The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1868-05-09

Constitution, Governor; Legislature, ETC..
will not have legal existence until after
this decision of Congress. But follow
ing another provision of the laws of re-
construction, Louisiana cannot be admit
ted except under thecondition expressed
that her Legislature shall have ratified
the 14th Constitutional amendment.
How can Legislature which has no Ie-
gal existence, until the State has been
admitted, assemble, sit, and vote on the
amendment? To be able to sit it is ne
cessary to be conveked, and convoked it
cannot be by the present Governor. To
surmount this difficulty, new legislation
is necessary. 1t is probable that the bill
which has just been presented in Con-
gress authorizing the civil government
lately elected to enter on its functions
Immediately, and declaring Louisiana
admitted to representation in Congress.
has condition expressed that the Leg
islature at its first session will ratify
this amendment to the Constitution. We
do not yet know the other provisions of
the bill, and cannot, therefore, judge of
its effects. But it is to be presumed that
this indecent haste of the Radicals to
present bill on this subject arises out
of the belief that their adherents in Loui-
siana have carried the State. But they
may be deceived on several points, 1t is
true that the Constitution has been rati-
fled by majority of from $4,000 to 49,
900 votes; that Warmoth and the other
Radical candidates are elected, but
among the four Representatives to Con-
gress it is probable that two Democrats
have been elected-Messrs. Mann and
king-and this result will not be very
acceptable to Congress. On the other
hand, the Radical majority in the State
Legislature will be very small, and there
is nothing yet to guarantee that the Rad
icals will succeed in electing their can
didates to the Senate at Washington.
From another point of view the Radi-
calls perhaps will not be eager to admit
Louisiana to all her rights. They have
believed that the Conservatives would
he SO far beaten they could oppose only
an Insignificant resistance at this last
election. The result has proved that if
they had been better organized the Dem
ocrats would have carried Louisiana.
The influence of rpet-baggers is on
the wane. 1t will not be impossible in
the Presidential election for Louisiana to
give six electoral votes in favor of the
Conservative candidate. This consider
alton will cause the Congressional ma
jority to reflect. 1t is said that the indie
fatigable Warmoth frightened by the
clamors of these amiable candidates who
have been elected, threaten him with
abandonment, unless he places them in
possession of the spoils, and that he has
decided TO leave for Washington to de-
mand of Congress to anna1 the election
so far as the municipal offices of the city
OF New Orleans are concerned. This
pretension would seem monstrous if pre-
vious proceedings of Congress did not
authorize it. Every election which brings
gain to the cause of Radicalism is good
and valid, although one might heap up
mountains of proof to establish that it
has been held in violation of all the laws,
in spite of all the rights and by the aid
of lies and frauds of every character.
AL elections ON the contrary which as
sure victory to the Democrats are doubt
full, suspected, and illegal, and ought to
be annulled on the simple assertion Of the
party. We have had the proof of it in
the admission or rejection of Senators
and Representative to Congress, and
there would be nothing extraordinary if
the same rule were applied to the cleo
tion in Louisiana, and if they were not
to ratify in whole or in part the general
elections of the State, by annulling the
municipal election of New Orleans. The
Radicals would invoke in favor of such
annulment the arguments that they have
fought against before the election when
they believed themselves sure of success.
A Radical does not know how to be
ashamed and thinks that to give himself
the lie is o proof of his skill. We shall
learn in few days the decision of Con-
gress ON the election in this State. But
this bill, like that introduced to suit the
case of Alabama, will remain in suspense
until after the termination of the I'M
peachment trial. If Mr.. johnson shall
be deposed, the Radicals will not have
any apprehensions of their measures be-
ing vetoed by his successor. And they
will triumphantly carry forward their
plan of Reconstruction. Tt will devolve
upon the new President in pursuance of
that plan, to remove such of the COM
manders of the Southern Military Dis
tricts as are suspected to hold views ini-
mical to the Radicals. and to replace
them with more pliable incumbents, and
with those who are Incapable of reason
ing on the Acts of Congress and the laws
they are charged to execute. We can
say, then, that the solution of the ques-
ion of the admissisn of Louisiana will
depend on the issue of the impeachment
Trial.-N @. Bee.
r,. 80. $1,000.