitled to
engross all the appointments in the
State, and have therefore an interest in
making their clique conveniently small,
so that the competitors for good things
shall not be lively. Besides what they
have done in this way to dissatisfy the
Governor, they are judged in his secret
thoughts to be capable of doing worse
things if they dared and had the oppor-
tunity. They would be possible trait
ors, in some possible events, as he
thinks; but there is not line or charge
in the whole series of accusations
against the people of the State, that has
any better foundation than the Cover
nor's fancies and jaundiced suspicious
--leveled at the great mass of the in
habitants. The only fact distinctly al
legged by himself-when we strip the
verbiage off of his two columns of vitu-
peration is, that he is terribly afraid
that if they keep the privilege OF voting
in State affairs, and are allowed a voice
in Congress, they will not vote as he
and the party to whose fortunes he has
openly attaced himself think indispen-
sable to their success, in keeping in the
hands of a minority the control of the
emoluments and honors of office in the
State and in the Union.
These are she fimsy pretexts, all OF
them, no more and no less, upon which
the Governor bases his opinion that the
people of the State are unfit to be trus-
ted with the right Of voting, disloyal in
their hearts, willing to renew the rebel
lion "to-morTow, if they saw any pros
pect of success" and that they ought
to be excluded from the Union until
they have ratified the last constitution
al amendment, and until the negro is
Idlscu W pooitluA tHat, Will LIS Hclp
Gov. Wells and his small fraction Of
whites may be masters of the State.
! We desire to preserve the decorum Of
language in speaking of the Governor
and therefore forbear characterizine
such assertions as they merit.
There is not the slightest ground fol-
apprehending from the people of the
State any renewal, directly Or indirect.
4 ly, of the late struggle, any assertion ii
any way of the contested rights which
the war settled, any purpose near Oh
remote to embarrass the administration
of the Government, or alter any Of its
forms. It is on the contrary true, and
is as well known to Gov. Wells as te
anybody, if he viii be but honest
enough to admit it, that the only strug.
gle in which the people of Louisiana are
engaged, and desire to be successful in
is the restoration Of union, the preser.
yation of the constitution against
change, and the resumption Of thai
Mace in the councils of the nation which