Year: 1863




tone and sentiments of this journal, and to de-


precate'the influences which it tends to exer-


else upon the minds of the people amongst


whom it circulates. In doing so we are


prompted only by the desire to keep the hearts
and minds of our people intent upon the prose-


cution of the war with all their energy and all


their resources; and by the settled conviction
! that everything tending to dissatisfy them
with The original movement of secession, or
impress them with the idea that peace, so de


slrabe to us all, is to be attained with honor
short of our entire and absolute indept ndence
Of the North, is destructive to our cause, and
must lead to our annihiation and disgrace.
We do net believe the South Western in
| tends that. The editors seem to be regarded
amongst those who know them best, as true
Southern men, and it becomes us to accept
their verdict. With this disclaimer. and ae
cording to them the fullest privilege of thought
and speech, We feel bound in the midst of the
imminent danger which threatens our denart-
ment, to enter our protest against the tone and
conduct OF that Journal, not by way of reproach
to it, but TO warn our people against bein in.
uenced thereby.


| IN our last issue we noticed pararra ph
! from the Southwestern, calling upon the
wings to rally for political contest. We are
alarmed with the prospect of heated political
contest of any sort, and NEST especially with
the prospect of re-opening al the old party
sores which have been healed by the necessity
| OF common efforts, and the feeling of common
! danSer-which should be allowed TO grow up
forever, SO that not a scar may be left in the
body polite TO remind US of much that was
shameful and unbecoming a free people The
same paragraph called forth a notice from the
| Shrev port News, to which the South Western
replied as follows:


The 'Semi-W eekly News" perverts
seemingly Intentionally, our paragraph
wherein We said, sit appears to US now is
the time for the wings to rally-they can
carry almost every parish in the State"
! The "News" would make out this an 'sin-
ference" "that the democrats are shoul.
dering arms, and the wings luxuriating at
home" This is net the fact, ard we as
sert 1T without the fear of truthful con-
| tradlctlon, hat more prominent democrats


have "shirked" the war than wings. We


spoke of the time being propitous, as the
! people have found cut that they have been
wofully deceived by lying presses and
,,rellable gentleman" They know to
their sorrow and cost, that democratic
convention imposed upon them consti.
tuition without their consent They also
kEow that the democrats voted the State
ont OF the Union without putting the vote
to the people. What has been the re
suit? Why, almost every wealthy man in
the State is ruined. And many firmly
believe that the democratic office-holders
would soouer saddle upon US monarch
and privileged aristocracy tnan surrender
up their places.


We do not yet believe, and shall be hardly
persuaded, that many loyal citizens of Louisi
ana think of the action of their convention
with sorrow, or regret the cost of their .eces


sion from the old government, and their union
with the Southern Confederacy. If it be that
the new constitution of that State i. objection
oulo, VIC nave never yet HcaTu O. II, or OF any
thing in it to produce sorrow to the citizens,
or grievous cost to any portion of the State.
The ''sorrow ond cost" if any, has come from
the war and the act of secession; and if there
be any citizens of the State who reprobats
that we pity their weakness, and with iraw
from them every particle of sympathy. TheJ
are conquered. Our own constitution here in
Arkansas was adopted in n similar manner as
a part of their necessary work, by the conven-
| ton which dissolved our connection with the
| Federal Government There was no voice
raised for its submission to the people, for the
convention echoed the voice of The people from
| every county, and there has never yet been
murmur of dissent fr m any respectable source
| Nor can we believe it possible that ary loyal
| citizens of Louisiana regret the act Of sseces-
sion because almost every wealthy man in the
State has been ruined thereby. 1t is huHlili-
| ating to accurse the wealthy men of such base
ness. Every citizen, itch poor, owes his all
| to the Confederacy. 1t is better that all shoulI
be ruined in their personal fortunes than that
| the State should be induced to express repen-
| tance of its conduct, and wish to be restored
to its old condition. We have known many
wealthy men ruined by the war. We have
never yet heard one of them repine or murmur,
| or regret the act of secession on that account
Such declarations tend to encourage in the
minds of the poorer classes the detestable
| falsehood that the interests of the rich have
4 any peculiar consideration in the South. That
is not the ease. 1t is war for freedom, to be
enjoyed by the poorest man and his descen-
dants; and Nthe fortunes of the rich man 20
down in the struggle, SO be it. 1t is better
than submission-better than whining repent
ance. To this nne-tenths d the rich men of
the South will respond amen; and we imagine
they will be little thankful to tie South West
tern for plea in their behalf, SO little compi-
mentary to their Patriotism. =,


We feel confident, too, that if thu be office
holders in Louisiana who would sooHar saddle
upon the people a monarchy and privileged ar
1istocracy than surrendS their places, is.will
not need revival of old6garty issues to pu.
them out. 1t it did, it wouh after all be the
means of keeping them in. Excuse US for say
ing that such clap-trap is thet teld song and
trick of the politician in the worst day. of the
| old repub1ic-and misleads only the ignorant.