The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-03-27
TN OPERA TON.

: in operation in the State of Louisiana
General Sheridan, the military com
:. mander of the Fifth District, on enter
ing upon the discharge of his dutie
a issued the following order:-
r The present State and Municipal Go,
ernments in the States of Louisiana an
Texas are hereby declared to be provision
. al only, and subject to lie abolished, mod
fed, controlled or superseded.
: No general removals from office will h
made unless the present incnmbents ia
to carry out the provisions Of the law, c
, impede the reorganization, or, unless
delay in recognizing should necessitate
| change, +
This order disappointed some, an
did not disappoint others. 1t fell Xix
a wet blanket on the greedy band Q
mendicant loyalists who had gathere'
around the headquarters of the com
, handing General, with hopes Of a gen
eral removal of local Office holders
and consequent gathering up on thei
part of some of the crumbs whicl
). should fall from the loyal table Of TIN
E loyal military commander. On TIN
other hand most of us who believed
that there would not be any percepti
bic difference between our situation
before and after the change, had antic
ipated just such an order as the on
that has been issued. The State gov
eminent having been recognised a
provisional we had no doubt that Gen
eral Sheridan, guided by the Act o
Congress, would derive his instructions
only from that Act, and that he woule
not exercise powers which had no.
been conferred on him. OF course Mr.
j Wells tour "weak and vacillating" Gov
Lernor, as General Sheridan calls him,
and his loyal friends are greatly disap'
pointed, but people who have had
enough of Wells, and don't think they
can be worsted in any kind Of a change
are not expected to cut their Threats
because Mr.. Wells cannot carry mat
tiers with as high hand as formerly
Things ought to be a little quiet now,
and it will be remembered that we have
all along taken the ground that we
would be much better off as we now
are, than to accept the terms of recon-
struction offered to us by Radical
and revolutionary Congress. That
opinion we have not changed. But it
happens that we are not at liberty to
choose Lord .Chatham's "masterly in
activity" The supplementary Bill of
Senator Wilson gives lis a very short
time to remain in cur present condition
of military pupilage, but requires us to
take steps to enter the Union through
the channel pointed out by the Military
Bill. What, then shall we do next9
We publish to-day important and in
teresting letters from men distinguish
ed in civil and military life, whose f.
deity to the South cannot be question
ed, to which we invite the attention of
our readers. These letters urge the
South to make the best Of bad condi-
ton of things, and to organise under
the Bill. Many leading newspapers
take the same view of the subject
Mr.. Kenner, Of Ascension, has gone a
little further (Mr. Kenner generally
goes very far out Of the way) and is
trying to get the Legislature of Louisi-
ana to pass an Act requiring the people
to swallow all the military bills with
the utmost relish. While there is no
danger of his Bunkum resolutions pass
ing, it is understood that the Commit
tee on Federal relations in the Senate
are preparing a bill on the subject look
ing to wholesome advice to the people
on the reconstruction question.
We very much fear that our people,
in their anxiety to do something, will
overdo the thing. Events are crowd
ing so fast that what is best one day
may be the worst the next day. We
would, therefore, not have the State
committed on any side until we are
able to see more clearly through the
designs Of the Radical party. The first
step to he taken is to make registry
of votes, after which it will be time
enough to see what use we shall make
Of the voters so registered. But of one
thing there can be no doubt. When
the commanding General shall issue
his order for registry, it is the duty of
every man not disfranchised to come for
'card and haze his cote registered. He
will then be prepared to act any part
in the future that may be most conso-
nant with his judgment. On the other
hand neglect to register may be fatal
TO our best interests, and the discovery
If the fact will then come too late to
'epair the damage. y
The prompt signs of action on the
part OF the Southern people in favor of
reconstruction, even on the ubiquitous
erms offered, are indications of the
,reat desire on their part to regain
heir lost rights, and give the lie to the
ontrary asseverations of the Radical
eaders. They are even going into
his thing with the firm conviction that
II their labor will be eventually lost
or we sincerely believe that we are
nacting miserable farce. We be-
leve that the bill was passed with the
elief and desire that it's terms would
e indignantly rejected by the Southern