Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-02-13
LOUISIANA.

The passage by the House, Yesterday of
Messrs. Eliot and SheIlsblrger's bill for the
reconstruction of the State government OF
Louisiana could hardly have been unexpected
by any one cogniz.nt OF all the facts in volvei
in the New Orleans riots of July last These
facts demonstrated beyond question that the
government which Louisiana has, is, practi-
caIly,but the rehabilitation of all the dangerous,
oespohe and revolutionary elements that con.
trOlled her affairs during the ascendency of the
fllion in that quarter. Then, Union men.
white and black, were the victims In Louisi.
ana of prosecutions and su ferings at the hands
ofthe so-called authorities. scarcely less afro
cIous than those Inflicted upon the early Chris
tan martyrs, and for a like cause-opinion's
sake. The riots giving rise TO the bill above
referred to. show that the instruments of the
late rebellion hesitate not to murder and drive
Into exile those OF Union sentiments in their
midst, with as much ferocity as ere the cuI-
minatIon of the REBELLION
Government, according TO the American the.
DRY, Tor the protection of the life, liberty and
property of the citizen. Our General Govern
ment Is pledged to those ends wherever IL
Jurisdiction extends. 1t must secure them by
the operation OF law II that be possible 1,
not, by the exercise of force. The riots in
question prove the utter inadequacy OF the
current government OF louisiana TO COMPASS
of those in that Stale who were not rebels in
arms cr sympathizers with the rebellion. That
Is. admitting that they (the riots) were not the
work OF the organized local authorities of New
Crlt ans, Uhich they Uere iH truth. The details
OF their atrocities, rivaling as they do those Of
any other similar massacres Of the defepceles,
by hundrtss characterizing the career OF En-.
ropean and Asiatic despotlsms OF the d.rk
ages, Will live in the memory of man as long
as reeoIIeetiens Of our times may be preser we'd:
ana hourly the impression will become more
general that, as administered, the present gov
eminent of Louisiana is simply the perpetua
ton of the des pOtism of the rebellion over all
OF Union sentiments in Louisiana, and is ne
more skin 10 the republican goyernmen,
which II is the duty of the United States TO Sc.
cure to the people of that State, than is that of
be King of Dahomey.
IL Is as well known any thing can br.
that the temper and tone of these New Orleans
massaeres are those of the Influences which
sui control the local affairs Of all the St,,as
i1teiy In rebellion, in no one Of which can a
white man be duly punished for the murder
OF q negro, or a late rebel for the murder of n
Union wnlte man, by any State court and
jury. Ii is further we'll known that every
white man who dared to oppose the rebellion
actively. or who now holds and ayows th AT il
was aHoe'ous and unJustinable treason, mus.
ieaSe the South TO save his life and " hat prop
erty ne may be able TO snatch up hurriedIy, il
tie current controlling elements OF society in
that region are not Invested in some vsy or
other by the General Government or their ter.
rioIe immunity OF crime ere the complete re-
haDhiiaiion OF the South in the Union takes
place.
As matter OF choice we decidedly prefer
the plan or bill ofGeneral Banks for Louisiana
sph h. .
ana we trust that the Senate will SO amend
the latter as TO make IL conform as far "a nos
sioie to the Banks bill, where that deals with
tne rights OF the people. The hope OF peace
and prosperity throughout the South is locked
up IN The future Of her laboring masses white
and black. Tire Shellabarger and Eliot hill
proposes 10 place them, if they went into the
rebellion voluntarily, in the same category
WIZ It's far more guilty leaders, which is q
grave error That hou Id be corrected.
The Senate, II is understood, will pass this
measure IN the next two days We trust il
may be amended there as indicated above.
BY way of illustrating the disposition of thu
controlling elements Of Southern society tn.
wards all Cnionists there, we quote as follows
from an article in the Rich mond Times OF the
IO'h OF January uf., palpably justifyng the
murders and DINER outTages npOn Unisn men
in Texas, which are Of common occurrence
an that State to-day as in 1863:
There the negroes have not been democrat.
I<eu oy tne freeomens Bureau and the school.
maTms- The climate, too, of this magnincsn,
state, although salubiiou IN the extreme has
been found unhealthy to the few Struggling
iankee Ietter-writers and meddling negrophi.
lists who have ventured there in ouest M ma.
cnleI They have, in many instances, when
tnsy have sirred mp i'll feeling between the
Iaces' oeen my seriously devoured by vol res
and bears, or scaIped by the Camanches me
setffers IN Texas have bitterly deplored those
accidents, bnt they have not been able to pre-.
vent tbemr'