Year: 1868

in joint session for the purpose of inau-


guratiBg n. G. Warmoth as Governor


of the State of Louisiana. The oath of
Office was administered by Chief Justice


Hymans after which, Gov. Warmoth


read the following Inaugural Address:


Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the


Senate ard Hoasse Of RepresentatiUes:-I


am deeply Impressed with the grave and


peculiar Significance of this occasion


and the magnitude of the responsibility


which am this day to assume. trust


the hearts of all of us are moved and


pervaded by realizing sense of the


new and serious duties we have been


called upon to discharge. Before me is


the first legislature as an equal member


of the.American Union that has sat for


seven years. need not recount to You


the history of these seven years, SO full


of startling and wonderful as well as


painful and terrible events-so pregnant


with momentous issues, SO productive


great and glorious results. Nor do I


deem it expedient at this time to trace
the chain of causes which led to these
events, and produced these results, or
to discuss the questions of who have


been most culpable and responsible for


WI" "tever has been wrong OF mistaken
in .-.e past, and who are most deserving
of credit for whatever is good in the
present, We have here met not to spec
ulate upon the past, nor to brood and
quarrel over its ashes, but rather to
meet the great living issues of the pre-
sent and the duties which it imposes
upon us. We stand amid the ruins of
an old order of things; it should be ours
to work wisely and manfully for the es-
OF a new and better order
of things upon the foundation which
these seven years have established. So
long as time is spent in futile and irrita-
ting discussions upon the realness and
probable permanency of these fOunda-
tiOns, or persistent and perhaps turbu-
lent efforts to unsettle and upheave
them, SO long will the public peace, or
der and tranquility refuse to be restored,
aud SO long will the restoration and de-
velOpment of all the great interests of
the State be delayed and endangered.


Gentlemen, the corner stone of these
laid and fixed forever by q
war, sealed as firmly believe by the
hand of God himself, and recognized by
that organic law under which we have
and which / am here to
swear to support and defend is the
equality before the law and the enjoy
ment of every political right of all the
citizens of the State, regardless of race,
color, or previous conditions; and only
when this grand distinctive feature of
the new Constitution shall be stamped
OH every act of legislation, and when
such legislation shall find approval and
support in that general public sentiment
which gives to law it's vitality, will our
State fairly enter upon that career of
greatness and prosperity which the AL
mighty designed for her. 1t would be
idle to deny that while large majority
of our people have testified in the stron-
gest manner to their approval of that
feature of the Constitution of which /
have spoken, there is still a minority,
not wanting in intelligence and virtue,
who are strenuously opposed to it.
Much is to be hoped from the good
sense, the discretion, and inherent love
Of justice of the American people for
the gradual wearing away of the preju-
dices upon which alone this opposition
is founded. Meantime let our course,
while resolute and manly, be also mod
crate and discreet. Let Legislation be
kept as much as possible in harmony
with the sentiments of the whole peo-
pie. 1t is better tfat the course of leg


slation should rather fall behind than
TO outstrip the popular wishes and de-
mands. Let everything consistent with
right and justice be done to bring back
the era of good feeling, and to wash
from the memories of all everything
that tends to ALLEVIATE one class or one
party from another.


1 refrain at this time from entering


ntO any discussion of measures which
may deem of Importance. In future |
will discharge the duty imposed upon
ne by giving to the General Assembly
respecting the condition of
5he State, and recommending to it's con-
such legislation as may seem
eXpedient. venture, however, to urge |
measures for the repression |
If lawlesSness and disorder now rife in |
many parts of the State. From many
parishes we have almost daily accounts |
If violence and trouble-in many cases
most brutal and revolving MURDERS
Without any effort on the part of the
people to prevent or punish them.


We want peace and order; without it |
We can have no prosperity. Such meas
lres must be adopted to secure life and
as may be necessary. Il the


taxpayers prefer to support strong
force to doing their duty
vs. citizens by helping the officers, yes,
~ making the officers of the law keep


he peace, and protect the life of every
nan, however poor, then the response


Il 1