452 



LOUISIANA. 



transmitted to him by a committee appointed 

 by the "influential loyal voters of Louisiana," 

 and signed by J. Madison Wells, the Governor 

 of the State; W. B. Hyman, Chief Justice of 

 the Supreme Court of Louisiana; B. K. Howell, 

 Associate Justice, and many others embracing, 

 according to the letter of Jacob Hawkins, 

 chairman of the meeting from which the me- 

 morial emanated, about one-third of the more 

 influential and representative men who were 

 loyal in the State 'of Louisiana. The memorial 

 declared that the political organizations of 

 Louisiana at that time were not republican, be- 

 cause a majority of the citizens were disfran- 

 chised under them, and because they did not 

 give adequate and equal protection to all ; and 

 furthermore, that 'they were not loyal, " be- 

 cause they are controlled by those who were 

 engaged in, and now sympathize with, the 

 rebellion against the Government." The peti- 

 tioners held the following language : 



We respectfully represent that a large majority of 

 the voters of the State regret the failure of the late 

 rebellion, and now openly approve and advocate the 

 principles and feelings that produced it ; that the 

 principles and persons of those who remained loyal 

 are as odious to them now as during the war, and 

 that those who assisted the General Government in 

 its victorious contest are now in the condition of a 

 vanquished party ; that the murders and persecutions 

 of loyal men are increasing in frequency and turpi- 

 tude, and that the lives, liberty, and property of the 

 freedmen are mainly dependent upon the interests 

 and caprices of the disloyal ; and that neither we nor 

 they can obtain justice in the civil courts or adequate 

 military protection." 



They further say : 



"We, therefore, respectfully, hut most earnestly, 

 petition your honorable bodies to take such action as 

 will supersede the present political organizations in 

 our State by such as will be loyal to the General Gov- 

 ernment, and secure to the loyal people of Louisiana 

 protection in their lives, liberty, and property. 



On presenting this memorial, Senator Trum- 

 buil held that the connection of Louisiana and 

 other seceded States with the central Govern- 

 ment had been severed, and it now rested with 

 Congress entirely to ordain the measures neces- 

 sary to restore them to their former relations. 

 He closed his remarks with these words: 



The duty of Congress, in my judgment, is, if this 

 state of facts be true, as alleged, to interfere at once 

 and set aside these political organizations which are 

 oppressing loyal men and are managing the affairs of 

 these States in the interest of the very men who 

 sought to overturn and destroy this Government. 

 The people of Louisiana that is the particular case 

 must accept the fate that awaits all people who un- 

 justly and wickedly engage in war and are defeated. 

 They are at the mercy of the Federal Government of 

 the United States of America ; and the Congress of 

 the United States is vested with authority to pass all 

 laws necessary to carry into execution all powers in- 

 trusted to this Government. Then, sir, I think it 

 should exercise this power and pass the necessary 

 laws to secure to Union men and loyal citizens their 

 rights in these rebellious States, the necessary laws 

 to place them in authority and control so that they 

 may have protection, and secure to all republican lib- 

 erty. 



The discussion which arose out of the subject 

 of this memorial had an important influence in 



shaping the policy afterward adopted by Con- 

 gress for governing and reconstructing the 

 lately seceded States. 



The session of the Legislature soon after came 

 to a close, and a new session, provided for by 

 law, opened on Monday, December 28th. In his 

 message at the opening of the Legislature, Gov- 

 ernor Wells expressed his regret that. he could 

 not congratulate the members on the auspices 

 under which they assembled. There had been 

 much suffering, the result of a great destruc- 

 tion of property attending the breaking away 

 of the levees on the Mississippi Kiver, and of the 

 failure of th"e crops for two years. In alluding 

 to the political relations of the State, the Gov- 

 ernor said : 



On full and deliberate consideration, the people 

 have pronounced in favor of the power of Congress 

 to reconstruct these States. They have gone further, 

 and declared their purpose that these States shall not 

 be restored to their former participation in the Gov- 

 ernment until suitable constitutional guarantees are 

 provided against present disloyalty and future rebel- 

 lion. One of these guarantees, adopted by the pres- 

 ent Congress at the last session, is embodied in the 

 proposed amendment to the Constitution of the 

 United States. I have received, through the Secre- 

 tary of State, a certified copy of said amendment, 

 with the request that the same be submitted to you for 

 ratification, and it is transmitted herewith accord- 

 ingly. In view of the diverse opinions well known 

 to exist between the members of the General Assem- 

 bly and myself, on all matters connected with the 

 reconstruction of the State, I shall not take up your 

 time by entering into an extended discussion ot the 

 features of the proposed amendment. I believe your 

 minds to be made up how you shall vote on it, and 

 nothing that I could say would have any weight with 

 you, for or against. That I may not be misunder- 

 stood, however, before the country, in my views on 

 so important a measure, I desire to say, that I con- 

 sider the amendment as just and proper, adjusting 

 and settling, as it does, the rights of citizenship to all 

 persons, without reference to race or color ; recog- 

 nizes the validity of the public debt ; repudiates the 

 payment or assumption of any debt or obligation in- 

 curred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the 

 United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipa- 

 tion of any slave ; and imposes disfranchisement from 

 holding office under the United States and State 

 Governments to a certain class of persons who have 

 engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the 

 Government of the United States. These provisions 

 meet my full approval, but I am not willing to accept 

 the amendment as a finality for the admission and 

 restoration of the late rebel States. I consider it to be 

 within the province and to be the duty of Congress 

 to require of these States, as additional guarantees, 

 that they shall, by constitutional enactments, recog- 

 nize and establish equal political rights in the privi- 

 lege of the ballot, to all men. I believe such to be 

 the fixed will and intention of Congress, and I do not 

 consider your ratification of the amendment would 

 exercise any influence in changing or altering that 

 determination. The idea and hope of readmission 

 as a State on any other terms, I regard as illusory, 

 and the sooner the honest, well-meaning mass of the 

 people realize the fact, and make up their minds to 

 submit and act accordingly, will they assist in adjust- 

 ing and settling our political relations with the Fed- 

 eral Government on a peaceful and permanent basis. 



A joint resolution was almost immediately 

 introduced in the Senate, refusing to ratify the 

 amendment, and was passed through both 

 Houses without a dissenting vote. 



