The Louisiana Democrat., 1867-01-23
The General Assembly "A Con-
vention.

: o oAACA"A 1ANoCuUy Oi OuS
State of Louisiana is to convene IN
regular session at the city Of New
! Orleans on Monday next. AS it is
a very important Session, we hope
the members will be alive to the
interests of the State in one of the
most dangerous crises of its exis.
tence. Since the last session was
brought to a close, citizens of Lou
isiana, men who have been honored
with the highest Offices in the gift
of the people, have conspired with
the enemies of the State for the
purpose of overturning her govern
ment, and bringing destruction
upon her. The Northern Radical
party, fresh from an overwhelming
victory at the polls, is already
forging the chains with which she
/ is to be hound, and insists, in the
most insulting manner, that she
shall herself adjust them to her
trembling limbs. Not content
with forcing her into the lowest
depths of degradation, they insist
that she herself shall complete her
own infamy by voluntarily accept
ing such terms as the conquering
power sees fit to impose upon her..
With the power to ostracise the
leading men Of the South, the flow
er of her intellect and virtue, the
Radicals prefer to refine their cru
city by causing them to write their
own names on the fatal shell.
In view of these things the duty
of the General Assembly is plain.
Without paying the slightest at
tention to the gyrationsof the Rad
ical madmen at Washington, our
Legislature should set to work to
form a constitution and laws as i'll
they were to last forever, and as if
there was not the slightest possible !
chance of their snbversion by
higher power. Every vestige of
the infamous constitution with
which we are cursed should be
swept away, and with it the whole
race of imbecile Office holders who
have consorted with our enemies in
their attempts to degrade and op-
press us. For this purpose a SOW
ereign convention Of the whole
people should be called at an early
day. Such Convention could be
in session within month after the
Legislature should meet, and a new
might be in operation
in another month, with officers to h
serve under it who reflect the opin-
ions OF the people OF the State.
We observe that the N. O. Times
is out in favor of Convention
The Times is certainly a very slow
coach. It nses precisely the same
arguments which we used eighteen
months ago, and which, if they had
9een needed then, would have saw
I'd us from much injury which we
nave already suffered, and which
We now find it difficult to repair
But, better late than never. We
lope the Times and every body else
viii keep this matter before the !.
legislature until the wishes of the
,eople shall be complied WITH
rherefs great danger that the Leg l.
stature will need all the bolstering
lp that can be brought to bear !.
lpon it. The body is very prone
o waste time in doing things which
ugit not to be done such as reso-
ations abolishing slavery, and :
leasure trips to Washington tosee !.
1hether Mr.. Johnson, or Mr.. Sum !,
er or Mr.. Stevens would like for q
hem to dothus and so. Weshould 7
OF be surprised, either, if a negro q
lffrage party, or a Constitutional Il
party, with its eyes 0
xed on the Radical loaves and )
shes, Should ARISE and consume A.
me in efforts to thwart the will of T
40 people.
1t behooves therefore the trueI
atriots in the Legislature to keep
heir eyes on all such, and to suffer 3
othing to deter them from doing in
hat the exigeneies Of the crisis u u
nperatively demand, al al
President Of the Senate, :
Mr.. Foster, who is President pro Al
m of the Senate of the United u
tates, goes out of Office on the 4th tc