The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-03-20
WILSON'S B1H.

Military Bill recently passed by Con
gress. Hardly had the original bill
been promulgated as the law of tn
land when further legislation was fount
necessary to ensure it's full intention
viz. the oppression and degradation o
the States and people on whom it is t.
operate. While we are discussing tn
provisions of the bill, and endeavorin!
to determine which it would be more t.
our interests to do, remain under ;
military and provisional government
or accept the terms of admission pre-
tended to be offered for our choice,
bill is passed leaving us no alternative
in the matter. By The provisions oftht
Wilson bill it is made the duty of the
military commander to cause a registry
of voters to be made within specified
time, and Immediately thereafter to cal
a Convention to form Constitution fol
the readmission of the State into thu
Union. And for fear that even under
the strict provisions of the original Ac
the "rebels" might still outvote the en-
franchised negroes, jayhawkers ant
mendicant loyalists, no one can be reg
istered unless he shall take an oath tina
he has fallen desperately in love will
Hthe best government the world ha
ever known" The government over
runs and desolates the Southern States
insults them after they have laid down
their arms, and then makes the people
swear that the government is such a
paragon of excellence, humanity and
benevolence that they cannot help be-
ing Sincerely and earnestly attached
to it and that they will endeavor toen-
courage the same affectionate DISPOSE
ton in everybody else. Surely Mr.
Wilson has been taking lessons in the
refinement of meanness and tyranny
from his fellow countryman Major Gen
eral Benjamin Franklin Butler.
Since the passage of the Sherman bill
some of the Radicals are haunting the
Southern people with their refusal to
adopt the Constitutional Amendment,
and allege that the severe legislation
which has been recently prepared fol
them is o necessary consequence OF
their refusal to adopt the milder meas
ures which were offered to them at
first. We observe also that some OF
our pretended "Northern friends" are
taking the same view Of the subject
But the slightest reflection must satisfy
every one that it has been the settled
determination of the Radical party from
the beginning to compel the Southern
States to undergo the most extreme
measures, and that it never has been in
the power of the South to avert them
by any course of voluntary and obse-
quious action on their own part. While
the Constitutional Amendment was be-
fore the Southern people for their con-
sideration, no one was ever able to OBJ
tain promise from any prominent
Radical, that it's adoption should secure
the final admission of the States into
the Union, without submitting to fur
ther exactions. On the contrary Mr..
Sumner and others were frank enough
to admit that the adoption of the
Amendment alone was not sufficient,
and their understrappers, like Mr.
Wells, reechoed the sentiment in their
different localities. The Constitutional
Amendment was q bait to test the
measure of servility the South was will
ing to display, and its adoption would
have been followed by other measures
of greater harshness until the same re-
suits that are to flow from the recent
legislation, would have been accom-
plished. Let not our people, therefore,
be lamenting that their own action is
partially the cause of the recent Fede-
raj legislation. That legislation has
been long foreordained, and so far from
regretting that we did not pursue a
different course, we should feel proud
that we have not sacrificed our manhood
in voluntarily accepting what it was
always intended should be forced upon
us. The Stevens Bill has been followed
by the Wilson bill, which in turn may
be only q stepping stone to Butler
bill providing for system Of universal
confscation. We expect no good thing
to come out Of Nazareth; the Southern
people have been deceived. too often tc
look for anything from such quarter.
1t is useless to attempt to advise oul
people what to do in their present con.
dition. The most stupid must see. that
we can do absolutely nothing. If we
were to do anything that would likely
benefit us, the Radicals would immedi-
ately take steps to checkmate it, as
they have done heretofore in every in.
stance. That we have to submit to all
their iniquity is self-evilent butin do.
ing so we can at least preserve our self.
respect by refusing to be guilty of that
cringing obsequiousness which has re.
Gently characterised so many Southern
politicians in their efforts to prQpitiatt
the favor of unprincipalletl Northern
members Of Congress.
np The pope is reported to have
given his impressions of the heads of tht
English liberal party, recently resident il
Rome, as follows Lord Clarendon likl
and understood. MIR. Gladstone | liket