The Louisiana Democrat., 1867-12-25

|
ment with statutory chains. Their admit
ted leader in the House Of Representatives
publicly derided the Constitution that he
and they had sworn to support, and.even
kicked it out of his furious way with the
bitterest sarcasm and denunciation. They
then enacted the military bills, and passed
them over the Presidents veto with shouts
Of applause. The Congress then claimed
the power, and practically exercised it, to
create Constitutions for the Southern
States at the point Of the baYonet, and by
means Of the votes OF the lately-emancipa-
ted slaves. They also further claimed the
power, and took preliminary steps to that
end, to compel the citizens of Maryland
Kentucky, and Delaware to submit to such
forms of State Governments as the Con-
gress might be pleased to impose. They
treated the financial condition of the coun-
TRY with Indifference, and apparently sought
to increase, rather than to tighten, the
heavy burdens of taxation upon the people
Finally, Mr.. Wade, Senator from Ohio
the President Of the Senate. and Presi.
tdential aspirant, with a numerous clientele
leapiDg beyond his competitors in the
race Of unchartered political libertinism
INDUCED in speech 80 repagnant to so.
cial order and to legal justice that he was
subsequently forced to qualify his naked
atrocity. IL
The elections that have recently trans.
pired were direct expressions of the popu.
ular opinion and feelings on the issues thus
presented by the Republican party since
the elections of 1866.
The points Of Issue were clearly set out
|by the Democratic platforms adopted in
THE several States. In Massachusetts the
Democratic Nominating Convention spoke
to the people in the language Of the fol
lowing resolutions:
"ResoIved, That each State In the Un
lion is free, sovereign, and independent
and entitled to exercise and enjoy every
power, jurisdiction, and right which is no,
expressly delegated to the General Gov
ernment IN the Constitution of the United
States.
aResolced, That those members Of Con
gress who have passed laws outside of ant
in defiance Of the Constitution for the pnr
pose Of subordinating the civil to tn mill
| tary power have tritled with the safeguarls
of Justice. liberty, and peace, and are guilty
of perjury and usurpation.'
In Wisconsin, the address Of the Demo
cratic State Central Committee contains
this paragraph:
"The consequences Of this policy to our
selves are palpably costly and fatal. Tht
States of this Union in relation to the
Federal Government must share common
destiny. The establishment Of despotism
lin one implies power to establish des
potism in all. Even now Congressional
committee is sitting as an inquisition te
4 determine whether State governments, a:
old as the Federal Constitution, and un
tainted by rebellion, may be subverted BY
| Congressional enactments. At the very
last session of Congress, the consideration
of bill to regulate suffrage IN all the
States-a bill that implies the right d
Congress to usurp the exclusive control ol
our elections---was postponed in Senate
rial caucus Of the dominant party by only
four majority. It is but few weeks since
an important municipal election in recon
structed Tennessee was held under the di
rection Of Federal bayoDets; and one o
our own Representatives in Congress il
urging the enactment of q statute for or
ganizing the people Of all the States Into I
Congressional G soldiery, subservient to thu
will of one central power.
/ "Innumerable instances Of similar legis
a|lation indicate With fearful certainty al
Intent, more or less general, to subjugat'
all the States to one consolidated govern
Ement, administered by partisaus, responsi
Bile to no law but theft own selfish ambi
ton, and supported by no authority bu
that of military force, commanded BY Off
GERS whose recreancy TO republican institu
tions is made the, basis of their own ag
grandizement. /" s. -.l- - =
4 In New York this resolution was az
sumed as the party shibboleth, whose Ian
guage and temper are not susceptible o
misconstruction:
j aThird. That we denounce the effort O
the Radical party to retain the power it ha
usurped, by establishing negro supreinac..
in the South by military force, couples
with the Acknowledgement of the mass 0
the white population, as an outrage upo1
Democratic principles, and an attempt t.
undermine and destroy the Republic; an,
that we stigmatize the refusals Of the part
in this State to submit the question Of ne
gro suffrage To the people, as , cowardl
evasion Of a paramount issue in the pend
ling struggle" sy..ss -. . :
j, In California the resolutions adopted b
the State Convention were unequiyocal i
their condemnation Of negro suffrage an
the usurpations Of Congress; and Go,
ernor Haight, Immediately after his elet
, tioh was announced, addressed the citizen
of San Francisco, and proclaimed that th
, vote of the State was protest Of the pee
! pie af California against the military bills.
In Ohio the resolutions under which tn
fcanyass was conducted denounced, In th
} most emphatic manner, negro equality ]
1.-THE North and negro supremacy in tn
> South.
], In New Jersey the language Of the car
! vass Mas decidedly against the action an
) measures of the Congress in every respet
3 mentioned.
], And in Pennsylvania the resolutions
: the Convention were worthy Of the palm
!; days Of Virginia, and reasserted the grcs
). fundamental doctrines of the Virginia an
: Kentucky platform Of '9S-'99.
! In every State in which the negro gu
j, frage issue was presented, they discarded
) with an indignant uprising heretofore III
4 exampled. In Ohio there was change
e nearly one hundred thousand votes. ]
t Pennsylvania the Democratic party owe
: came the large balance Of seventeen tho
/ sand standing against them. And in Ne
i York The Republican majority Of 1866 WI
d not only overcome, but d Democratic M
e iority vas carried Of nearly fifty thousan
9 It follows, then, beyond all cavfl, tn
y the people of the North and West ha'
e plainly and most substantially condemnt
y and repudiated the negrophobiac policy
: the Republican party in Congress. It
3 also perfectly evident that the mischievo1
+ innovations and usurpations Of the Repu
b Iican party, combined ofan equal prope
IT portion Of illiberal Puritanism and lice
Ia, o,,t;n;s,,,. f|yrou1h fha lepislati