The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-08-01

and preiudices Of on age. it will soon win
back the wandering affections Of its citizens.
More than FIVE hundred years ago. upon
the field Of Poiters, Edwarl, the Black
Prince, the FIRST renowned knight OF ST.
George. vanqushed the French king and
captured him in battle. We are told by
Froissart, that the conquerer conducted The
royal captive to bis tent, and with his own
hards served him at table, refusing to sit
until the king had finished his meal. We
are further tod that be said to him. /" Ny
dear sir, do not make poor meal. because
the Almighty God has net grati6ed your
wishes in the result Of this day, for be us.
sured that my king and father will show you
every honor aud friendship Then the
knights who were around him said, /" that
1.-The Prince had spoken well and nobly, and
that he would yet be the most gallant prince
| in his chrstendon,, if God should grant him
| life to pursue his career Of glory" Noble
knight, ola prince|y stock. stamped by God
with the imnress Of his own kuighthood, thy
tame has not persisted, and these knights Of
AN order once ennobled by your companion,
ship, who have done their devoir at Gloriet
ia and Shiloh, at Sharpsburg, at Malvern
Hill ard in the Wilderness, now, in their
overthrow and defeat, can appreciate the
lesson OF your magnanlmity.
| In the ranks Of our late enemies, we look
in rain for the spirit Of the Back Prince,
beyond the precincts Of the White House,
and when Andrew Johrson's words Of mag
nanimity are uttered, We listen in vain for
the answering plauits from the knights
arohnd him. When the present shalt be
come the past, and history shall be busy
with its issues, high abve the panderiig
demagogues who assa, him, viii tower the
tame of Andrew johnson. Like pyramid
whose head is assaiIed by cease!, IS storms,
he stands fixed and undsmayed, the stern
and solitary defender OF constitutional free.
dom Of the South. he who but yesterday
was execrated and denounced by us through.
out the length Of be land, has shown that he
remembered the land Of his birth, and still
cherished sympathy tor his race. though
| they had warred upon him. His many
bearing il the hour Of victory has already
| won our confidence and affection, and if TIE
North would follow his example, we would
so0nthake hands with the cordial grasp Of
brothers Over the buried issues of the past.
Let no one regard this pageant as illtim-
ed or unbecoming thbse who are the survi.
vors of defeated cause. Chivalry aud
honor are the gifts Of Gad, and the defeat, d
knight who has dpne his duty may wear as
brighta spur. and as proud a crest as til
tilted prince with his victor wreath. You
The knights Of the South, survivors Of the
old brigades wha have learned the lessons
Of war, not in romance, but in The field are
not prepared to sing rRans to. the powe'
that has defeated, and still threatens with
The lifted axe 10 destroy you. Your, late
enemies would respect you less were you to
do 90. You. like them, followed the conric
tions Of duty; but your pledge ofaliance has
been given, aud you viii faithfully observe
it; and none but the bastard who woald
make y traffic OF honor will doubt 1t. Yot
have shown your devotion 10 principle By
1.-The sacrifices you cheerfully endured, a nd i
Loyalty meaHs obedience to the law. anG
suppo toflts authority, then you who be.
long to the only Stale under the American
flag where martial law still prevails. az
more to be trusted than your caumniators
4 Your Wounds, the memory Of yohr dead
comrades, and, above all. the refusal TO trus
you, al cnnspire to retard the return q
fraternal ee'lngs,. Nojistminded man Cal
/ desire that you shall .divest y0drse,ves oI
your manhood ard cringe like snppli-ni
slaves around the foostool Of power. Rather
llel US dignity defeat BY that manly fortitdde
and lofty bearing which may give evidence
that we respect ourselves, and that whatever
1.-The world may think Of our course, it was al
least dlgni6ed by the character Of IT'S cham
pions. Fanaticsm aud fanMticism only, car
demand that you should walk with The ab
.ljsct look Of the ierritorias bondsman
4 When this Republican experiment shal
tremble under the assaults ofltgitimacy
| throughout tie earth, it will need the helE
of all it citizens ,and let US hope that tht
future historian may not have occasion :,
i dspore the hour III which the lessons O
magnanimity were forgotten to indulge tht
promptings OF ylndicliyeness and hate.
| The denial Of civil rights cannot destro,
our dignity or sefrespeet, aor change ths
estimate in which We will be held by pos
terity. In the grand tournament Of cviliza
/ ton which is before hs, though our p,opI.
/ have entered tie listi like the Knight 0
Rowena, with nc device but the Inverted
sapling torn from its roots and no motto
but the word disinheritpd," n,anly AM
courteous barring mag at last win the con
i fdence Of more powerful enemy than Cedrh
| the Saxon, aud Eecnre the blessings Of ,
asting peace 10 fairef maldens than Koweus
/ You will do this by so acting as to retail
! your own selfrespect, and enduring will
!. digni6ed silence what you cannot avert
until fanaticism shall have spent its force
or turned Its energies inward on itself. Fe
| the return Of that period when the power Q
| tree government will be established by re
posing lite trust once more in the peops
who composed it, we will patiently hope
Tut fit shall never come lnltil we hav,
branded olrselyesand stigmatized the honor
ed dead by aspersing the cause for whic
/ they died. then indeed will the future be dari
and cherries. They s!umber from the Pot,
mac to the Rio Grande -the wiling victim,
Ief an honest faith.
Il We lovs Their memory, ard will forave
! |.cherish the recollection of their sacrifice
and death they peacefully repose IN Ii
, bosom OF the land they loved SO well. W