The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-02-06
THE LAST MESSAGE.

to conjecture. before the IoCal ecilps
of the pale luminary which shed il
light over all his productions, his ma
Friday was wont to write the message
and send them in without giving th
"Governor" an opportunity to read c
sign them. But Mr.. Hugh Kennel
Las now joined the lovely band
nendicant '1oyalists" who are patient
ly waiting at Washington for th
crumbs which are supposed to fall fror
the loyal table, and has therefore lei
his old master to shift for himse
among the Louisiana rebels and "assas
sins" of white and black loyalists.
the new writer has not the wonderft
gift of winding himself up in as Ion
sentences as Mr.. Kennedy, he can
least boast of inventing a much shorte
cut to nonsense and balder-dash. Hi
stupidity is none the less stupid becaus
of it's brevity.
The only part OF the message whlcl
possesses general interest is that whicl
treats of our Federal relations. TIL
Governor recommends the Legislature
to adopt the Constitutional Amend
ment, but tells them in the same sen
tence that their adoption alone would
not secure the admission of the State t,
representation in Congress without do
ing something else still more humilia
ting to Southern pride. He goes OF
further to say that he cares very littl,
whether they adopt it or not, as tn
majority in Congress, who have beer
endorsed by the people, are fully com
potent to reconstruct" the South with
out any assistance and this they will
undoubtedly do. He does not believe
in making distinctions in comforting
the right of suffrage between white and
black men. And yet it will be remem.
bered that among his earliest Execu'
tive acts was to write a letter giving
his reasons for refusing to register ne.
gro voters, and deprecating the at.
tempt to force negro suffrage upon the
people of the State. He attempts to
be very severe on the "rioters" of the
Both of July, and attributes all the
blame to every one else except bis pc
culiarly loyal white and black friends.
The whole message reads like the
production of one who feels that he is
fast approaching the end of his row.
Conscious that he has outraged the
public sentiment of his State, and that
he will meet with no favor at the hands
of her people, he makes an attempt to
appear as despicable as possible in their
eyes, in order to recommend himself to
the favor Of the Radical majority in
Congress, who, he thinks, have the
power to reward him for his treason to
those who once reposed so much conf
dence in him. Like the wise though
corrupt Steward, he makes friends Of
the mammom of iniquity that "they
may receive him into their own house,"
We commend his foresight in prepar-
ing resting place for the future. That
his term Of Office is fast approaching its
end we have the qualification to believe.
His foolish message was answered by
the passage of a resolution, with great
unanimity, instructing Committee to
prepare bill calling Convention for
the formation of a new Cor stitution.-
The object of this Convention Is not on
ly to wipe out every vestige of the in
famous Constitution under which we
live, but to clean out the corrupt set of
officials which it was the means of fas-
tening on the State. With the adop-
ton of the Constitution Mr.. Wells roes
out of Office, and is consigned to that
oblivion from which he should never
have been dragged. If he can make
by playing the 1oyal" beg
gar along with Hahn, Cutler g. Co., we
have no objection to his joining the
firm.
We hope to chronicle in our next is
sue the passage of the Convention bill,
and shall look forward with pleasure
to the time when the people of Louisi-
ana shall again have the opportunity of
living under a Constitution of their
own formation, with officers who re-
fleet their will. =
Il The Steamer Starlight, on last
Sunday night, while crossing the lower
Falls, suddenly struck her starboard
side against portion of the Bailey
dam, stove in a considerable portion of
her timbers, Immediately filed with
water and sunk to her guards. She
was at once run ashore and by the
most energetic and laudable exertions
and hard work of the crew and all on
board she was saved. On Monday
morning she returned to our wharf, and
is now discharging her freight and will
return to New Orleans for repairs. She
had nearly a full freight, large por-
ton Of which was in her hold, which is
all badly damaged.
-R>N>Ne----
D The Steamer st Nicholas will be nm
rom the City on Saturday morning, and
will leave this Town on her down trip on
Monday evening next.
u The obliging officers of the Naviga.
or, Mittie Stephens, St Nicholas, Texas