The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-01-02
Gov. Wells and Senator Trumbull.

5s 4 s, !.
Gov. Wells and. Senator 'Tirumbul]
IN tie United State, Senate. On Z + une,
DAY, petition was presented by Mr.. Trur
naii, OF Illinois, pronouncing the existin
Government Of this State neither renuhl
can nor loyal, and asking for the suppras
SION OF the Suite Organization, and tn
Substitution ofaitetritpriats form ofcoyern
nent. IL was signed, among Others. III
GOV. w els the head Of the government b,
asks to be destroyed.
When the present constitution VA
adopteds in ! 864,Goy. Wells was its actiy,
supporter, and was srlactedlhy itsi advo
Gates to be the first Liettehant Governor
In the same Quality he succeeded to be IN.
Governor on the resignation of Mr.. Hahn
All this time! he hreafheds not "a word q
complaint against it. On the contr,fy. he
sought and obtained re election und.r il
MT lyTprefessing any Of the views contained
m this petition, but by professions ,diirect,y
The contrary. He induced the rohserva.
tives to believe that he was with them il,
oppositians to radicalism. His new liehts
hav. come upon him since then and sud.
denly !; and it should not help his credit il,
his testimony against the Government he
has been administering, that bis sudd m and
total change OF opinion about Che fllnda.
mental nature of government occurred pre.
cIsely at the moment when the conversion
Fled him. Into -comranidnship with the
triumphant party. H. helped make this
.'ant!-repub'ican'' organization and admin
,stered it, and sought Office under it. and
heid It without SC uple until it was ascer.
tanned that the dominant portion of the
ruling party in Congress desired its destruc.
ton. Io win the favor Of the Radicals, hy
the sacrifice pf his native State, requ red d
certain degree Of stoicism, which we re,
cognize in the total indifference it displays
to the respect Of his countrymen, and its
supreme contempt Of the vulgar yitue Of
consistency. ssfBrcgs +
The petition was presented in fhe Senate
by MIR. lrumbull, o. Illinois,. who is de.
scrlbed AZ having fully indprset the prayer
OF the petition, and demanded the immedi.
ate dispersion of the. State Government,
and the substitution of new territorial or.
yalization.7
MIR. Trumbull was not half so truculent
on the subject two years neo, On tho con-
trary, when the new government was adopt-
ed IN Louisiana. and tAe4State .Goyernme
was organized under it,-iand Representa-
tlves and Senators were chosen TO Con
gress, Nj. Tfumball was. in the Senate, the
particular advocate for the recognition of
these nets as a complete restoration ofthe
State functions, and reeomne' ded measures
for the immediate admission of the mem,
bers eject into Congress.
lie was chairman of the Judiciary Com.
mlttee, to- whom the credentials Of 1Iessrs.
Smith and Cutler, the Senators elect, we're
presented He reported az length Feb
ruary, 1862 on the proceedings attending
the formation Of the State. Government
From the beginning to the end Of that e,
port there was not a word abonttk the form
OF government heing not republican. On
the contrary, the report discussing the
powers by which the constitution was
adopted, pronounced the result of their
labors to be REPUBLICAN IN form, anil III
entire harmony ,ci,h tie constitution Of
United SAFES aud the great principles Of
human liberty"
There was then. as to day. provision in
the constitution that the right of suffrage
should be limited to white" voters.
Neither Gov. Wells nor Senator Trumbull
At that date-less than two years-eon1
'idered the denial ofthe!tight of suffrage
% blacks asany infringement on "the great ).
principles ofhuman liberty" On Tuesday Z
hey both cancurred in pronouncing it to lIa
,e SO esseptmiltiat the con titntion of ten =
States ought to be forciby abolished and
he State organizations dissolved, in order a
o bring them into harmony with principles '
which neither Of them, in February Of last |
ear, thought worth the ceremony ola
lotice.
1t ia. moreover. we'll worth recalling that
n that occasion Senator TrumbulI reported, n
$ theopinionso Of the judiciary Committee, ?
hat the applicants for seatsin the Senate
7ere duty elected Senators from the Estate :
Louisiana. and That but for the continued I
xistsnce in force Of the proclamation Of
resident Lincoln, declaring Louisiana to
e IN a state of insnrrection, they would
'comrneud the Immediate admission Of
hem to seats in the Senate. To obviate that
bjection, the committee reported ioint 2
solution to be adopted as. preliminary to
leir admission. It was 10 the following
0rds:d sslSg g9naa ,q1Esa gyssiT
That the United States do herebyac.| Z
now'edge the Government Of the State
louisiana innueunted under and BIZ
e Convention which assembled on the 9Th
y of April, a! D. 1864, as the regular !,
overnment ofthe said State. and entitled
the guarantees apd i'll the. other rights :
q State Government under the co,stitu- T.
on Of the United States. ne. III
This is the recorded opinion Of, the Judi. in
ary Committee Of the Senate oflhe Uni. O.
d States. rendered in tho year s65 this an
only lS66-that Louisiana was State, "
~ Organized under Che constitution OF
9 United States, and entitled to be fapre ac
nted iii Congress as snonas the Presi.
ut should recall the proclamation against 4
su-rectioD, and sooner if joiit resolu- W
N like the above could be adopted. J"
That proclamation has long since been
'de by the President; no conflict. there.
e, remains before the committee on the
ut to representation or the duty to all
t; the only conflict being one of fact. Nd,
ether these applicants were duly elected -
ich does not affect the points to which
'comm 'ttee engaged themselves by their
'ort. ant
But on. Tuesday last a petition IL refer. &c
to that committee. on motor, of the
ne Senator Trumbu'l. accompanied by am
lent speech, in which the constitution nil
approved so heartily ia denounced ~ in.
ably vleiods; and the Sta'e lie was STR
dy 70 receive, a mere usutnation, to be cpi
rthroHa with tile strong hand. @
The fierce intolerance With which 4 set
opinions. which are not yet two years old
'ashed totlIis extremity Of practical revo-
on, are sad onehs for the pern,abency !
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