The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1870-01-22

i
to the programme: Il loyal delegd-
ti0n sent TO Congress; BrownI0w
succeeded to the GovernOrSilip:
and, to swedge the bolts 50 that
none of them would draw, the
Governor was given absolute con.
troll over the registering officers,
SO that no rebel could get on the
registry even of the most REBEL
iOus district. If ever q policy
could be keyed up and riveted tiIis
would seem to have been secure.
But Brownlow was chosen to
the United States Senate and
turned over the governorship to
Senter, who wanted to he chosen
in his own right; and here he was
confronted by Stokes, who threat.
ened to prove the stronger with
the loyal or Republican voters.
Senter, to escape defeat, begins to
change the registering officers,
appointing such as would register
ex-rpbrlS who would vote for him.
When the polls at length opened,
nearly every rebel was duly regis
tered and voted, electing Senter
easily enough, and with him a
Legislature that only needs ISham
q. Harris for Governor to make
the revolution symmetrical and
complete. With the Republican
party divided, and the rebels per-
fectly united, this result was in
evitabip.
THE LOVED AND LOST.
Now, You may execrate Senter.
or whOmsoever you will; that will
not alter the facts. The State is
lost. Her vote is scored up
against the XVIII amendment; her
delegation in the next Congress
will be two thirds Copl,erhead;a and
yOn may expect to see her celebra-
ted the next anniversary OF the
battle of Chickamauga. 1t seems
10 me that she has been fooled
away, and that the initial blunder
WAS the calculation that pyra-
mid might be made TO stand on
its apex-that the disfranchise-
Inent OF nearly half the men, hold
ing three-fourths of the property,
could be upheld and perpetuated
in republican commonwealth. [
impeach your policy of sweeping
diSfranchisement and prescription
as leading inevitably to such dis
asterS. Had the Republicans of
Tennessee, even down to last
spring, said TO the rebels, 'We
will meet you on the platform of
universal amnesty with impartial
suffrage, eniranchiSing you all on
condition that You unite with us
inratifying the XVIII amendments"
that overture would have been
heartily accepted. As it was,
taking gloand against Spnter sim
ply constrained him to enfranchiSc
more and more rebels in order to
escape defeat, until at last the
State was completely in their
power.
A FEW DAYS IN GEORGIA.
V. In Georgia, the rebels have
broken faith 80 grossly that pub
lie sentiment will justify 4 resort
to stern measures to restore the Ma
tional authority. They had Meth.
er the moral nor the legal right
to expel the cOlored members from
the Legislature and install de
feated c0pperheads in their places
Ii they had supposed the expul
sion justifiable, they would have
given the people q chance to Ill
the seats with men chosen by ma
jOrities rather than minorities
They are justly responsible. Tor the
anomalous position of their State,
and ior the general halt in the
march of reconstruction. YOC
cannot aay more against them
than | will indorse. But they
owe their short lived ascendency
to the treachery or pusillaninity
or Republican IN that same Leg
islature. Had these all stood BY
their colors, insisting that the
vote on expeIling each colored
member should Oe taken separate
j., and all voted no, the conspIra
CIV must have failed. Their pre-
sididing officers and few Other
dough-Iaces have much to answer
Tor. Yet, even i'll the talsltied
Legislature as it stands, the tif
teenth amendment would have
been ratified If all the R0pubii
cans had voted for it. Why some
did not, can no more guess, thar
why the Legislature OF Rhode Is
land has acted SO muIishly. Bu
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