The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-08-05


ton knows to be both unsound and
disgraceful. !
The other great blunder commit
ted at the close ofthe war consisted
in an act of mere force, by which. the
southern States were treated as con
quered countries subject to the un-
limited domination of the Federal
power, which overturned the whole
basis of society and rendered it i'm
possible to he governed by its intel
ligence and its property. If univer-
sal suffrage is theoretically OF prac-
tically great good, it cannot work
anything but mischief unless intelli-
gence. and property are allowed at
least fair chance with ignorance and
poverty. But with an utter disre-
gard Of all consequences, the recon-
struction scheme was so devised that
ignorance and poverty became at
once the controlling power, against
which intelligence and property had
no chance whatever. Some advice
given by Mr.. Seward to the leading
white men of the South, through Nj.
Gavarre, Of New Orleans, after the
war was over, and that gentleman was
endeavoring to learn Mr.. Stewards
views, has lately been published. 1t
ought to sink Mr.. Seward into lower
estimation as statesman than any
thing that he ever said. He advised
the Southern whites to ''eat dirt, to
ttcrawl on their bellies" back into
the Union, telling them that although
at first they might have to submit ia
great humiliatiohs and although the
| first effect would be that their States
would be represented in Congress
and governed at home by unprinci-
pied adventures, scalawags, anc
scoundrels, yet that all this would be
temporary and in due the intelli.
gence and virtue Of the South would
regain their proper ascendancy. u
all the recommendation ever made
to q people who had been unsuccess
full in Accomplishing q political revo
tlution-of all the advice ever givel
! to unsuccessful rebels, this was, con
sidering the situation, the most alb
surd that history has recorded. 4
true craftsmanship demanded tina
the way Of return to the unio!
should be made as easy to men Q
principle and character as it could b.
in consistency with the mere suprem
acy Of the Federal Constitution, AM
that nothing should be done whicl
would subject those States to be gov
erned by the votes Of a populatio
which would certainly place thei
governments in the hands Of til
: worst of men. If ths Federal powe
: had been an imperial or royal dynas
I ty that had just crushed q great re
bellion, and that wished to STAN
out an entire race of men, precedent
l enough could be found for placin
e their neclss under the heels of anOtl
t er race. But such presidents in ger
+ eral would show that the preferene
S has commonly been given to sup
: rior race, and considering that til
S Federal power was neither an imp
n rial nor a royal dynasty, but q COZ
e stitutional government, interested b
I yond all things else to prevent r
S publican institutions from becomir
e a farce and a mockery, MIR. Sewar
even if he is not by reason of h
r noncotnmittal personally responsib
r for the particular reconstructit
l. measures Of his party, was bound
l. have done his utmost to prevent tt
l. whites of the South from being su
y iected to the domination Of Il
q blacks.
G. Either the Republicans must
Is turned out of power by the Dem
y cratic party, Or constitutional al
le honest government has seen it's Ia
'e lays in this land. By what mea
IL and measures we are to rectlfy the
'e wrongs and avoid further central1s
OF ton in the remedies which we app
p the intelligence and patriotism of 0
H. Statesmen and the fidelity of Q
70 masses to principle must detemil
er The thing first to be done is to 'n'
'n the responsibility by assuming
d If the Democracy cannot rescue
io country from its present peril it "
en- not be rescued. This is not pred
ar ton, it is the statement ola pl'
ne fact, patent to every intelligent m
eli who is capable of seeing that W
e. abundant time and the full poss
eel