Year: 1866

der of things, and assured them that al
| though the State government had been or.
ganiZed, yet was anxious that general
election for its officers should be held, in


which the whole State should participate


| fulfilled every word of my promises.
appointed the men recommended to fill Of
fees in the several parishes. Isigned their
applications to the President Of the United


States for pardons. | persisted in my
course of reconciliation, notwithstanding


the warnings and remonstrances of Union
men, who believed my policy would be un-
avaling in accomplishing the purpose in
tended, and who predicted that at the very
first election these men, in every parish


where they held the power, would prescribe
every man from Office who had not been III


the rebel cause. These predictions have
| been realized to the letter at every subse-
| quent election, with the exception of my
case, as is well known, for it was publicly
avowed that was put at the head of their
ticket simply because | could be useful in
securing representation OF the State III
Congress. 1t is further we'll known that
| their platform, reported by the committee
| appointed for that purpose, to the Demo
cratic convention held in this city, was a
reiteration Of the doctrine of the right of
| secession, and it was only through the eX-
ertionS of few Of the more cautious and
polite of the party that this platform was
| made to assume the form which was adopt
| ed, as i'll the same convention wellknown
| and live Democrat was publicly censured
| by resolution, because, in a speech deliver
ed before that body, he said that secession
was worse than crime--it was a blunder
| Notwithstanding my nomination by the
| Democratic party, another candidate was
put into the field in opposition to me, who
| had officiated as Governor under the rebel
rule, and who, had he been in the country
and signiied his assent, | have no doubt
would have been overwhelmingly elected.
When the members of the Legislature
met in extra session, in the month of No
vember, 1865, convened by me for the pur-
| pose OF raising money to restore the broken
| levees, and to take measures to redeem the
credit of the State, | found them more in
| tent On calling a convention to change the
| constitution OF 1864 than to promote the
general interest of the people. Their chief
| objection to that instrument was the char
acter of the men who framed it, and the
abolition of slavery. Having failed at the
extra session to pass a bill to call a con-
vention, the attempt was renewed at the
regular session held in the month of Janu-
J ary and more than half the time of that
! body was spent in discussing the question.
! Finally a commission was sent to Wash
| ington to consult with the President -
| Through his advice | considered a conven-
ton ineXpedient, and, for that reason op-
posed it. had learned enough of the real
sentiments Of the people TO convince me
that if the new constitution was made in


would be less in harmony with the views


of the President and Congress than the


constitution Of 1864, the result of which


would be to lessen the chances for the ad-


mission of our representatives to urge these


views on the members of both houses of


the Legislature but they had no effect with


the majority.


| deprecated the city and parish cleo
tionS, for the reason that | feared the ro-
suit, because of the character of the men


who would be elected, and because | had
seen enough of public sentiment to con


vince me that none but those who served
! in tie Confederate army or who had gone
| into the Confederate lines would be elected


to Office | foresaw that such result


would be Justly remarked by the people of
| the loyal States as showing a defiant spirit


and as still glorying i'll a cause that had


been sustained by them with such fearful
| loss of life and expenditure of treasure
| With numerous and repeated evidences Of
continuing an intolerant and rebellious


spirit, and the manifestation of an inten-


ton of prosecuting all who did not adhere


to the fortunes of the Contederacy to the


last, on the part of large majority of the


citizens, and with a press almost unani-


mously expressing sentiments of the same


tenor, is 1t matter Of surprise that


should pause and commence to reflect on


the consequences as regards the future Sc,
curity of the Government and the fate of
the Union men III the South, if those men,


who once attempted to break up the Union,


succeeded in securing the pow, of the ma


tion again?


| had seen that, while protesting with


their lips renewed allegiance to the flag and


ali obllteratlon OF the past which embod-


les the pacific policy Of the President, they


were becoming more arrogant, and diCta-


toral They gloried in the apparent schism


between the President and Congress in the


policy of restoring the States lately in re-


belIion, and rubbed their hands with de-


light at the idea of a civil war in the loyal


States In view of all this array of strong,
stubborn facts, | freely acknowledge my


views Of conciliatory policy, in turning


back to allegiance those who have been en-


gagged in a war to destroy the Union, have


undergone a change The intolerant spirit


engendered by slavery still exists. The


loss of property and failure of hopes can


never be forgiven and though l regard


them as impotent to resist the cons tituted


authority enforced by the presence of the
military, yet | am convinced they would
renew the rebellion tomorrow if they saw
, i prospect of success.


: Impressed with the truth of these views,
: foreseeing the necessity for the future Sc


curity Of the Union men in the South that
: the amendment to the Constitution adopted
= by Congress and submitted to the several
, States for ratification should prevail, and
, fully realizing the fact that the amendment
, would never be ratified by the present Leg.
: islature, | own | was in favor of the rcas-
= sembling of. the convention of 1864 as the
only means of securing the ratification re-
: quired, and thereby to insure the admission
} Of our representatives in Congress-


4 The legal right of the convention to con
4 tlnue its functions is question, | suppose