394 



LOUISIANA. 



LOUISIANA. The work of reconstruction 

 in the State of Louisiana was completed before 

 the close of the year 1868, and there has been 

 little in the year which followed worthy of 

 historical notice. The affairs of the State 

 have passed from the field of national politics 

 into the hands of its own citizens, and, as the 

 constitution provided that the officers first 

 elected thereunder should hold their positions 

 for a full term of two years from November, 

 1868, no political canvass has occupied the 

 attention of the people, or turned them from 

 the duty of building up their ruined industries 

 and organizing the administration of local 

 affairs. The Governor, in his message to the 

 Legislature, at the beginning of the year, after 

 recounting the events of the last few years^of 

 turbulence and disorder, uttered the following 

 exhortation : 



Fellow-citizens, may wo not hope that the storms 

 of the past have died away forever, and that re- 

 turning reason will remount its throne ? The issues 

 of the past eight years have been settled, we hope, 

 forever. Slavery has been swept away, and along 

 with it all the train of evils growing out of its 

 wickedness, and has left us master and slave, 

 white and black with the same rights under the 

 law, the same chance to succeed in life, and -with 

 equally unrestricted aspirations and hopes. On an 

 intelligent people, armed with a free press and free 

 speech, and supported by the ballot, may we not con- 

 fidently rely for such modifications of laws and cus- 

 toms in society as the sound judgment of the people 

 may approve. Let us forget the passions of the great 

 past, forgive those who have done us evil, and offer 

 to all the same protection and encouragement claimed 

 for ourselves. In this spirit, I recommend the abro- 

 gation of the 99th article of our constitution, and be- 

 lieve, if an amendment should be submitted to the 

 people at the next general election, it would receive 

 their almost unanimous approval. I regretted its in- 

 sertion in the constitution, favored the proposition 

 made to abrogate it at the last session, and now offi- 

 cially recommend it. 



I am hopeful of the future. Our Heavenly Father 

 has rewarded us with a bountiful crop, kept sealed 

 the pestilence with which we have been in past times 

 visited, and blessed the lovers of liberty and justice 

 with the greatest political triumph ever accorded to 

 them in this country. In the wise, economical, mod- 

 erate, and firm administration of the government of 

 the nation and the State, I believe are healings of 

 all animosities and the prosperity and glory of the 

 people. 



The 99th section of the constitution here re- 

 ferred to is that which disfranchises a large 

 number of citizens for participation in the 

 cause of the Southern Confederacy in the re- 

 cent civil war. 



The Legislature, which assembled on the 4th 

 of January, continued in session upward of 

 two months, and a large number of bills were 

 passed, most of which had a local importance 

 only. Some of the unfinished legislation of 

 the last session was completed, including the 

 passage of the "Social Equality Bill," the 

 public school law, and the act authorizing a 

 loan of $5,000,000 by the city of New Orleans. 

 (See ANNUAL CYCLOPEDIA for 1868.) The 

 object of the city loan bill is indicated in 

 its title, which is as follows: "An act to 



authorize and require the Mayor, Comptroller, 

 and Treasurer, of the city of New Orleans to 

 issue bonds for the redemption of the city notes, 

 and for the liquidation of other indebtedness, 

 to enable the city to resume payment of interest 

 upon its funded debt ; providing for the de- 

 struction of the city notes and other evidences 

 of indebtedness, and the plates upon which 

 they have been printed, prohibiting further 

 issuing and receipt for taxes of city notes, and 

 other evidences of indebtedness, and providing 

 a fund for defraying the temporary expenses 

 of the city government." 



Under the new school-law the Board of Edu- 

 cation consists of the State Superintendent of 

 Schools and six other members, appointed by 

 the Governor. This Board has the general 

 supervision of the educational interests of the 

 State, and appoints boards of directors for the 

 different cities and country districts. The 

 board of directors of New Orleans consists of 

 nine members, and has power to appoint sub- 

 ordinate boards in the different wards. These 

 directors are authorized to obtain sites for new 

 school-houses, erect the necessary buildings, 

 and, in general, carry into practical effect the 

 provisions of the law. All children of the 

 State, between the ages of six and twenty-one 

 years, are to be admitted to the public schools 

 and other institutions of learning established 

 and sustained by the State, " without distinc- 

 tion of race, color, or previous condition." 

 The law requires that in every school " there 

 shall be taught orthography, reading, English 

 grammar, geography, arithmetic, the history 

 of the United States, vocal music, and loyalty 

 to the national Government." A fund for the 

 support of the public schools is to be raised by 

 a poll-tax of one dollar on each male adult 

 citizen, and a tax of two mills npon every 

 dollar of taxable property in the State. An 

 attempt was made to organize a system of 

 schools under this law, but not with entire 

 success. The Governor, in his message to the 

 Legislature of 1870, speaks of the " imprac- 

 ticable character of the present law." " The 

 machinery," he says, "is cumbrous and ex- 

 pensive, so much so, that it has proved a fail- 

 ure." He then suggests that " the plan be sim- 

 plified, the districts enlarged, and the powers 

 and discretion of the State board increased." 



A measure which occupied a large share of 

 the attention of the Legislature throughout the 

 session, and was finally postponed without any 

 decisive action, was a new charter for the city 

 of New Orleans. A change in the character of 

 this corporation was recommended by the Gov- 

 ernor in his message at the beginning of the 

 session. The government, he said, was^" cum- 

 brous, expensive, and irresponsible. Evils havo 

 grown up in it of a most dangerous character, 

 which should be interdicted by law. It has 

 issued a currency without authority of law, 

 and has forced it upon the people in such 

 amounts as to break down its value and destroy 

 it as a circulating medium. It has failed to 



