Year: 1867

Respectfully yours, &c.,,

 "JoHN M. G. PARKER.

 REPLY.

 NEW ORLEANS, La., June 3d, 1867. ~ M c. Parker Esq.

 My dear Sir: Your esteemed favor of the 18th ultimo was duly received. was much pleased to hear Senator Wilson, and was agreeably surprised to meet such far ness and frankness in politician whom l have been taught to believe uncompromis- ingly opposed to the white people of the South.

 Il have maturely considered your sugges- tion to wisely unite in efforts to restore Louisiana to her former position in the Union, through the party now in power My letter of the 9th of April, to which you refer, clearl y indicates desire for practi cal reconstruction and reconciliation. Prac- tical men can surely distinguish between practical reconstruction and reconstruction as an abstract question. I will endea7or however, with renewed energy, to meet your wishes in the matter. The serious difficulty that apprehend is the want of that wisdom which is necessary for the great work. I shall be happy to work in any harness that promises relief to our dis tressed people and harmony to the nation. It matters not whether ! bear the mantle of MT. Davis as the mantle of MT. Sumner, so that I may help to bring the glory of peace and good will toward men,

 ''I shall set out by assuming a proposi- tion that 1 hold to be self-evident, viz: The highest of human laws is the law that is established by appeal to arms.

 ''The great principles that divide politi- cal parties prior to the war were thorough l ly discussed by our wisest statesmen. When argument was exhausted resort was had to compromise. When compromise was un- avalhng, discussion was renewed and expe- dients were sought, but none could be found to suit the emergency. Appeal which of the claims was the true construc- tion of constitutional law. The sword has decided ill favor of the North, and what they claimed as principles cease to be principles, and arc become law. The views that we hold cease to be principles because they are opposed to law It is, therefore, our duty to abandon ideas that are obso- lete, and conform to the requirements of law.

 ''The military bill and amendments are peace offerings We should accept them as such, and place ourselves upon them as the starting point from which to meet fu- ture political issues as they arise

 Hike other southern men, l naturally i sought alliance with the democratic party, merely because it was opposed to the Republican party. But as far as I can judge there is nothing tangible about it, except the issues that were staked upon the war and there lost. Finding nothing to take hold of except prejudice, which can not be worked into good for any one, it is proper and right that I should seek some standpoint from which good may be done. ':If 1 appreciate the principles of the democratic party, it's prominent features oppose the enfranchisement of the colored man and deny the right to legislate upon | the subject of suffrage, except by the states Individually. These two features have a | tendency to exclude southern men from l that party; for the colored man is already 1 enfranchised here, and we cannot seek any alliance with party that would restrict his rights, The exclusive right of the states to legislate upon suffrage will make | the enfranchisemento of the blacks, whether for better or for worse,. fixture amongst u. It appears therefore, that those who cry loudest against this new order of things as Q public calamity are those whose pr1n- l ciples would fix it upon us without remedy Hence 1t becomes us to insist that suffrage should be extended in all of the states, and fully tested. The people of the North should adopt what they have forced upon us; and if it be proved to be a mistake, they should remove it by the remedy un der Republican principles of uniform laws upon suffrage.

 ''If every man in the country will meet the crisis with 8 proper appreciation of our condition, and come fairly up to his re- ] sponsibilities on tomorrow the sun will smile upon happy people, our fields will begin again to yield their increase, our railroads and rivers will team with abund- ant commerce, and towns and cities will resound with the tumult of trade and we shall be invigorated by the blessings of AL mighty God.

 T am sir very respectfully, your most obedient servant

 | JAMES LONGsTREET