The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-03-27
Reconstruction.
LETTER OF HON. W. r. HARRIS.

h6C0nSJruCLl0n,
LETTER OF HON. W. p. HARRIS.
! From the Jackson Clarion.1
JACKSON, MARCH IL, 1867.
Gentlemen-I proceed to reply briefly
to yohr letter Of the 9Th inst, request
ing my views of the cotirse Of actor
proper to be adopted in regard to tlt
recent act Of Congress providing for the
government of the Southern States.
1t is to be observed that the act Of
Congress does not leave either the ex.
tension of the right of suffrage or the
disfrachisement Of a certain class4f the
white citizens of the State to depend
OH our consent. Both these results are
accomplished by the act, and are not
demanded Of us as concessions. The
civil government existing here is de.
clared to be without authority, except
that 1t may be permitted to exercise it's
functions as an instrument of admins
tration, by the district commander.
This precarious existence cannot be
continued without resort to elections.
and these elections must conform to the
principles OF the act as to qualifications
for suffrage, and these qualifications in
volve the Acknowledgement of portion
OF the white citizens, and the extension
OF the right to vote to all others with
out regard to race or color. Therefore
whether we consent or not, no civil gov
eminent can be created or protracted
here; without conforming to the princi-
pies of the itct Of Congress in these res,
poets. Negro suffrage, therefore, must
be regarded as one of the conditions on
which we are to have civil govern
meht here.
The organization Of the State govern
ment under the provisions of the law
will inevitably take place. If the white
citizens Of the State whose rights are
still preserved to them,. land they com
prise the great mass Of our white male
population) should decline to cooper
ate in the measures which shall be
taken to organize civil government
here, their refusal to act will be a vir-
tual surrender of the civil power into
the hands Of those who will surely en-
ploy it to perpetuate their power by
further prescriptions. / cannot, after
the most anxious consideration of the
subject, perceive how any Of the evils
of this law can be averted by or how
any good can possibly result from 81
lent inaction on the part of those who
still retain their political rights; on the
contrary, it seem to me that such a
course would be attended with the most
injurious consequences. Even if it
should be supposed land the SUPPOSE
ton is, in my opinion, wholly unwar-
ranted) that, By refusing to recognize
in any manner the authority Of Con-
gress, we might delay or prevent the
organization Of civil government here,
we must continue to live under form
of government the most odiOus and op-
pressive to which mankind have ever
been subjected, and with all it's severi:
ties aggravated to us by our attitude OF
sullen hostility to the will Of Congress.
AS the propriety OF seeking redress
in the Supreme Court has been sug-
gested in some quarters, take the oc-
casion to say there is no power in the
Supreme Court at the instance Of the
State to prevent the law from taking
effect. l do not see how the State
government can make case for judi
cial action, which can only be invoked
in controversies about property rights,
or at least rights and questions which
are not purely political! The power Of
recognizing the existence of State
government has, by that court, been
held to be a political aid not a Judicial
question and to pertain to Congress !;
and although a controversy may arise
in which that court may be called on to
decide the validity Of some of the pow
ers conferred on the military comman-
ders, it is q matter of grave doubt
whether it will ever venture to declare
the political status of the existing gov
eminent here, or any that may hereaf-
ter succeed it.; and Should the court
venture hereafter to do SO, its decisions
would not be respected, and it would
have no power to enforce it.
With these Views Of our situation,
and under the painful conviction that
no favorable change can be reasonably
looked for in the policy Of the Govern
ment at Washington, I think it is the
duty Of those who still retain their po-
litical rights, to take an active part in
all elections under the new order of
things, and to give to Che suffering peo-
pie of the State the full weight Of their
influence in creating and controlling
the government under which they are
destined to live. / do not know where
the power to call a State Convention
will be placed; as that matter is still
under discussion in Congress. When
the call shall be made, &c ought to be
responded to by every white voter in
the State. s,
Respectfully, your ebt servant,
W. P. HARRIS.
tn Mossrs Rohinson Allen Hahn and