The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-07-29
THE LAST RADICAL OUTRAGE.

The Radicals in Congress have pass
ed a bill prohibiting from voting fol-
President at the next election any
State which has not formed Consui
tuition in accordance with the recon
struction acts. AS Congress will adj
journ in few days and therefore can
pass no more Supplementary bills
as Mississippi has defeated her Consti-
tuition and Virginia and Texas have
not formed theirs, we may safely affirm
that the votes of those States will not
be counted in the Electoral College,
In fact we may safely affirm that the
bill was passed because it was just
those States and those States alone
upon which it would operate. When
Alabama defeated her Constitution a
ready expedient was found by which
it should be declared adopted and the
State admitted, because it was general
ly conceded that Alabama would cast
her vote for the Radical candidates in
November. But the case is far differ
ent with Mississippi, Virginia and
Texas. Mississippi has shown that
Radicalism has been played out u
within her borders, and the white ma
jorities in Virginia and Texas afford a
reasonable probability that the Radical
candidates will have but poor show
ing in these States On the day of cleo
ton. So, "the case being altered al
tiers the case" Reconstruction is a
very good thing when it secures Radi-
cal electoral votes, but reconstruction
is no reconstruction at all when there
is any danger of bringing about con-
trary result. If ourfriendsin Virginia,
Mississippi and Texas wish to ward off
forever the evils of carpet-bag govern
ments, and to remain under military
rule, they have only to satisfy the Rad
icals that they will vote the Democrat
ic ticket, and their objects will be fully
accomplished.
By this last piece of Radical legisla-
ton, it has been decided, we presume,
that there is no legal State govern
ments at the South except those which
have been created by the Radical ma
jority in the present Congress. Louis
lana is State because Congress says
so; Virginia is no State because Con-
gress decides that she is not. All were
States, and equal States originally, but
by the act of rebellion they all commit
ted political suicide, and ceased to be
States any longer. 1t is only by &C
cepting the new Radical Evangel that
they can be regenerated, resurrected
and brought to life again. The Radi-
cal Congress has blown the Gabriel's
trumpet, and those that will not hear
must be cast into utter darkness.
But we think that even the Radicals
themselves must see that there are
some slight Inconvenience which must
spring out of their theory OF the politi
cal sel-murder of the States. All the
world has been told that slavery has
been legally abolished by an amend
ment to the Constitution of the United
States. Now, among those States
which voted in favor of the amendment
were some of the Southern States, and
their votes were necessary to pass the
amendment. If, therefore, these States
were not States, then the Constitution
al amendment has not been adopted,
and slavery has not been abolished
A State government was organized in
Virginia during the war with Mr.. Pier
pont as Governor, and that government
was fully recognized by the Federal
Government. With the consent of the
State of Virginia (namely, this govern
ment) Congress divided the State and
organised the State of Western Virgin
ia, which has ever since been recogniz-
ed as State of the Union. The pres
emit State government in Virginia is a
legitimate descendant of the Plerpont
government, and if the one is illegal
then the other is illegal also. Now, il
the Pierpont government was illegal,
then the consent of Virginia has neve,
been obtained to her division, and the
State of West Virginia is no State at
all. To preserve their consistency
will the Radicals refuse to count the
vote of West Virginia in the electoral
College. They will doubtless do so il
she should vote for Seymour, and il
her vote should decide the contest.
But it is useless to multiply instan.
ces to show the imbecility and corrup-
ton which mark Radical legislation
They do not conceal the fact that its
sole object is to perpetuate Radical
rule, and do not hesitate to avow that
they even legislate outside of the Con-
stitution to accomplish such desirable
result. Our only hope is that every
successive outrage upon the rights Of
the people serves only to increase the
weight of popular Indignation under
which the party is to be crushed in
November.