The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1867-04-20
he party founded on the Union

North, nor SOuUn, DlU l6S1SldIlnS
against the South and Northwest
for the benefit Of New England
bond-holders. Aparty based upon
no national principle of govern
mental policy; fussy, clustering,
and full of bravado; inimical to
to the interests of the majority Of
the people of the United State,
and snbSeryient only to the spOils
Of office and the "almighty dol
lar The war has taught me great
respect for the Northern people,
while it has intensified my con,
tempt for the unscarred veterans
who play their fantastic tricks on
the legislative stage at the capt
tOl. Like some Of our Southern
people, who were never in the
army, these fuStian heroes have
only Otmad since the surrender.
You will understand then that |
do not propose to act under the
military bill and its supplement in
a spirit of hostility to the North
ern people, and that [ propose no
mental reservations in accepting
the nauseating dranght. place
my hostility to the Radical party,
first in my argument in favor Of
acting under these bills, because
| dOn0t wish 70 be misunderstood.
| | have no expectation that this
party will comply with its part OF
the contract when ours is fulfilled.
! It will never relieve us from mill
/ tary rule, or restore the Southern
States to the Union, unless by
failing to avail ourselves Of the
present we allow its faction in the
South to control the destinios Of
| the States. But the conservative
party Of the North will restore
them if the Radicals can be over
thrown by our showing their per
tidy and deStructiveness. We
must therefore prevent its South
ern faction from getting into pow
er in the States. Ii we do not,
Louisiana will be nominaIly in the
Union while as now denied it's
benefits, and will be ruled by a
faction Of whose bitterness and
malice even Br0WnlOw would be
poor exponent. How can we do
this? By taking the most vigor-
GUS part in the election of dele
gates to the convention to be held,
by exercising over the enfranchis-
ed cOlOred people all the just in
tiuence to which our long acQuain-
lance and associations with them
entities us. We. owe this action
to our disfranchised citizens who
look to us for protection, and to
the cOlOred people whose lack OF
: education and political experience
claims fr0mus the guidance Of ou1
, superior intelligence. Our people
must recognise the fact that their
late slaves are now vOters-that
they are an element of political
: power and military strength to be
welded by us for our and their
advantage, or to be used by hos,
| tile influences for their destruction
} or our eXpatriation. We did not
develop this power, hence we
should feel no humiliation. We
2 did not give the negroes the ballot.
r and hence should not be ashamed
to tell them how to use it. Wher
we armed them during the war
!. our officers were not ashamed tt
4 drill them to knowledge Of mill
: tary tactics. Now that they arc
l armed with the ballot to help de
!. grade and destroy us, why should
we feel ashamed to advise then
e how to use this political weapon
2 to help us and themselves to peace
9 and prosperity Are they no
1 entitled to favorable consideration
l on their own merits without refer
ence to the political question
S Have they not strong claims upO1
5 our gratitude and sense of justice
In my opinion they have. Then
l fidelity during the war, which
4 they knew was waged on the par
OF the North principally for theil
S emancipation, is themostremarka
e bic instance of the kind in history
$ Their dOcility and good conduct
{ since the surrender have surprised
J. everybody, and while it show
e their good sense, is the highes
t tribute to the benevolent workings
9 of the institution of Slavery
I Gratitude, justice, and sound poll
0 cy require us to educate thest
t people to the use of the ballot
:! They have the intelligence AM
e good nature to understand how
1 their interests are identical Will
4 ours. Their ideas of a life-lons
| holiday, and a maintenance il
n luxury by their Northern friends
S upon the accession of freedom
have vanished with the realization