New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-23
VERY INEXAOT.

4
11cAN an inference not warranted by the
text:
In the REPUBLICAN tho inference is thrown
ont that ex- Governor Wickliffo was dis
unionist in 1860, and, with Governor Moore.
lent his assistance toward bringing on the
war.
The article in question was limited to
the specific purpose of showing that the
Democratic situation of an "entire South"
in 1859, with 80 portion of the North
west" is identical with that at pres
ent. 1t defined the Democratic doctrine
in 1859 to be that ''each separate State is
sovereign" and that of the Republican
party that "the majority Of voices in the
whole United States, considered as ma
ton, ought to rule" Is there any differ
ence in this division of parties now2 To
this repetition of the historical situation
the paragraph was directed, nor can there
be any imputation Of the disunionism as
| sumed by the jealous advocate of Mr..
Wicklife.
/ uo AWtcS bSbeIto.
Governor Wicklifs was, from the begin
ming to the end Of the struggle, pro
| nounced Union man.
We do not controvert any assertion
which may be authorized by Mr.. Wick
life, but should have supposed he would
have been found among the pronounced
Union men who remained and aided in
the maintenance of the Union. He, how
ever, seems to have retired to Ken
lucky, 'swhere his counsels were unheed-
3D." which was perhaps as prudent
course as he could we'll have taken.
We do not propose writing the biogra-
ply of this gentleman, nor impugning his
devotion to the Union. We have con-
fined ourselves to showing that he has
found the same sectional and political d.
vision Of parties since his return from the
political Patmos in which he found refuge
that he had left on his departure. Since,
however, the Times has brought ques-
ton into discussion which the REPUBLICAN,
has never discussed, We may quote some
what further from the record. It will ex-
plain our surprise at the evident change
of opinion which his excellency under
went in very short space of time. We
quote from the State executive message of
1865 the following exposition of princi-
Piles:
The doctrine of States righte, the corner
stone of our system of government, the
great bulwark against Capitalization in .
purely representative republic. appears to
be making steady progress. The cardinal
feature of our system ia that We are not
one nation, with q supreme government at
Washington, but an aggregation of thirty
one sovereign nations with central agency
there, intrusted for convenience with GER
tain specified powers, and it is . matter of
congrstulation that this, the true intent of
the trainers of the constitution ia becoming
more and more familiar with the people Of
all Glasses and of every political hue.
As the South is necessarily unit upon all |
the great subjects of national politics, it BE- |
hooves the Legislature to tnrn it's atten- |
ton to those great objects Of State policy |
which have been go long neglected.
In the annual message Of 1860 we find
it said:
The times that are upon us have rapidly |
precipitated crisis which must be met |
mantully. In any event l know that the I
people of Louisiana will not be found |
We uting in a practical viud;cation Of their I
as.ailsd rights and in q proper defense OF |
their honor.
With recital of the consequences which |
will follow compromise Of constitutional
right and submission to wrong" it is
added:
1t is not possible toat Louisiana will abate |
one lot of her inslienable prerogstives, or
swerve in the least from the true, just and |
patriotic position che has ever noby Occu- |
pied.
This is followed by a review and resume |
of the aggressions of the North against |
the South, and is regarded ''as an inaus-
picious condition Of affairs" This was
the winter before the presidential election
of 1860. That event was followed by the |
declaration of Governor Moore that
The election of Lincoln was to be consid- |
cred as evidence of deliberate design to |
pervert the powers of the government to |
the immediate injury and ultimate destruc-
ton of the peculiar institutions OF the South.
He advised the call of convention, and
adds that
In case any attempt should be made by
the Federal gOvernme mt to cOerce q sOver-
eign State and compel her to submission to
an authority which she has ceased to recOg-
nizs. l should unhesitaiingly recommend
that Louisiana assist her sister States with |
the same alacrity and courage with which
the colonies assisted each other in the
struggle against the despotism Of the Old
World.
Now, we do not question that even with
the ante-war opinions which we shall
quote, Mr.. Wicklifie is not, upon COM
pliance with the conditions of law, as
much citizen of the United States as
nybody else; but when we are told that
be ''was from the beginning to the end of
he struggle pronounced Union man, 1T
occasions slight elevation Of the eye
orows. There were such pronounced
Union men as Governor Wells, Judge
Taliaferro and others who took refuge in
he swamps. There were others who con-
,ealed their Unionism until the ascend
'ncy Of the Federal government here en-
.bled them to avow it. All these Union
men, pronounced and inarticulate, and
more too, focked ia when it became safe
o do so. The counsels Of these men and
heir protective Intervention were sought
nd exercised on behalf of the thousands
from want. 1t was at once q
vide field of benevolence and of vindica-
ion. We do not think Mr., Wickliffe en-