The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-04-03
Reverdy Johnson His Mark,
From the Baltimore Gazette.

FROM Inc Baltimore Gazette.
In referring to the vote Of the Hon.
Reverdy johnson upon the Congressional
edict abolishng the Constitution of the
United States, the New York Tribune re-
marks: MIR, Johnson is in some sort a
representative man, though we hardly know
of what" We regret to say that we are
unable to tell the Tribune what sort of
representative man Mr.. Johnson is. but we
can unhesitatingly and emphatically assure
it that he is not any sort of representa-
tive of the great mass Of the people of
Maryland. When just prior to the war he
vigorously denounced the aggressions of
the Radical party of the North upon the
rights of the South, and predicted that a
continuance in the same course would bring
about revolution for the Inauguration of
which the South would be fully instifed
and which would destroy the Government,
he uttered the convictions,of nine-tenths
Of his fellow-citizens. But. when a few
months after he had spoken he 'stigmatized
the revolution as "causeless rebellion"
advocated the prosecution of the war and
supported and proited by the brutal mill
tary despotlsm which annihilated civil liber-
ty in Maryland, he became altogether
another sort of Representative man, and did
not, as he does not now, reflect the opinions
Of the people of the State. As for his vote
and speech on Wednesday last, they are no
more the reflex of the views and sentiments
of our people than if they were the words
and acts of delegate from OREGON.
Enough respect for the principles of free
government, as taught by our fathers, still
animatest he souls Of the citizens OF Mary
land to make them turn with scorn and
loathing from the tyrannical and abomlna-
bic measure which Congress has framed for
the enslayement and destruction of the
South. BY this degree every legal pro-
vision which secures life, liberty and pro-
perty to the citizens Of ten States is abro-
gated and the ordinary tribunals Of justice
are superseded by military commissions.
What the condition of the southern people
will be under this iron despotism those who
wish to know may learn from that page of
history which describes the rule Of Verres
over Sicily in the last dying days of the
Roman Republic. The only terms upon
which the South is offered a release from
thralldom are the voluntary disfranchise
ment of thousands of her purest and ablest
citizens, the elevation of the whole negro
race to political equality with the white,
which it outnumbers in many places, and
the formation of such State Constitutions
as the Radical party of the North may be
pleased to approve Of To these ruinous
and degrading demands MIR. johnson has
acceded, on the theory that it will end in q
comparatively short time in restoring the
southern States to "the brotherhood of
States" He seems to imagine that the
sworn can compel a high spirited people
into an abandonment of self-respect or that
the scent Of the fesh-pots can tempt it into
the meanest establishment. The great
mass of the people of the South will, we
are proud to believe, be moved neither by
compulsion or temptation to comply with
dictates of the conquering section which
involve the sacrifice OF all that is left them
of liberty and honor.
Moreover, they know perfectly well that
Congress intends if it can, either with or
without their consent, to set up State gov
ernments in the South which are to repre-
sent and be controlled by the blacks and a
paltry minority of the whites of that section
and that these governments are to be the
agencies through which the Radical party
expects to despoil and punish the southern
people. They know that under no state Of
circumstances does Congress intend to
restore to the majority of their people the
unobstructed right of selfgoyernment, and
that no self-humiliation on their part can
purchase it. They know that if they dis
francbised their leading men and allowed
all the negroes to vote they might form in
each State twenty consecutive constitu-
tons, but that Congress would accept none
except such as might confde the destinies
of the State to some scoundrely Brown
low, They have nothing then to gain by
closing with and nothing to lose by reject
ing the false and shameful offers now ten
dered them. The Constitution is no more,
and negro suffrage can never re-establish it
in the South. Nothing is left to the breth-
rem of our own race and blood in ten over
thrown States save 10 suffer with serene
and unhinching courage whatsoever mill
tary despotism or anarchy may have in
store for them, and await the subsistence of
the revolutionary storm that has Frustrated
the Republic.