The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-11-27

First, then, let us ascertain distinctly
and classify carefully the men in the South
who accept these Military Bills, or profess
60 accept them, and learn from them why
they accept them. These are they. j
l. Ohice holders-the most active of
these are Federal office-holders, and the
most active again, of these, are those who
came or were sent from the Northern
States. Among these, it is a pleasure to
say, there are some gentlemen forming an
exception to the rule; but nearly all of
these exceptions are opposed to the Militia
fy DIS. Some few among them / know
10 be gentlemen, and who accept the Bills,
but the great body of these officers seem
only Intent upon making themselves and
the Government odious to our people,
The civil officers of the States may be de.
scrlbed as quiescept rather than acquies-
cent. A few accept what they are ordered
not to reject t -
2. Adventurers-By these I mean per,
sons who never act with any consistency
I OF principles, nor from any settled convic-
tons OF right, nor in any spirit of devotion
to the public good. They are bred by all
revolutions, and, in their turn, breed the
chief horrors of all revolutions. They
gather on States in trouble like flies in the
room OF the sick. They are always on the
strong side, General They composed the
unprincipled portion Of the secession party.
These are they who committed the frauds;
deceived the people; stirred the passions
OF the masses; who went into secret socie-
ties with an Indian name and pledged
themselves to force the State out if the
people did not vote out These are they
who led 1.-THE people into their present des-
perate condition, and who seek to plunge
them still deeper into misfortunes." /
know these men well. They are among
Gen. Pope's councillors. They accept. the
Military Bills. They are popular at Gen.
pope's headquarters They will serve out
that full term Of six months" which the
General prescribes, to he relieved of the
disabilities! Indeed, they will and be on,
good behavior, too, They are smart.
They have completely turned poor Gen.
Pope round and put his face where his
back ought to be, and caused him to put
his coat on with the collar down! They
have made Gen. Pope recommend, By name,
three men for Punishment, because they
oppose the Military Bills, whom these very
c0ansellors and loyal Radicals desired to
Danish or mob in 1860, because they on
posed secession. Alas! how well know
them, and how well they know poor Gene
raj Pope! Some Of these abandoned the
Confederacy very soon-as soon as they
failed to get Office or contracts--and now
call themselves original Union men, and a
few Of them have actually taken the test
oath. Others held on to secession as long
as it was safe and profitable. Of course,
now, to avoid contiscation and disfran-
chsement, they are fol reconstruction and
/ swear at every corner, the Radicals can
! do rs they please--the Constitution is dead
and the President is nobody"
| Under this head it pains me to have to
include some really original Union men,
who, falling to be recognized by the people
as the only fit person to have office, after
the surrender became soured, and with
Observation-Disclosures abandoned the conserv-
alive principles of their lives and rushed
! into Radicalism. #ta1
3. Timid men. We have among us some
good moaning men. They want peace.
So, Heaven knows, do all of MS! Peace!
1t is sweet word! Some of our people SO
long for peace that they will run after any
body who cries peace, Ikea hungry sheep
after the man who shakes a bundle of fod-
/ der, never thinking poor creatures, they
are being led to a steering house, or
slaughter pen! So. some are alarmed with
! the idea ofconfiscation and further disfran-
| chsement. eve must take the best we
can get" they say. ut is no use to talk
about the Constitution. The Radicals are
| too mean to regard that. They don't care
! for their oaths. They don't care for the
! Union. They don't mind johnson. They
say if we don't take these Military Bills
t they will put on us something worse, and
they are mean enough to do it, and the
Northern people don't seem to care.
They'll take our lands and everything else.
We had better go with them to keep them
from running u.s. Such are the argu-
ments we hear every day in favor of the
Military Bill!
l have heard of many reasons why diff.
ferent parties should be supported; but the
Radical party can monopolize this one,
urged by its own supporters. 1t disregards
the Constitution tramples on oaths; robs
the people; and will do worse things if it
is not kept in power
a. Policy men.-These are of various
kinds. Some say it is policy to give sui.
frage to the negroes because the Southern
whites can control their votes and disap-
point the Radicals Some say we can seem
to go with the Radicals until we get in the
Union and then we can do as we please.
Others say by accepting the Military bills
We can get control of the Convention with
the right kind of men, and form constitu-
! ton to suit the Radicals. and we can after
ward change it again All these policy
men feel ilisulted ifyou call them Radicals
They excitedly swear they are not Radi-
Gals; they are only going to beat the Rad
icals at their own game of deception.
They also insist that the Constitution " is
ghost -. the Government is gone-that the
Radical party is the only existing govern
ment, and we can do more to destroy it by
feeding it than by fghting.it.
They frequently whisper, in confidence,
"These military men, from Grant down,
know nothing about law OF Constitution.
AS for Pope, everybody knows he is fool,
and it is no tronble at all to manage him.
And as for the Radical party, they care
nothing for the negro, All they want is to
elect their President in 1868 and hold the
offices. Let us help them do that, and
they will remove all our disabilities and
let It's fix our State governments just as we
please" 100
Mark You, General, this is not my Ian
guage 1t is the language Of Gen. Pope's
friends--these loyal men who. after six
months of good conduct like quiet boys
he is going to recommend to Congress as
true patriots worthy to be trusted with
any Office! / confess many of these policy
men are intelligent, even learned, and Of
high political and social position, They
are disciples Of the doctrine that "all is
fair in war" !" it is best to fight the devil
with fire. &C. think they are wrong in
principle, and will be fatally deluded in
fact. The devil cannot be whipped with
fire, because it is his element So the Rad
icals cannot be defeated by deception as it
+, is the whole life of Radicalism. 1t would
be as reasonable to play scratch with the
lon., The devil must be fought with truth
J i ~ n n. ~.