The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-08-13


Gil Offices in several parishes. l signed their
applications to the President of the United
States for special pardOns. l persisted in my
course of reconciliation notwithstanding the
warnings and circumstances of Union men
who believed my policy worll be unavailing
in accomplishing the purpose intended, and
who predicted that at the very first election
these men, in every parish where they held
power, would prescribe every man from Office
who had not. been in the rebel cause.
These predictions have been realized to the
letter at every subsequent election, with the
exception of my own case. And it is well
known, for it was publicly ayowed. that was
put at the head of their ticket simply because
l could be useful in securing representation,
of their State in Congress. 1t Is further wen
known that their platform reported py the
| committee appointed for that purpose 10 the
Democratic Convention heid III llls ei.y, was
| q rniteration of the doctrine of the right of
| ecession: and it was only through the exer-
| tions of few of the more cautions and poll
tic of the party that this platform was made
| to assume the form which was adopted. At
| the same convention we'll known and live
Democrat was publicly cens1red BY resolu-
ton, because, in a speech del yered before
that body, he said that secession was worse
than crime, a blunder Notwithstanding my
nomination by the Democratic party, anoth-
er candidate was put into the field in opposi-
ton to me, who had officiated as governor un-
der the rebel rule, and who, had he been in
the country and signified his assent, L have
no doubt would have been overwhelmingly
elected. 1F s slt iai
When the members of the Legislature met
in session in the month of November, 1865,
convened by me for the purpose Of raising
money to restore the broken levees, and to
take measures to redeem the credit OF the
State, found them mere intent on calling
| a convention to change the Constitution of
| 1854 than to promote the general interest of
the people Their chief objection to that in
strument was the character of the men who
| framed it, and the abolition of slavery. Hav-
| ing failed at the extra session to pass bill to
call convention, the attempt was renewed
at the regular session, held in the month of
January, and more than halfthe time of that
body was spent in discussing the question:
| Finally, a commission was sent to Washing
| ton to consult with the President, and the
| legislature only abandoned the measure
| through his advice. atss "a ,7lao9 hrFa5
considered convention inexpedient, and
Tor that reason opposed 1t. had learned
enough of the real sentiments oil the people to
convince me that fla new constitution was
made it would be less in harmony with the
views of the President and Congress than the
| Constitution of 1884; the result of which was
/ to lessen the chances for the admission of our
representatives. urged these views on the
members of both houses of the Legislature,
but they had no effect with the majority.
deprecated the city and parish elections
for the reason that l feared the result, be-
cause of the character of the men who would
be elected, and because had seen enough to
| convince me that none but those who had
served in the Confederate army, or who had
4 4. A. H. I.
elected to Office. foresaw that such result
| would be Justly remarked by people of the
loyal States as showing defiant spirit, and as
still glorying in cause that had been sustain
ed by them with such fearful loss of life and
expenditure of treasure; with numerous and
repeated evidences of continuing an intoler-
ant and rebellious spirit, and the manifesto
ton of an intention of prosecuting all who did
not adj ere to the fortunes of the Confederacy
to the last On the part OF a large majority of
the citizens; and witha press almost unani-
mously expressing sentiments OF the same ten
| or, is it a matter Of surprise that should
pause and commence to reflect on The conse-
quence as regards the future security of the
Government and the fate of Union men in
the South, if these men, who once attempted
| to break up the Union, succeeded in securing
the power of the nation again..
| had seen that, while protesting with their
| lips renewed allegiance to the flag, and an OBJ
liberation of the past, which embodies the pa
cifc policy of the President, they were
becoming arrogant, intolerant and dictatorial.
They glory in the apparent schism between
the President and Congress in the policy of
restoring the States lately in rebellion, and
rub their hands with delight at the idea of a
civil war in the loyal States. 10 Pol iI
THE CONVENTION. hllasa
Tn rary Alexis c,,.e,, ~ o. r. -.
freely acknowledge my views of concilia-
tory policy, in turning back to allegiance those
who have been engaged in a war to destroy
the Union, have undergone change. The
intolerant spirit engendered by slavery still ex-
lists. The loss of property and failure of hopes
can never be forgiven, and though regard
them as impotent to resist the constituted au-
thority enforced by the presence of military,
yet am convinced that they would renew
the rebellion tomorrow if they saw prospect
OF success. Impressed with the truth of these
views, foreseeing the necessity for the future
security of the Union men in the South, that
the amendment to the Constitution adopted
by Congress and submitted to the several
States tor ratification should prevail, and fully
realizing the fact that the amendment would
never be ratified by the present legislature, L
own was in favor of the reassembling of the
convention of 1894, as the only means of Sc
curing the ratification required, and thereby
to secure the admission of our representatives
to Congress.
The legal right of the Convention to con-
tinue its functions is question, 4 suppose,
properly pertaining to the courts TO decide
Senators and Representatives in Congress, of
great learning, and men of high legal attain
ments in New Orleans, have expressed the
opinion that, under the resolution Of adjourn
ment; the Convention could lawfully assem-
BILE. A distinguished Democratic Senator in
Congress took the same viewso For myself if I
had any doubt on the subject, I have deferred
to the opinion OF ADLER men. r..
The total number of delegates Composing
the Convention was one hundred and fifty.
The number elected was seventy-two. The
quorum was fixed at seventy-six, this number
icing majority of the whole Gr0 4
There were twenty-seven parishes unrepre
sented in the convention that were entitled
to fifty-one delegates, and adding thereto ten
vacancies to be filled, would make sixty-one
delegates to be elected. Besides there were
some ten or twelve delegates who disapprov-
ing OF the emancipation clause, refused to sign
the Constitution, and these may be ranked
with extreme conservatives. Counting the
sixty-one delegates to be elected to be Of the |
same class, and the balance of the convention
to radical, 1t would be seen the parties would
have been really equally divided. 4
have gone into the details to show the fall
sity of the charges that have been made that
the convention would not have represented
the whole State, and that it was intended to
be packed. Every parish would have been
represented, about one-half having elected
their delegates in 1864, and the other half in
1866, making just equilibrium of those who
opposed and those who sustained the Coined
eracy . ~ eai lf sh. fgc5 se ra.l
There are DISTINGUISHING clauses in the Con-
stitution OF 1864, but the much-abused mem
bers OF that convention had it in their power
to have made Constitution as stringent
against those engaged in the rebellion as Ten
nessee and Missouri have done. They, how
ever, pursued an opposite course, and trusted
that these men would be actuated by spirit
of tolerance and forbearance in return for
the liberality shown towards them. How the
members. OF that convention have been treat
ed individually by the very men whose good
faith they trusted in, to say nothing Of the
scorn and vilfcation Illuminated against
them as a collective body and against the
Constitution which they made, let the record