Year: 1866




Address of Governor Wells to the


People OF Louisiana.


NEW ORLEANS, Aug. S.-The follow
ing address has been issued to the peO-
pie of Louisiana by Governor Wells:


New ORLEANS, Aug. 8.
: The bloody tragedy enacted in the
city of New Orleans on the 30th day OF
July, 1866, in which more than 3OC
citizens were killed or wounded, has, to
the credit of humanity, created pro
found sympathy in the breast of every
man throughout the length and breadth
of the country. The remote and imme-
diate causes of this outrage demand a
thorough Investigation and eXplana-
ton, and as the Chief Magistrate of the
State l feel a solemn duty resting upon
me to give plain unvarnished state
ment of it's origin and progress. In do
ing this 1t becomes necessary for me to
commence in the year 1864, at the reor-
ganization of civil government in that
portion of Louisiana which had been
wrested from rebel authority. regret
that 1 shall, in this connection, be
obliged to speak of myself. It is not
to satisfy any feeling of vanity, for I
fully realize that am but an insignif-
cant atom in the great cause of main
tanning and perpetuating the Union
of these States. The political history
of the country teaches us that under
the policy of the late lamented Presi-
dent all the loyal citizens of Louisiana
in the parishes then within the Union
lines, were invited and author
the military commander of this
Department, to hold an election on the
22nd day of Feb'y, 1864, for State officers.
The election was held and then being IL
refugee from my Parish in the rebel
lines, in consequence Of my Union sem
timents, was nominated by the free
State party, as it is called, and also by
the extreme radical party, of which J.
Durant was the acknowledged leader,
as their candidate for the Office of
Lieutenant Governor. The first named
ticket headed by Michael Hahn for
Governor, was elected and served until
March 4th, 1865, when, by his resigna-
ton, succeeded to the Office of Cover
nor. In the meantime, and by virtue
of military authority, an election for
Delegates to a State Convention to
amend and revise the constitution of
1852, had taken place. The convention
met, framed a constitution declaring
slavery to be abolished-which con-
stitution is now the fundamental law
of the State.


1t is further we'll known that the con-
vention did not adjourn sine die, but
subject to the call of the president for
any cause. A Legislature had also
been elected and was in session at the
time of the assumption by me of the
authority of the office of Governor.
Shortly afterward the collapse of the
so-called Confederate Government took
place, and by the surrender of the for
ceS in the Trans-Mississippi depart
ment, the entire territory Of the State
was removed to the lawful authority of
the United States. When this event
took place what was my conduct to-
ward the people of the eighteen Pari-
shes reclaimed? Although had been
prosecuted aud driven away from my
home by the rebel authorities, l sup
pressed all feeling of rancor, so natural
to many, and expressed the belief that
a majority had been seduced from their
allegiance to the old flag by the wiles of
artful demagogues who brought on the
rebellion. l determined to try the eff
feet of kindness and Cancellation in
weaving them back to their first love.
l addressed them proclamation con-
graduating them on their restoration to
the protection of a Government
Of law and order, and assured
cerned was willing to forget the past.
begged them to submit cheerfully and
unreservedly to the new order of things
and assured them that although a
State Government had been organized,
yet was anxious that general elec-
tion for State officers should be
held in which the whole State
could participate. fulfilled
every word of my promise, and ap-
pointed men recommended to fill the
offices in the several parishes. 1 signed
their applications to the President of
the United States, for special pardon. 1
persisted in my course of reconstruct
inHN l. kI.,
remonstrances of Union men, who be-
lieved that my policy would be una
vailing in accomplishing the purposes
intended, and that at the VerV first
election there, men in every parish,
where they held power, would pro-
scribe every man from office who had
not been in the rebel army and fought,
for the rebel cause. These predictions
have been realized to the letter at every
subsequent election, with the exception
OF my own case, and it is well known
for it was publicly avowed, that was
put at the head of their ticket simply
because it was thought I could be use
State in Congress. 1t is further we'll
known that the platform report
ed by the committee appointed for
that purpose, reiterated the doc
trine of the right of secession, and it
was only through the exertions of a
few of the more cautious and polite of
the party that this platform was made
to assume the form in which it was
adopted. AT the same convention, a
well known citizen and live democrat.
was publicly censured by resolution, be-
cause in speech delivered before that
body, he said that secession was worse
than crime. 1t was blunder. Not
withstanding my nomination by the
democratic party, another candidate
was put in the field in 0DDOsitiOn IN
me, who had officiated as Governor un-
der rebel rule, and who, had he been in
the country and signified his as
sent, have no doubt would
have been overwhelmingly elected.
When the members of the legislature
met IN extra session in the month of
November, 1865, convened by me for
the purpose of raising money to restore
the. broken levees and to take measures
to redeem the credit of the State, I
found that they were more intent on
calling convention to change the con-
stitution of 1864 than to promote the
material interests of the people. Their
chief objection to that instrument were
the character of the men who framed it
and the abolition thereby of slavery.
Having failed at the extra session to
pass bill calling convention, the at
tempt was renewed at the regular ses-
sion held in the month of January. and
more than half the time of that BODY
was spent in discussing that question.
FINALLY committee was sent to Wash
tngton 10 consult the President and
the legislature only abandoned the
measure through his advice. I
considered a convention inexpedi-
ent and for that reason opposed
1t. had learned enough of the real
sentiments of the people to convince
methat II new constitution was made,