The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-10-16

MY ashs, aCt WIN ttIuaI disregard OF the
Constitution !? Shall Mississippi, yield
her acquiesence and approval of these
great and glaring innovation on the Con-
stitution by voting for Convention Con-
ventien, not to express and enact the will
ofthe people of the State, but to enact the
behests of these selfconstituted Congress
sional Observation-Disclosures to pre-
serve, in the highest and most solemn forms
known to public liberty, the sacred and in
defeasible rights Of the State, but to give
them all away.
Says Gov. Sharkey II, as E
The Judicial Department, it is true, was
intended to be check on the dangerous
spirit of aggression; but that department
is weak, and composed Of men, frail men,
who but too often bend before the turbu-
lence of faction, and will sometimes be
found not altogether free from party bias.
Besides, the judicial arm may be paralyzed
by the overwhelming power Of legislative
|nsurpation, so that at last the people must
Fdepend upon their own vigilance for the
preservation of their Constitutional liber-
| ties. asst;{ H.; e.3
The writer then proceeds to expose and
denounce the fallacions pretexts upon
which many propose to support a Conven-
ton. Will they compromise their COnsti.
tutonal right to have representatives in
Congress by establishing precedent which
may exclude them hereafter? Why suffer
a partisan enemy to tamper with rights
which are sacred to as, and which without
Our aid and concurrence, that enemy has
no power to injure or destroy ? If we are
to endure q despotism. he urges, let us at
least never consent to it,. Let us never
surrender right to discretion, nor ratify q
measure Of iniqtity, however injurious, for
fear worse injury may be inflicted
upon rs. '.'.
Let the South listen and resist, not by
forcible resistance, but by that confident
silence and forbearance, which alike argues
u full knowledge of the right and an unre-
served reliance that it will prevail. The
freedmen are warned by words of wisdom
that an usurping body is not to be trusted,
and that they can have no guarantees for
q freedom thus attained. ~ @
"If they give their sanction that Con-
.gress may do whatever it pleases, regard
less of the Constitution, it may deem it
proper to declare them slaves again, OF it
may drive them frcm the country, Their
policy, therefore, is to hold on to what they
have got. The right Of suffrage will soon
be conferred on those of them who may ac-
quire property, by the voluntary act of the
people with whom they live"
| The chiefevil, says the writer, which
seems to be dreaded is confscation of pro-
perty. And he asks if it has come to this,
that the American people, living under the
Constitution of the United States. are
afraid of having their property confiseated
by act of Congress for acts done before the
act passed Underany circumstances, will
the South save its property by q base sur
render of its political rights? Let it make
itself sure that ,eontiseation shall not be
enacted by q spurious State government
begotten Of an usarping Congress, and all
will be we'll. ls.94'
Gov. sharkey argues and aAirnis that the
evils ofithe existing military rule is better
| than the government y inicn Is sought. 1t
/ au least has not our assent, which is the ia
tai element in what is sought to be infict-
ed upon us. I'VE can not,h he says, "do
wrong by remaining as we are, and by do
! ing SO, we shall 1T least lie exempt. from
having voluntarily participated in yiolat-
| Jog the Constitution of our fathers"
The views Of Gov. Sharkay in respect to
the right Of secession, are those which he
has always entertained In this he has
differed from mahy of the people to- whom
be makes his eloquent appeal in behalf OF
the integrity of the Constitution. W FAX
They maintained that secession acas a
| right, but itdoes not follow that they still
pretend that it remains such. Simultane-
GUS with secession was the appeal to arms,
and no Southern man will deny that such
iarbitrament must and does govern the is
sue. II the desire that true fraternity shall
solemnize the nnion between the sections
-ifthe recognition by q brave and true
people of their just obligations under the
Constitution do not suffice, then the people
Of the North must throw away their ennii-
ty, and, with their hearts in their acts, de-
serve fraternity 70 pretend that the peo-
pie of the South owe more to the North
than to submit themselves to Union un-
der the Constitutions q pretenee which
cannot be maintained by any reason, nor
supported by any authority. For the peo-
pie of the South themselves to pretend to
any more loyalty than such as is imposed
by the Judgment which they invoked,
would be to coneede that they are without
honor and without sentiment. To admit
that secessiona was not an appeal OF the
Southern heart to the God of Battles would
be false, and Is wholly needless to the cause
of true government. Believeit, men OF the
North, only they Of the South who are 10y
al from that sense of duty which springs
from the seed of honor in all just minds,
can you trust as Your ,conntrymen, rely
upon as alliesin coming trials, or proselyte
to any sentiment toward you ofreal friend
ship. ~ ~ kgg ~ sl aii