The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-10-16
Letter from Gov. sharkey IN the
IL Reconstruction Laws. ja
/ From the N. 0. Times. |

No sooner had the modest Roman Of
them all the leading statesman and patriot
Of Mississippi, and perhaps of the South
been elected to seat in the U. s. State
than with an eloquence and logic which
cannot be surpassed, he calls upon the
people to resist, as they would repel dis,
honor, the conditions prescribed by Con
gress upon which only he can enter that
body This call consists of letter, schol-
arly in diction, unanswerable in argument
and in sentiment the soul of patriotism.
which Gov Sharkey has addressed to the
people, in the columns Of Mississippi In
dex. 1t is calculated to rekindle some Of
the fires of old fashioned statesmahship-
some of the blessed embeFs OF which are,
here and there, found still alive in the
breasts Of true men, who remain mistaken
by storms needless ofthe threats Of brag-
CARTS, unappalIed by armed demagogues,
and unchanged by revolutions. 1t strips
the Congressional usurpation OF all its
health and seemllness, leaving tia DISCUS
ting mass Of putridity. 1t deals out wotds
of warning to that body, which has ezer-
cised the powers of @ revolutionary conven-
ton, and by o succession: IF unconstitution-
al acts, has sought alike to Cypress brave
people and to deprive Of their power and
influence the coordinate branches of the
Government, Of which it is part. .
Gov. shalkey opens his argument Nv
taihiios , me iFir- Il the marriage finger Of
TIE Congressional haflot. He declares
that the restoration Congress pretends to
seek had been fully accomplished by the
people ofthe State, aided by the President.
But says the letter, alhis did not suit
the Radical party; our members We're first
excluded from their seats; and then what
were known as the Military Rcconstruc-
tisn Bills were passed BY . body which
ought never to have. been recognized as
the Congress Of the United States" We
can not but pause TO asksif il may not be
that some strong handed Legislators, plan
thug themselves on the integrity Of the ma
ton aud the inyiolability OF the Constltu-
ton, will yet draw black lines around all
the unauthorized legislation Of this extra
ordinary body of usurpers? az! ~
After revising the question OF the right
Of secession, and pronounc;ng against it,
Gov. Sharkey, for the sake ofargument as
sumes that the right to secede did exist,
and ably expenses the fallacy Of the Con-
gressional pretence that the seeding States
can be dealt with by other measures than
these framed by reason OF, ald under, the
Constitution The Government could ex-
ercise, alter the peace, no more power 10
the South than it possesses in the North,
aud especially, could not subyert the con-
dition upon which the peace was conce-
DEL, asI.ef
In language possessing clearness, reason
md every attribute Of force, the writer pro-
caeds to urge upon the people the absolute
need in every emergency of withholding
their consent from every measure which
they might at any time after desire to re-
woke. It's obviously the dominant prin-
clpe Of a Republican form of government
that the people can not be bound, but can
only bind themselves. Hence the Con-
gressional appeal to the cupidity, rather
than to the patriotism, of the newly en-
iranchised voters of color. Hence the
promise Of con6seated lands as the price
OF obedience to the behests of white ennis
nres sent hither He invokes the people
70 support him in maintaining unimpaired
me reserved right of the State exclusive
v 70 Determine the qualifications Of its
voters, and never to assent to the Congress
solal ellranchisement of negroes. ASSN
discussing with ability the totally false
iaes Assumed in the Congressional preaal-
O'e, The writer deals potently with the sew
sla provisions Of the Reconstruction
iae several provisions Of these acts
ns, g epetiy summed up: By them, Con-
s% cialms absolute, unlimited power to
,ssls'ate % oil the internal affairs of the
aaes, which are exclusively within the
sl'lance OF the States--it assumes DOW
T.. exclude the representatives of the
s.,; .ss winch they are by the Constitution
W ttlsa Wit assumes the right to dictate
T. 1e people Of the States what particu-
,b..ps PROVISIONS they shall incorporate in
s'sa. 5etate constitutions--the. right. to
rrs ss c.tizens to be arrested without war
ssa .s launded on a6davit---the right to
T sdss .asln to BE- tried without iury--the
dsSs s@ suspend the ha5eas corpas---tbe
,s Sas 10 Deprive them of life, Liberty and
rrnd5ps,sy without due process OF law the
d an ~ . make the civil power subordinate
az a ~ military power-to control. ulodify
il s aD0llsa State governments at pleasure
,n saol.' 70 abolish all Constitutional gov
, aaulehts State and Federal and to declare
s,as NM annulied, and that Congress is the
bs p.slae power and it might as we'll have
ti0nai say III SO many words, all Goustita-
roa s' government is hereby abolished aud
N. 'eas assumes supreme power over the
A. ''Onai and State government. Such an
,so.s would have been equally as valid as
!. en'ler consideration, e9 -
wv oeils even pretended bythe so