The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-01-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
[Fron Our Special Correspondent
WASuINGTON,J Jan. Is, 1871

the House and Senate, the wish was
frequently expressed in debate by Rad
ical congressman, as we'll as by leading
Republican journals, that the work of
reconstruction might be speedily and
finally completed. One after another
the ostracised States Of the South had
been gathered within the fold Of the
the pitilcss reign OF the bayonet or the
more corrupt and iniqutious rule of
characterless carpet-baggers. There
was certainly Il universal desire that
Georgia should be represented i'll Con-
gresss, and that .f,,is should be written
to the history of reconstruction. Con-
cerning the terms Of admission there
was, however, a wide difference OF opin-
ion, which led to many days and nights
of weary debate. But i'll the last hours
of the last session, a bill was passed
which it was thought would answer
the desired purpose. 1t was not sutii-
cicntly explicit in its terms to suit the
Conservatives; neither did it perpetuate
in Office the present State officials, and
consequently did not please the ultra
Radicals. Both parties were, however,
weary of the long continued wr;,ngling,
and reconstruction had begun to stink
in the nostrils of tho nation. When
Congress adjourned in July last, it was
public also shared, that everything
necessary had been done for restoring
the last Of the "wayward sisters" to her
place in the family of States.
Now it appears that the sores of re-
construction are to be again uncovered.
Several Southern States stand charged
with the crime of having freely eX-
pressed themselves at the polls in the
recent elections, and with having rcn-
dered verdicts against the dominant
party. For this the penalty of further
reconstruction will be inflicted, if the
President, and the few bad men who
control him, have any influence with
Congress. The Union which only
needed Georgia to make it complete, is
to be rent again by enforced session.
The programme announced by Senator
Morton, comprises the expulsion of
North Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas,
Florida and Georgia, and the keeping
Of these States without the pale until
they shall reverse their late judgment
and mcekly accept such officials
and representatives as the President
and his advisers may dictate. The
party which claims to have carried on
a gigantic war solely for the prescrva-
tion of the Union, now proposes to in
auguratc disunion unless it can hold the
States lately in rebellion as conquered
provinces. Such is the present openly
avowed policy of the Radical party. If
it succeeds in these aims, the INSTALL
ment OF Grant as Il military dictator
will soon follow.
Active measures for reconstruction
have not yet been inaugurated, nor
will they be, until the plan of "count-
ing inn defeated candidates has been
fully tested. Senator BrOwnlOw was
the originator of this method of over
coming adverse majorities, and prac-
ticcd it successfully in Tennessee. In
Texas, Gen. Reynolds found it to an
swcr admirably, and by rejecting the
votes of two counties, he counted in
Governor Davis and secured the State
to the Radicals. In Florida, by tho re-
enough Radicals have been counted in
to control tho Legislature, and the
State offices, so that Senator Morton
may possibly be spared the trouble of
reconstruction in that quarter. Tho
same game will no doubt be attempted
in Georgia, with what SUCCESS, remains
to be seen. In North Carolina it IL too
late to resort to these tactics, and hero
Morton's services will bc called into
rcquisition. The Arkansas programme
is not yet fully developed, as the stu
alton there is not clearly understood at
prcscnt; but operations have already
been commenced with regard to Ala
bama. Lewis f. Parsons, the active
brief mention. He was appointed Pro-
visional Governor of Alabama by
President Johnson; was elected to the
United States Senate in 1866 as a DEM
ocrat; and was IL member of the Ma
tional Democratic Convention held in
Now York in 1868. After the election
of Gen. Grant to the Presidency, MIR.
Parsons became violent Radical. lie
playcd n prominent part in the recent