450 



LOUISIANA. 



reinstated, who was succeeded by the elected 

 Mayor, John T. Monroe." 



In the Legislature on March 8th an act was 

 considered to take the sense of the people on 

 the expediency of calling a convention to form 

 a new constitution, and to provide for the elec- 

 tion of delegates and for the holding of the 

 convention. It was urged that it was the duty 

 of the members to act promptly on this ques- 

 tion because they had been elected on the 

 pledge of calling the convention. Others 

 doubted the propriety of agitating the subject 

 of calling a convention at the time. The same 

 question was discussed at the late extra session 

 and deferred by a very large vote until the reg- 

 ular session, because it was then expected the 

 position of the State would be in a short time 

 changed. This had not been the case, and it 

 would be detrimental to the interests of the 

 State to press the bill at the present time. On 

 the other hand it was further urged that it was 

 the duty of the General Assembly to call a 

 convention for the purpose of renewing their 

 relations with the Federal Government; for 

 reducing the salaries of the Governor and other 

 officers of the State. The blanks were then 

 filled providing that the votes should be cast 

 on the first Monday of May, and that the con- 

 vention should meet on July 2, 1866. The bill 

 was then ordered to be engrossed, yeas C2 ; 

 nays 24. On the next day, upon the motion to 

 read the bill for the third time, a dispatch wag 

 read from the commissioners sent by the Legis- 

 lature to Washington, wherein those gentlemen 

 said that, " after interviews with the President 

 and Secretary Seward they are thoroughly con- 

 vinced that further agitation of the convention 

 question will seriously embarrass the President's 

 reconstruction policy." The bill was then laid 

 on the table. 



The facts relative to the Constitution of the 

 State, as will be seen by reference to previous 

 volumes of this work, were, that it was framed 

 by a comparatively insignificant portion of the 

 State, and it has since received the virtual en- 

 dorsement by the whole people, by elections 

 held under it, and by two sessions of a general 

 assembly comppsed of representatives from 

 every parish. Of the legality of their action 

 and the binding force of the laws they passed, 

 the members of the Legislature could not, cer- 

 tainly, entertain a doubt. The entire State or- 

 ganization, executive, legislative, and judicial, 

 \vas framed in accordance with the reqiiire- 

 ments of the Constitution of 1864. The ordi- 

 nance of secession repealed by that constitution 

 was everywhere regarded as a nullity. The 

 Constitution of 1864 also reaffirmed most of the 

 provisions of that of 1852, and further authorized 

 the General Assembly of the State to make 

 such amendments as might be deemed neces- 

 Bary, provided they were properly submitted to 

 the people and received their indorsement. At 

 ihe same time, among the people of the State 

 there was a very large body decidedly opposed 

 to the Constitution of 1864 which was uni- 



versally conceded not to be what it should be 

 respecting the recalling of the convention 

 which framed that Constitution. The New Or- 

 leans Times, February 19th, thus expresses its 

 views: 



As to the talk about recalling the Convention of 

 1864, we can regard it only as idle rumor hatched in 

 the unbalanced bi-ain of some reactionary dreamer. 

 We cannot for a moment suppose that the president 

 of that convention could be induced to call the mem- 

 bers of that body again together on any suggestion 

 less authoritative than that of President Johnson. 



On the evening of March 21st, the members 

 of the Legislature assembled in the Senate 

 Chamber to listen to a report relative to the 

 effect of the mission of members of the General 

 Assembly to Washington. One of the dele- 

 gates (Mr. Eagan) made a statement which is 

 reported as follows : 



In pursuance to their mission they hastened to 

 Washington City, and on their arrival there were on 

 the first day informally introduced to the President 

 by the Hon. Randall Hunt. The Commission, on 

 the next day, had a formal interview with the Presi- 

 dent, and it was evident on every occasion that the 

 President was not only highly pleased with the ac- 

 tion of the State in sending commissioners, but that 

 he also takes a deep interest in the future of the 

 State of Louisiana. 



The commissioners stated that the people of Loui- 

 siana accept the situation, "the result of the war," 

 and are willing to vindicate their character of good 

 citizens under republican institutions and the Con- 

 stitution of the United States. 



The President in the course of his remarks stated 

 that he believes the loyalty of the people of Louisi- 

 ana to be sincere. The President further expressed 

 himself to the effect that he would not yield to the 

 importunities of the party which clamors to sustain 

 them in their efforts to have a separate government 

 for the North and another for the South. 



Mr. Eagan felt that a set of men who feel the pow- 

 er wielded by them over the people sliding from their 

 grasp, use all their influence at present against the 

 President. 



An interview to the commissioners was also 

 granted, with one of the members of the Cabinet, 

 which was very satisfactory, although it was on the 

 same day when that functionary received the repre- 

 sentatives of foreign states. 



Mr. Eagan, in. a resume, dwelt upon a remark of 

 the President when they were pleading the cause of 

 this State, " leaving no stone unturned." The sig- 

 nificant remark of the President was to the effect : 

 "Gentlemen, I am glad to see that you know what 

 you are about." 



Mr. Eagan amusingly related that he was called 

 upon by representatives of the extreme North to as- 

 sist them in their grand Northern Pacific Eailroad 

 scheme. 



The commissioners were struck with a feature in 

 the debates of the houses of Congress, showingthat 

 the disputes on all questions were between the West 

 and Northeast, and the gentleman felt glad that the 

 South did not come in to have the blows saddled on 

 its back between the combatants. 



The President hoped now, after the surrender of 

 the military, to be able to recognize all the rights of 

 the loyal people, and is still confident of a favorable 

 result. 



The session of the Legislature closed with- 

 out any further action on the subject of a con- 

 stitutional convention, on March 22d. A large 

 number of local acts were passed during the 

 session. An act was also passed providing for 



