Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1841-11-20

ment OF the rights Of an ~rlector, has recei-
we'd the utter condemnation of public sen-
tlnent, aad IS viewed as I'M ust in IFS ope-
ration and aristocratic in it's tendency.
Americans are taught to believe that Hall
men are born equal" and that this equality
continues Gina political sense) through life,
without the individual is declared Infamous
by the laws Of his country, Oh account of
misconduct or crime. Aristocracy may
yaunt itself upon Superior wealth. and
fawning s~ycophancy may yield applause to
the glitter'ng show, but the day is not far
distant when rirt0ons poverty will cease to
be a dlsgrace-when every man shall be
judged by his actions, and when every a
shall be, efnphatically, a feemmp-a sore
reign.
II | have not greatly mistaken the tone
Of public opinion, ~ Lonisianian''. will
have 10 submit to It's frightful spectre of a
'death- warrant" The people are not yet
satisfied with change, and they are de-
termiaed 10 e17unge from their constitution
that olioiss attribute ofkingly poWer-pr :
pcT;'y q@1!5fca,ion. They are resolved 10
assert their Just rights, and to plant the
standard Of equal and exact justice to all
men." Willing to fight the battles of their
country, they ask but a freeman's guerdon,
a voice in the election of their officers.
Can you deny them this! can you with a
clear conscience say to them, work the
roadS-appFoach the lannon's mouth-be
orderly and obedient in all things-but
keep away from the polls;-genaemen mho
pay tares uiW choose your Aam-maters p .
ga Louisianian" graycly asserts that
"under the present constitution, our state
has prospered for more than thirty years"
Rhode Island has prospered under the
charter of King Charles Second for more
than a century and a hall, yet her degen-
crate sons have seen proper quite recently
to adopt Il constitution, deafh-warrahts to
the contrary Notwithstanding. England
and other countries, in a national point of
view, appear extremely prosperous, with
palaces and kings; but go ask the humble,
starving, and ens.ayed peasantry if they
are Rrosperous--thc trembling words of
hopeless misery would answer in tones of
anguish, no! no! A country is truly pros
porous only so far as all the individuals
composing the ~body-politic, az happy and
prosperous. The government should be
! such as to win the affections of the people
to teach them that every man has an
important part to act, in the great machine
~, and that one discontinued member may
produce disorder in the whole. Is this the
case under our present constitution? Far
from TITLE light of the present day has
~opened-the eyes of the people, shown them
the cipher-like condition Of many. and pre-
sentcd in bold relief the gross INJUSTICE of
coaidlng ali power to rich nabobs and fat
aldermen. The sword and the purse. are
not united in this State, in one respect; the
poor man bears the sword to the'feld of
battle, while the rich one %tauntingly gin
gles his purse over a gambling table or
buys the toys of luxury and fashion.
throughout the length and breadth of
this State, a mighty voice cries-these
things shall not be! the constitution must
be changed! Your contributor toa former
number asks, "what would become of
Louisiana, were universal suffrage permit
ted here?" | will tell hin-whites, blacks,
and all would then vote, and we should
have a perfect mixture. We do not want
universal suffrage-we want every free
white male citizen of the United States,
who, at the time being hath attained to the
age of twenty-one years, and resided in
the parish in which he offers to vote for
one year next preceding the election, to
enjoy the rights Of an ~elector.
"a L~ouisianian" is appfehensive that a
change in Our constitution might subject
US to the control Of strangers and adyen-
turers from the other states !" He has no
fears about strangers and adventuEers'
from foreign lands, and strangely forgets
that the mobiles of France and England are
purchasing the vote of every vagabond
hat ~inlccts the State The rich man is
the one to be dreaded in the way of buying
votes. and not the tilier of the soil who has
no means even if he were so disposed.
1t is not our design to mutslGte the on
stitution, but to make it better, in order to
prevent scabals and intri gues.o 1t is our
design to have Il constitution whose moral
beauty shall beam with monday efful-
gence into every poor mans door, lighting
his way onward, without compelling him to
travei through the sombre shades Of "T'oute
lie Gum Swamp" or to wade the dark wa
ters of "Shoe Creeko-a constitution that
will not give the peaicoat bankrspt any
preference over the poor farmer, mechanic,
or tradesman-a constitution that will not
encourage fraud and crime to evade its own
reuuiremeats-in fine, a constitution that
will bless us as a people and a State.
| may hereafter take upthis subject and
endeavor to convince your readers of the
necessity Of a Convention.
VOX pOPULI.