The Louisiana Democrat

THE LAST MESSAGE

We had our doubts whether Mr. James Madison Wells would condescend to address the usual message to the General Assembly of Louisiana.- If, as he and his Radical friends assert Louisiana is not a State, then the Legislature of Louisiana is no Legislature, and, therefore, beneath the notice of "His Excellency," who is doubtless waiting for something to turn up to his advantage among the Radicals who have control of things at Washington. But it seems that Mr. Wells did send in a message, and a precious document it is. Who wrote it is beyond our power to conjecture. Before the total eclipse of the pale luminary which shed its light over all his productions, his man Friday was wont to write the messages and send them in without giving the "Governor" an opportunity to read or sign them. But Mr. Hugh Kennedy has now joined the lovely band of mendicant 'loyalists' who are patiently waiting at Washington for the crumbs which are supposed to fall from the loyal table, and has therefore left his old master to shift for himself among the Louisiana rebels and 'assassins' of white and black loyalists. If the new writer has not the wonderful gift of winding himself up in as long sentences as Mr. Kennedy, he can at least boast of inventing a much shorter cut to non-sense and balder-dash. His stupidity is none the less stupid because of its brevity.

The only part of the message which possesses general interest is that which treats of our Federal relations. The Governor recommends the Legislature to adopt the Constitutional Amendment, but tells them in the same sentence that their adoption alone would not secure the admission of the State to representation in Congress without doing something else still more humiliating to Southern pride. He goes on further to say that he cares very little whether they adopt it or not, as the majority in Congress, who have been endorsed by the people, are fully competent to "reconstruct" the South without any assistance and this they will undoubtedly do. He does not believe in making distinctions in conferring the right of suffrage between white and black men. And yet it will be remembered that among his earliest Executive acts was to write a letter giving his reasons for refusing to register negro voters, and deprecating the attempt to force negro suffrage upon the people of the State. He attempts to be very severe on the "rioters" of the 30th of July, and attributes all the blame to every one else except his peculiarly loyal white and black friends. The whole message reads like the production of one who feels that he is fast approaching the end of his row.-- Conscious that he has outraged the public sentiment of his State, and that he will meet with no favor at the hands of her people, he makes an attempt to appear as despicable as possible in their eyes, in order to recommend himself to the favor of the Radical majority in Congress, who, he thinks, have the power to reward him for his treason to those who once reposed so much confidence in him. Like the wise though corrupt Steward, he makes friends of the mammon of iniquity that "they may receive him into their own house."

We commend his foresight in preparing a resting place for the future. That his term of office is fast approaching its end we have the gratification to believe. His foolish message was answered by the passage of a resolution, with great unanimity, instructing a Committee to prepare a bill calling a Convention for the formation of a new Constitution.- The object of this Convention is not only to wipe out every vestige of the infamous Constitution under which we live, but to clean out the corrupt set of officials which it was the means of fastening on the State. With the adoption of the Constitution Mr. Wells goes out of office, and is consigned to that oblivion from which he should never have been dragged. If he can make anything by playing the "loyal" beggar along with Hahn, Cutler & Co., we have no objection to his joining the firm.

We hope to chronicle in our next issue the passage of the Convention bill, and shall look forward with pleasure to the time when the people of Louisiana shall again have the opportunity of living under a Constitution of their own formation; with officers who reflect their will.