The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-04-03
National Intelligeneer Lieks.

largcd charity, by entering into an
orI,ment upon the frivolous grounds
i,rseed yesterday against admitting u
MARYLAND Senator elect to his seat.
We may remark, however, en- pas
SAINT, that it is new phase in Radical
ism to SO exalt the administration of
lanes Buchanan as to make the mere
leaving of his Cabinet, or condemna-
ZION of his policy, a prima facie evidence
Of treason to the nation OF the Consti-
ntion. The occasion of the resgna-
lion of General Cass was proof positive
to the Radicals that Mr.. Buchanan's
administration was false to its high
duty of executing the laws. Chief JUS
lice Chase was for letting the South
90, as was Horace Greeley. Mr.. Sher-
man nnquestionably knows this. In
other words, they were not for coercing
the South. To bring it down to a
case in point, they were not for enforc-
ing the revenue laws in Charleston
Who were the traitors /? They who
opposed the exercise of what they I'M
questionably deemed to be constitu-
tional prerogatiye, yet would pretermit
its control, or they who doubted the
constitutional power i'll the premises :?
They who would let States go defiant
of the Constitution, OF those who would
not coerce them against their sense of
legal obligations
Neither parties were traitors, because
the Constitution defines treason to be
not in opinion, but in acts" adhering
to the enemy, giving them aid and
comfort
1t can be proved, if necessary, that
Mr.. Stanton uttered words, in the first
hours of the rebellion, that sounded
very like encouragement Of the South.
Mr.. Holt is on the record, while Cab
met officer of Mr.. Buchanan, in very
strong terms of denunciation of the
North and of sympathy with the South.
Must we again publish that letter?
1t is not denied, as we have seen,
that Senator Drake at one time during
the war favored "driving Lincoln hire
lings out of Missouri" General Logan,
of Illinois, had a bad record for disloy-
atty, even after a collision of arms. If
things politically, said or done before
actual hostilities, are to obtain now
practically, General Butler, of Massa-
chusetts, is chief offender in all the
land. Did he not betray his Middlesex
constituency, thrust the treacherous
steel to the hilt under the fifth rib of
the Northern Democracy, and vote fif-
ty-four times in succession for the
nomination of jefferson Davis for the
Presidency? And what of the ante
cedents as to loyalty of the predecessor
of Governor Thomas in the Senate?
But we tire of remarking upon what
most Senators only referred to as "rlf
mors," and turn to what underlies, we
fear, the movement of yesterday
namely, the terrific purpose in the
hearts of revolutionists and usurpers to
destroy the government of the State OF
Maryland and reduce it to military
satrapy. Men who habitually usurp
constitutional powers, and mediate a
lower deep in political infamy than
they have yet essayed, will, of course,
find in the expressions of opinion OF
honest men concerning their acts and
designs what they will term disloyal-
ty that should be punished in almost
any form that arbitrary license can
devise.
.-Reconstruction is still the subject of
discussion in the Senate. The question
was debated yesterday whether it was re-
publican to force governments upon COM
munities by military power against their
consent, and whethera people so brought
into the Union would be agreeable and
contented associates in the same. Some
Senators thought it would be better that
the "rebel States should remain out till
doomsday than that they should be brought
in against their will. Therefore, an at
tempt was made, but failed, to amend the
supplemental reconstruction bill so as to
require the prior assent of the people of a
State to convention before one was call
ed. 1t was alleged indeed, that the class
OF citizens excluded from voting by the bill
accepted that exclusion, and were earnest
in their desire for reorganization Of their
respective States under the provisions OF
the bill.
Congress will be ready to adjourn when
that supplemental bill shall pass,
The House adjourned very early yester-
day, the majority wishingto avoid further
legislative business at this session. ~,
Our Radical friends are in quite a
qnandary. They want to pretend that re-
construction is to be the voluntary act of
the South that the State conventions au-
thorized by the bill, and the constitutions
they may frame, will be expressive of the
real public sentiment of the Southern
States Hence some of them are disposed
to insist that they shall be permitted to
vote down proposition to hold q conven-
ton on the terms prescribed by Congress /;
while Others say: Nay, if you do that you
will prevent convention from being held
at all, and our policy is to have the con-
vention and the discussions on the adoption
ofthe constitution, and, then; if that is vo-
ted down, we WILL at least, divide the
South Into two parties, and have band of
organized retainers who will keep clamor-
ing for admission on the terms prescribed
by US; and it will naturally grow, because
every prescribed man, like the Holdens
and the Pools, will have an inducement to
side with us, and get released from his dis
abilities by u two.third vote OF Congress.
Mr.. Wilson, Of Massachusetts,, very
naturally objected to the application Of the
test-oath to the Southern politicians en-
gagged in organizing those States, on the
ground that we thereby oStracise " not only
our enemies, but our friends" since there
are scores OF original secessionists who,
with chance of forgiveness by Congress,
would gladly take charge of the Radical
organization. lie further said that these
Southern Radicals would be more ultra
even than their Northern allies. He might
have given additional point to his argu
.ment by citing the case of Hon. Mr.. Drake,
a radical Radical as he boosted himself
to be, who not many years ago was for
driving The Lincoln hirelngs out OF the
State of Missouri" Whose zeal is more
uDcompromising than that Of o proselyte !?