New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-05-28

For many long months he lay in pain, near his
regiment in the trenches at Port Hudson, AssoOu
as he had partly recovered, he was appointed
maior general Of the Lauisiana militia, an oifioo
which he declined 10 accept shat Of briradter gen
eral in the army OF the Confederate States. Be-
fore, however, his brigade was completely formed
the people of Louisiana, on the first Monday Of
November 1868, with singular unannlity, elected
him their Governor for the ensuing four years.
We come now to that brilliant and glorious ad-
ministration, which forever enshrined the memory
Of General Allen in the hearts Of the people OF
Louisiana. He settled down at shreveport 10 the
discharge of his duties, and Immediately set 70
work to alleviate the intense sutterings the people
of Louisiana were undergoing. he found the peo-
pie dsheartened at the discopragiug prospects pe-
fore them the credit of the State gone, the women
and children naked and half starved while their
protectors were in the army charged with the
defense of the country. How TO feanlmate our
dropping spirits, how to clothe tne NAKED ICED the
hungry and provide for the sick, constituted q
problem which seemed to be impossible of soiu,
ton and from which the stoutest heart shrunk in
the most hopeless dismay But Henry Allen was
not mads Of such stuff as to give way under the
cl,mulation of difficulties. BY judicious hus
handing Of fhe resources of the State he apprec
ated her falling currency. He established foun-
drv, where agricultural implements were formed
to till our fertile fields. He established State
dspensatory, where medicines were distributed
at a cheap rate to those who had the
means to buy, and gratuitously to those
who had no money. He had his State
store where clothing and other necessaries were
sold at cheap rate, established, as he said to
prove that the high price of commodities was
owing to the eXtortion of the tradesmen and not
to the depreciation of the currency Of his beloved
country, He redeemed his promise to put into the
hands of every adult woman in the State a pair of
cotton cards, by which her own delicate hands
could hide her nakedness while her father, or SON.
or brother or lover, was fighting the battles of his
country. And not torgettul of the mind and the
Sonl in the midst of his efforts in behalf of the ma
tprjal vTelfarA of hig DAOOie he PDmpIlp1 fnf
and distributed spelling books, readers and gram
mars at tri1ing expense, to aid in the education
OF those who were too young to bear the hardships
Of the battle field. His legislature met while he
was absorbed in his labors, saw whathe was doing.
said well done good and faithful servant and
placed at his disposal all the resources of the State
Thousands of bales of cotton and millions of dol
lars passed through his hands and were devoted to
the good Of the people, aud vet he was dependent
the charity of his friends tor the means to take
him out of the country. Was aTistides more lust
or Fabricius less corruptble?
!. We cannot dwell on the scenes following the
surrender; our heart sckens at the recital our
ewes are blinded bY tears as We write By the
action Of the conquering power this noble spirit
was forced into exile to escape certain death in a
dungeon. Languishing far away from his home
he has died with broken heart His last thoughts
were of his friends he had left behind his last
request to be buried in the military uniform of
| the country for which he gave hislife.
1t were useless to attempt to portray the char
aeter of Governor Allen to the people of Lousi-
ana within whose limit every man. woman and
child are as familiar with his virtues with house
4 hold words. His mind was of high order, and
well cultivated by reading and observation, not
| withstanding the incompleteness of his early
education. Naturally impusive, his enthusiasm
often got the better Of his Judgment, but
! his conclusions were in the main cor
rect and nothing equalled the rapidity of the ex-
| ecution of his well settled plans. He was a ner-
vous and vigorous writer though often diffuse and
incorrect for the reasons above mentioned His
g Travels of Sugar Planter y is very entertain
| ing work, and we think second edition now
would be universally read.
In the social circle Governor Allen, in the days
of his prosperity and happiness, had no peer.
Devoted to his friends, and an enthusiastic admrer
of women, he was the life of every party in his
neighborhood assembled for social and convivial
purposes His good nature was proverbial; his
temper impossible to be ruf1ed. He would
submit to anything that would give pleasure to
others.
AS regards his religious opinions, we probably
know more than most men who enjoyed his ac-
q1aintance Reared under the teachings of firm
believers IN the truth Of christianity he never de-
parted from his early training. We remember in
his Travels of Sugar Planter a letter written
from the tomb OF Calvin to his old pastor, Dr. But
Ter of Port Gibson, in which, while speaking with
pride of his CalYinistic faith, he condemned the
murder Of Survetus, and the kindred bigotry and
fanaticism which had so often disgraced the Cal
whistle church. When preparing his school books
for the press, we remember hearing him charge
the friend who was assisting him in their prepara-
ton, to make them breathe the spirit of Christi.
anity and of piety.
And our noble friend is gone! We shall never
look upon his countenance again. Often, when
thinking of the darkness which now surrounds our
public affairs, and dreaming of the time when
peace, and happiness and prosperity should again
bless State, in the faT-off future, among the
sweetest and dearest thought was the belief that
Henry Allen would be among us, to share that
prosperity and to contribute to our greatness and
to our coming glory. But an all-wise Providence,
for some good reason which we cannot under
stand, has decreed otherwise. We bow in humble
submission to his omripOtent will. And if indeed
we had our own choice of blessings to be vouch-
sated US, we can think of nothing better to ask
than that some one like our departed hero may
arise in the future to do for the people of this State
what he has done, aud to perpetuate the same
noble example of heroism, of virtue and benefi-
cence.