The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-08-02
NUMBER BOB.
a VOICE FROM the sUsAR REGIONS
OF LOUIsIANA.

To the Editor Of the Crescent.
There is not man in America whose voice can
strike the key note of this nation unless that man
be Horstio Seymour.
The minds of our statesmen seem supplied, the
tongues of our orators are parslyzed and the
hearts Of our people sink In view Of the audscioos
corruptions, usurpstions and despotism Of aradi-
cal Congress and the shameless allies of that Con-
gress now running the State governments Of she
South.
Is this providentialy SO, or is it the natural
order of things?
To the Northern Democrats, to the Southerf
people, to some Of the best writers In Europe, IL
appears that the mind of the ruling powers of the
nation, the radical party and its authorized agents,
is convulsed with political madness which unless
arrested must result in the most terrible disasters
to the nation-more terrible, by far, than those
we now endure.
/, as you know, Mr.. Editor. was an original
Union man.
i battled against secession in one Of the par
ishes of Louisiana, with whose people 1 had be-
come identified.
] am Northern born man.
When Louisiana seeded groaned In spirit, be-
lievipg that the most terrible sictions would be-
fall my adopted State and the South. I felt that
those who took this State out of the Union as the
act IVES then understood, were committing aStats
suicide.
have always believed that three-quarters OF
the people of this State thought the same. and
would have voted had they ever been allowed
by the politicians to meet the question Of secession
or Union fairly and squarely at the ballot box.
The secessionsts did not dare put the plain
question before the people.
And the day that Louisiana was declared out Of
the Union the leading seccessionists knew that In
all fairness and justice they should have openly
given their votes even against covert secession
that was too cunning to show itself to the people.
also opposed JEFF. Davis.
But cast my fortunes with Louisiana In her
troubles, and honestly stood by her .during the
war.
Twas called a rebel.
! acted as a rebel.
/ felt that / could not with clear conscience
do otherwise, however different the men of the
North may view the matter.
But never believed that Southern Confed-
eracy and President Davis would give the South
On the contrary, after the war commenced
could see no hope for the South, whether we sue
ceeded or failed in the struggle.
But Richmond Congress ruled us, as radical
| Congress rules us now, in such manner that the
people had no voice IN the matter.
| He that did not submit and obey orders was q
rebel, to be dealt with accordingly.
When the war was over rejoiced that hostli-
| ties had ceased.
| believe the Southern people generally re-
| joiced, though sorely afflicted in other respects.
| believe that nne.tenths Of the Southern peo-
pie would have returned to their allegiance to the
| United States government in good faith, had they
| been permitted by the radical Congress.
But all who did not join the radicals, and belle
their consciences, were branded as rebels, unre-
| pentant and wicked. rr-
Those who would belle their consciences were
| forgiven by the radicals, though they had been
| the worst Of men during and before the war.
Our best and most honorable men have been
| c0nfTOl n
| been placed in the hands of negroes and strange
white men of the most desperate political for
/ tunes.
| NOW, Mr. Editor, will state honestly that with
pretty extensive means of knowing the fact, with
| the advantage of having conferred freely and
privately with the people Of Louisiana all through
nv views and principles expressed above have
barmonized with those Of more than two-thirds OF
the people of this State up to the time that | now
| write.
And still am called a REBEL and the people OF
| the State are called rebels.
Am a rebely
Are the people of Louisiana rebels.
! answered honestly and emphatcally, no!
II Is base and infamous SANDER
wescknowledge secession failure-forever
failure
| We acknowledge slavery desd-forever dead
| We submit, in the most humble manner, to the
| authority of the United States government.
We submit TO radical rule, negro rule, to almost
| open insults, knowing that base and cowardly
| agents of Congress are scattered all over the
| South to harass our people, corrupt the negroes
and breed riots to be used as political capital in
the coming election.
We submit TO the most outrageous constitutions
| and laws of legislatures composed Of strangers
and negroes; we submit to laws which would
raise rebellion in the North. TO forced social
equality with the negroes, and still we do nothing
unlawful or rebellious.
Have we not given proofs, which the outside
world would accept, that whatever we might
have been during the war, we are now In all our
acts as loyal as any people OF the North
Would any despot in Europe demand better
proofs of the loyalty of his subjects than we give
to the people of the North?
Shall we be made more loyal or more attached
to the radicals, by their studied insults and refned
prosecutions?
Time will answer these questions. SLEDdE.