The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-04-17
THE NECESSITY OF IMMEDI-
ATE ACTION.


ernments in accordance with the act
recently passed by the Congress of TIL
United States. In our own State w
learn that the advocates of reconstruc
ton are particularly active and that w
may soon witness the machinery in full
operation within the limits of Louisi
ana. 1t is gratifying to know thai
among the most active laborers in this
work are the leading men of the State
who have themselves been disfran.
chised and disqualified from holding
office, and who cannot, therefore, be
accused of selfshness in expousing that
cause which their Judgment assures
them to be the best for the interests Of
our afflicted State. We have yet to
hear of the first prominent man Of the
DISTINGUISHED class opposed to immedi-
ate action, and in favor Of the do-noth.
ing, mastery inactivity policy.
The reason for this action on the
part of our true patriots is plain. They
see that if We sit still, our enemies will
not. They know that the Radicals at
Washington have already set their
traps, and arranged the wires to be
pulled by their understrappers in every
locality, by means Of which they hope
to have all the State governments in
full operation in short time, with
Radical State officers, Radical represen-
tatives in Congress, and all the politi-
cal power at the South forever placed
in the hands of the mendicant loyalsts
and the worthless scum Of Southern
treason and Southern dishonesty
They fully understand that the only
way to thwart these efforts is to take
the wind out of the Radical sails by or
ganising the State governments under
officers who shall reflect the will and
sentiments of the Southern people.
This is PROFESSIONALLY the true poll
cy. We have already shown the fulfil
ity of any efforts to obtain justice byan
appeal to the Courts. But even if
there is any redress to be obtained in
that quarter it is the part of wisdom to
be equally prepared for failure to OBJ
tain it. If the Georgia and Mississippi
cases should result in any benefits,
Louisiana can reap them notwithstand-
ing the efforts at reconstruction she
may in the mean time make. If, ON
the other hand, they should be barren
of results; as is most likely, it would
then be too late to commence the work
of reconstruction after the ground had
all been occupied by the tools of the
Radical party. 1t would, therefore, be
suicidal to spend in apathy and listless-
ness that precious time which we are
could be turned to so good an
account.
We have abundant reasons to be en-
in the belief that the conserv-
atives will be perfectly successful in
controlling the work of reconstruction
Il every one of the seeded States
When the Radical Congress engrafted
negro suffrage on their plan of recon-
'truction they fondly hoped that they
lad hit upon a plan which should ac-
,omplish one Of two results, either Of
which would rebound to the good of
heir own party. They believed that
he Southern people would either repu-
late the proffered terms and remain
tut of the Union, or else that the new
lement Of suffrage would enable the
Radicals to add to their strength in the
congress of the United States. They
ave been deceived in both their calcu-
atoms. In the first place the South
IN people are so anxious to regain
heir lost rights that they are willing to
egain them even by the unjust means
which they are required to adopt. In
he next place the Radicals were never
1ore egregiously mistaken than when
hey supposed that the Southern ne
roes would necessarily cast their in
luence in favor of the Radical party
he negroes have been very quick to
mbibe accurate ideas on the subject of
heir position, since they have attained
heir freedom. They know we'll enough
Vho are their true friends. They know
hat their lot has been cast among the
outhern people; that these men own
he lands and need laborers to work
hemj that the two races mutually de-
end on each other, and that what is
enefeial to one is also beneficial to
he other. They cannot see how q
'ankee, living in Massachusetts, or New
'ork, can ever possibly contribute the
lightest towards the comfort or sup
ort of the colored men living in Mis-
issippi or Louisiana. They must I'M
erstand, too, that the ruinous Yankee
which Injuries the Southern
lanter, contributes just so much to-
ards the decrease of the wages of the
olored laborer. Besides, many thrifty
egroes cultivate lands for q share in
lie crops, and many in time will own
tile tracts Of their own, if they are
,ber and industrious. Now, the tax
two and half cents on cotton, the
igh tax on sugar, tobacco and other
Duthern products, provided for by the