The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-09-04

t restore peace and order and Iraternal leel-
DO and stimulate industry to repair the
ayages of war? Will it conduce to the
stability in legislation, than humanity in
society, that hopefulness ofthe future which
ire essential to a prosperous community!
address you for the moment simply as
Northern men, as Northern community. |
leave out of view the feelings and wishes
ind interest of the people Of the South. l
make no appeal to your sense ofjustlce or
our fraternal affection for men Of our lin
,ge or race. 1 address the question to
your immediate and personal and material
interests. Will this policy conduceto your
interests? Will it tend to increase the
and happiness of this communi-
ty? Will Minnesota, will the North be
made stronger or freer or more contented
by pursuing to the very end this change Of
our governmental and political system!
( Cries of "No, no." I have said this
policy subjects six States to the dominar
ton OF the negroes. They will have i'm
mediately the right Of suffrage; they will
have inevitably and necessarily the right
to hold office. They have greater political
privileges than you confer upon womea,
upon your sons who are twenty years OF
age, upon intelligent and educated residents
Of foreign birth. They will have majori-
ty of voters. Will the laws of the FEEDER
al Government affecting this community
be more bene6cent when they are subjected
to the influence Of such voters? Will the
presence Of fifty members of the House and
twelve Senators, elected by such constitu-
encies, inspire you with more confidence in
the wisdom Of the laws or purity of the
Government? You are an agricultural peo-
pie. Your products are bulky; they fol-
low naturally the channel of cheap freights;
tour best markets are on the bank and at
the mouth of the Mississippi River your
interests require that the communities
whom you feed should be rich and prosper
Gus and populous; that their policy should
be peaceful and stable and wise; that their
industry should be active, their civilization
advanced, their laws effective. Your ad-
vantage is to be found not only in selling
for money, but in making exchanges for
the products of their industry. Will the
value or the pleasure Of your intercourse
be enhanced by this substitution of the ne
groes for the whites in political power?
We are told that the interests of the
North require harmony and repose, and
that to secure these we must have guaran-
tees against another rebellion. Will this
change afford any guarantee? Will the ne.
groes be always quiet and submissive and
self-restraiping? Will they possess always
reverence for Federal law? Has there
been no rebellion. no revolution in Hayti!
Has England had no trouble in Jamaica? OF
is it part of this plan of peace that they
shall restain the turbulence Of the white
race, and be to them a perpetual menace
Guarantee Of peace! President Arista, il
the height of bis power at the head Of the
Republic, exclaimed: Unhappy Mexico
she is doomed to the agony ofperpetual an
archy by the conflicts of her races" There
can be no guarantee except justice, gooc
government, absence of all causes of discon
tent--aye, even of discomfort ITSELF AND
in the many weeks which are strewn along
the pathway of history, there is melancholy
proof that even these win not always sui
hce. Eternal activity of the human intel
lect is the condition of its vigor. Repose
| is neutrality-suspicious. is death. We
need not wonder that its eeaseless motion
fails sometimes in an upwafd and onward
step. It's efforts are the parent Of all pro
Igress. Its struggles put all things to the
critical test. It's touch is the great dissol
want of commingled truth and error, ane
that it should some times stimulate to acts
of apparent, or even real evils, to causeles'
rebellion against our good and wise Govern
ment, is but the badge Gifts human infirmi
Ity. II will be strong enough to execute
the Civil Rights bill, strong enough to ex
ecute the duties assumed to themselves
now by the military commanders. 1t vii
have a large army and navy. The humble
of its civil employees will be increased, an'
they will be spread over and throughout tn
country as we'll as collected at Washington
The power of the President will be vastl.
enhanced, and the subject Of the attention
of Congress will be ten-fold multiplied
Will the Government be better or safer Q
more economical than the one we heretotor
had? Will there be fewer taxes, or hghte
burdens, or less colruptions?
The taxes collected by the Government
last wear were five hundred and eight,
i millions. viii they be less9 The take
collected by England amounted to fou
huhdred and eighty millions! The take
collected by France were three hundre
and ninety millions. Yet epay one hur
dred millions more than England, on
hundred and ninety millions more tina
France9 Do you want this excess stil
greatere France has property, real an
personal, as a taxable basis amounting t
forty thousand millions of dollars. Grea
. Britain has property, real and persona
amounting to thirty-six thousand millions
The United States have property OF til
same kind amounting to sixteen thohsan
] millions. France and England pay n
more local taxes, while the people of tn
United States, in addition to the sum
have stated, pay for State and county an
! municipal taxes nearly two hundred an
|, fifty millions. Will this change redue
! cur taxes9 Do you believe our financi'
{ system will be improved? The nation'
} debt exceeds twenty-five characterization
J and the annual interest is not far from OF
, hundred millions. Each sixteen yea
l the amount of interest thus paid
9 almost as great as the whole debit
; Will it be reduced? The capitals
: have two thousand millions Of Cover
9 ment bonds. They paid for them at
: average of scarcely more than fifty cen
: on the dollar. They receive interest
t gold at six per cent, on their face AL
t Yet they are exempt from taxation. MI
: nesota taxes the land and houses and no
6 ses and money and labor Of her people
Q but she dare not touch with the protanil
Y hand of her tax-gatherer the fortunes
i these gentlemen. Will their numbers
l. diminished, or the amount of their no
vi taxable investments be reduced ihr
9 hundred millions and more of these bon
|. are in the hands of the owners OF the n
J tional Banks. They deposit them
g Washington, and draw semi-aDnnally Il
K interest in gold. They receive from t