The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1867-04-20
Senator Williamson On the
Situation.
SHREVEPORT, April 2, 1867.

Gentlemen-I have the pleasure
of acknowledging the receipt of
your letter of - date, handed me
to-day by the Hon. Roland Jones.
You are entitled to my thanks for
the complimentary terms in which
you have chosen to speak Of my
election to the United States Sen
ate. 1t affords me peculiar pleas
ure to be invited by my old friends
and neighbOrs to give an opinion
upon the impending crisis. Hav-
ing been reared among you, my
past career and public opinions
are too well known to you to al
low misunderstanding. You know
I have ever been a State Rights
man-an earnest advocate OF
Southern Rights, a consistent OPP
ponent of Northern domination
and that in my humble sphere l
did something in the late grand
attempt to preserve the liberties
of the South. AS | do not expect
ever to be allowed to fill the high
Office to which the favor Of your
General Assembly elected me, and
have no aspirations except to be
useful in my day and generation,
l have come to my conclusions on
the present condition OF things
without the embarrassments of
ambition. 1t is not difficult there
fore for me to write frankly, and
solely with a view to the public
good.
| do not profess to be a states
man, and try to be plain and
practical. Pursuing this effort of
my life, have attempted to sweep
away all the prejudiceS of tradi-
ton and life time, and to inspect
the present under the light Of calm
reason, guided by Gods blessed
word and his revelations in his
tory. The veil being taken away
from the face OF events, what do
we sees Before us is vast area
of fertile lands, Of magnificent
lakes, of grand rivers, OF indus.
trious populations-living under
a republican form of government.
In the Northern section of this
splendid spectacle the people seem
to be thrifty and prosperous. In
the Southern section are desolate
hOmesteads, deserted fields, stag.
nant martS, anxious faces, restless
hearts, crippled men, homeless
and houseless widows and orphans.
and none of the blessings of peace
and prosperity. Why the differ
ence? The Northern section has
been the victor, and the Southern
the vanquished in a terrible strug.
gle. The Northern section, in adj
dition to the legitimate enhance
ment of the value of its property
has added ($2, 50O,0O0) two billion
and half to its capital in the
shape of bonds of the United
States, which pay none of the bur
dens of the Government, but
: which drains the public Golfers tC
q the extent of one hundred anC
Z eighty millions a year in coin tx
pay its interest. The Southern
staked all on the contest for con
stitutional liberty, and lost. Sh,
helps to pay the soldier and sailor
who stand guard over her. She
feels no pride in the uniform they
wear or the flag they sustain
And why? Because the uniform
and the flag have been donation
allied by a radical party, ant
claimed as its peculiar property
This party is the vindictive enemy
of the South-the usurper of til,
powers of the Government-tht
destroyer Ofthe ConstitutiOn-th,
legislative despOt at Washington
City that glOats over the triumph
OF its ingenuity III oyerthrowins
republicanism while preserving it.
forms; in paralysing the function,
of the Executive and Judiciar,
departments while keeping then
in place, and in preventing union
and peace while protesting to re
establish them. Its malice ha,
eliminated for the present in tn,
passage of the military bill and it
supplement. In these bills i
pledges itself to certain conditions
Can wenot avail ourselves of thes
to assistin its destruction? Is i
not our duty to Ourselves-t0 The
Northern section, to republican
ism, to civil liberty, to justice, t,
truth, to God, to make an efor
to stay the hand of this DESTROYER
/ think it is. How can this b.
done? BY accepting its terms ant
executing them in good faith. Cal
we do this without diShonor?
think so, for we have no option
but to be either the allies of thi
party or its enemies. Masterl,