New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-09-21
WHOLE NUMBER 45l.

and yet, according to the line of argument
ADOPTED IN the majority report, it could be
said that we enter into the spirit Of and aid
and aoet everysingie measure, however op,
presslVe and traught with evil, and are as
| much responsible for them as those who
bring them forward and force them through
in spite OF our opposition. Now, the out.
| side world might as well accuse us of assist
| ing these measures passed by the Legisla-
ture as to accuse MIR. White of aiding in the
| rebellion simply because he discharged an
| honest duty TO an honest constituency by
holding his seat as a member of that Legis-
| lature.
wish to establish the other fact by the
| report of the committee itself. That by the
| provisions of the Constitution of 1852,
| under which Mr.. White was elected,
| it would have been impossible for him to
cast any vote in that Legislature at the time
| he is said TO have done so. Under that Con-
| stitution the members were required to be
elected on the first Monday in November
| every two years. If Mr.. White had been
| elected in 1859, as alleged by this commit
tee, and had retained his seat even up to
| November, 1861 new election having
| been ordered and having taken place in
Louisiana for Representatives and Sen.
ators-Mr. Whites seat would necessarily
have been vacated, and the new members
would have taken their seats. Now, sir,
| wish to refer gentlemen to the report of this
| committee, to show that Mr.. White could
not have voted, as it is stated he did, for
members of the Confederate States Congress.
Remember, MIR. President, that this election
took place on the first Monday in November,
| 1S6l-that by the Constitution of the State
| itself Mr.. White and the members of that
Legislature went out of Office on the first
Monday of November, 1861. The report Of
the committee says the voting occurred on
Friday, November 20, 1861. How could it
be possible that Mr.. White partici-
pated in this election for members
of the Confederate States Senate
which was held twenty.ninth day of No
vrmber, when his term expired on the first
Monday Of November? Now, sir, in regard
to the testimony that was received by the
committee, especially in regard TO the book
said to have been the Senate journal of this
State for 1861. Such testimony would not
| be received in any court in this or any other
country. Simply a book, coming from God
knows where, written by God knows who,
and for a purpose God knows what. But
waving this point for the sake OF argument,
and admitting that Mf. White was q mem
Der Of that Legislature and participated in
this election, IL would not render him ineli-
gible under the fourteenth amendment "a
The Constitution of the United States or un
der the Constitution of the State of Louisi.
ana, because he must first have abiured his
allegiance to the Government of the United
! oldhSS anu w lllt GCkdtC Vi l4Ou1sldQd, anu
given his allegiance to an entirely new gov
ernment. But the evidence does not dis
close the fact that this Mr.. White was even
a member of that Legislature, much
less that he voted for these members OF the
Confederate States Senate or favored cnC
single solitary act calculated to assist The
rebellion. The contestant himself has MOI
established the fact, and he can not estab
, lish the fact that any other oath was taken
> by the members Of that Legislature to which
it is assumed that Mr.. White belonged than
the oath to support the Constitution of the
State of Louisiana and that of the United
States. IT Mr.. White took no other oatl
= how can you say for moment that he ha!
ever abiured his allegiance to the United
, States, and participated in the rebellion?
: Now, as to the other part of the evidenc,
4 by which it was sought TO show that Mr.
. ! White did actually participate in the rebel
lion, the first is the evidence of Mr.. Swte
found on page five Of this report. 1t is q
follows:
"Charles L. Sweet being duly sworn de
poses and says:
/ Il reside in Alglers. I resided in Shreve
port up to the last of February, 1851.
o went there in 1852
General Sheldon to Mr.. Sweet
DO you know Reuben WhiteT
81 know Reuben White, Senator from
: Caddo. | know that he was a member q
the Legislature previous to the war T.
o the best of my knowledge and belief Mir
a White helped to lit out the CaddO Greys.
I have heard Mr.. White talk IN aid Of tn
:, Confederacy. He and DR.. Ball Charlie
, McCarty, Judge Creswell, Judge Jones ant
= Newton Wright used to get together il
/. front Of DR., Balls drug store and talk abou
a killing Yankees, i've or SIX before break
,r fast. He voted for secession, and l hsv
f heard him argue in favor Of the Contederi
: cy and against the Government of In
| tod II1N NolI
= Hinkfe, that if he would go to the war b
n would see that his family wanted fc
a nothing. mean the war on the ConfedeT
: ate side"
= This is the examination in chief.
!, Now, Mr.. President, listen to the cross
a examination of this same witness:
- 81 heard Mr., White say that he voted fO
~ secession, and for delegates to the secession
o convention at Baton Rouge.
- ~ do not think that Mr.. White was
# member of the secession convention.
+ 1.-THE ordinance of secession was neve
n submitted TO the people.
~ II do not reeollect whether the delegate
% to the convention were instructed to vot
! for secession or not.
Il 81 did not sec Mr.. White vote the ticke
"a for secession.
,e r II voted against secession voted al
open ticket, to the great displeasure OF man,
10 of the people of Caddo.
i kuOW tuSTb WeT6 bWO Cduu1udteS-
r Union and Disunion.
q "AIr. George Williamson was Disuniol
\ candidate; SyrieL Beal was Union candi-
date.
\ 81 voted for the Union candidate, syriel
! Beal.
= ~ do not know which one of these candi-
e dates Mr.. White voted for.
!, al do not recollect the language Mr.
= White used in his conversation, but he ar
= gued in favor ofkwhipping the Yankees.
: :" have heard Mr.. White talk as much a
anybody else, but do not recollect the eyac
! words or argument used.
: 81 know Mr.. Hinckle.
: "Mr. Hinckle is man of family.
He had mother and brother at the tim
: : of the war.
, "His brother was about twelve or four
teen years old.
,, "They had little place of their own.
81 could not say whether Mrs. Hlnckl,
was dependent for her livelihood upon hel
son or not.
,, "Have heard Mr.. Hinckle say that he wa
, the main stay of the family.
/, "Mr Hinckle did go to the war.
81 do not know whether Mr. White dit
, support Mr.. Hinckle's family while he wa
in the war.
,, 81 was standing within about three feet o
Mr.. White when he told Mr.. Hinekle ht
would support his family if he would go tc
the war.
al was in Caddo parish during the Presi-
dental election in 1860, and voted for Ste
phen A. Douglas.
81 think Mr.. White was chairman of the
Bell and Everett club.
al do not know whether Mr.. White is a
: registered voter or not.
s'He was not last September.
: ''The committee adjourned to meet to-
morrow morning at nine O'clock
Now Mr. President, if this is the kind of