The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1867-06-20
LOUISIANA.
Another Letter from Lieut. Gen. Long
STREET.-THE Unites with the Republl-
can Party in the Great Work OF Recon-
Struction.

can Party in the Great Work of Recon-
struction.
New ORLEANS, May l6 1867.
Gen. JAMES LoNGsTREET General
In your admirable letter of the 9th ui-
timo you remark that sour efforts at re-
construction will be vain and useless un-
less we embark In the enterprise with the
sincerity Of purpose which will command
success" The spirit which inspired the
above paragraph, together with the fact
that thousands of brave soldiers are still
ready to follow their leader wherever he
may see fit to call them, has emboldened
me to extend to you an invitation to at
teud mass meeting on Lafayette square
tomorrow evening, at which the Hon.
Henry Wilson distinguished leader in
the Republican party, will address the cit
izens of New Orleans. AS soldiers, we
were opposed to each other during the
late war but as citizens may we not wise
ly unite in efforts to restore Louisiana to
her former position in the Union through
the party now in power, and which in all
probability will retain power for many
years to come? If you accept, [ shall
be glad to hear your views on the condi-
tion OF public affairs. respectfully yours,
ETC.,
JOHN NJ. G.. PARKER.
NEW ORLEANS, La, June 8, 1867.
j. NJ. G. PARKER, esq: My dear Sir
Your esteemed favor of the 18th ult. was
duly received. was much pleased to
have the opportunity to hear Senator
Wilson, and was agreeably surprised to
meet such fairness and frankness in a
politician whom have been taught to be-
lieve uncompromisingly opposed to the
people of the South. | have maturely
considered your suggestion to "wisely
unite in efforts to restore Louisiana to her
former position in the Union, through
the party now in power" My letter of
the 9th of April, to which you refer, clear
ly indicates desire for practical recon
struction and reconciliation. Practical
men can surely distinguish between re-
construction and reconstruction as an alb
stract question. | will endeavor, how
ever, with renewed energy, to meet your
wishes in the matter. The most serious
difficulty that l apprehcnd is the want of
that wisdom which is necessary for the
great work. l shall be happy to work in
any harness that promises relief to our
distressed people and harmony to the ma.
! ton. 1t matters not whether | bear the
mantle Of Mr. Davis or the mantle of Mr.
Sumner, so that l may help to bring the
glory of "peace aud goodwill towards
men," l shall set out by assuming a
proposition that hold to be self evident
viz: The highest of human laws is the
law that is established by appeal to arms
The great principles that divided politi-
cal parties prior to the war were through
ly discussed by our wisest statesmen
| When argument was exhausted recourse
was had to compromise. When compro-
mise was unavailing, discussion was renew.
ed and expedients were sought, but none
could be found to suit the emergency. Ap
peal was finally made to the sword, to de
termine which of the claims was the true
construction Of constitutional law. The
sword has decided in favor of the North,
and what they claimed as principles cease
to be principles, and are become law
The views that we hold cease to be prin-
ciples because they are opposed to law
1t is therefore our duty to abandon ideas
that are obsolete and conform to the re-
quirements of law The Military bill,
and amendments, are peace offerings
We should accept them as such, and place
ourselves upon them as the starting point
from which to meet future political issues
as they arise. Like other Southern men,
| naturally sought alliance with the Dem
ocratic party, merely because it was op-
posed to the Republican party. But as
far as | can judge, there is nothing tangi-
BILE about 1t, except the issues that were
staked upon the war and there lost Find
ing nothing to take hold of except pre-
judice, which cannot be worked into good
for any one, it is proper and right that |
should seek some standpoint from which
good may be done. IF appreciate the
principles of the Democratic party, its
prominent features oppose the enfranchise-
ment of the colored man, and deny the
right to legislate upon the subject of suf-
frage, expect by the States, individually.
These two features have tendency to
exclude Southern men from that party ;
for the colored man is already enfranchis-
ed here, and we cannot seek alliance with
a party that would restrict his rights
The exclusive right of the States to leg
islate upon suffrage will make the en-,
franchisement of the blacks, whether for
better or for worse, fixture among us. 1t
appears, therefore, that those who cry loud.
est against this new order of things as a
public calamity are those whose princi-
pies would fix it upon US without rem
edy. Hence it becomes us to insist that
suffrage should be extended in all the
States, and fully tested. The people of
the North should adopt what they have
forced upon us and if it be proved to be
mistake, they should remove it by the
remedy under republican principles of un.