Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1844-06-22

WI NFH " AtH5t4tNBktH Y Nv = hbJ VI hNl AtAl
ice encs 10 worry obvious Louisiana In this RI
nut pect, Ia very differently situated from a
of StaSo In the Union at tho same time that 3
"a has In the country, a remarkably sparse al
NJ slowly increasing white populati0n--she h
: large, highly commercial, and wonderful
ea augtnonting capital~-which 10 the case wi
I'D no other State In tho Union-hnures W
show. In Pennsylvania, the country has 4
On teen votes whore tho city Of philadelp hia HI
liz une~~the Same with Ohio as regards CinCii
ar natl, In the State Of New York, the eountF
nr vote 10 eight 10 one more than the City=-th
Il country vote In Massachusetts exceeds thu
Of Boston Eegen to one--in South Carolina I'll
sn voters are as six to one to those Of 0hArlegto
10 -~fa Maryland IL exceeds tho vote of Bait
IL more ~ four to one--in New Orleans, univer
10 sal suffrage will mako the city vote, nearly
1F not entirely equal, to that Of tho country, an,
i In al very short tinu the city vote will great,
EXCEED the balance ofthe State. In this cal
! ~culatlon | of course include Lafayette, aa no
thing also than a continuation of the city o
New Orleans. What viii the country think 0
g the vote Of a few squares Of the city outnam
boz ing that of q whole parishs
. Now ask any one to look 1T the one picture,
. and then az tho other, and see If 1t docs mol
q preaant cause of serious apprehension on the
part of the country portion Of the State~-hero
NJ the very outset the Capital Of tho State, ID
"a eaual the vote Of Tho balance Of the state
and In a short time tho city Il 10 exceed, and
oyerwliSllm the country by her vote and will
no great M evil ever diminish MOI On
tho contrary, il will increase in a compound
ratlo--tho country portion Of Louisiana, from
hor climate, her soil-the character Of her sta.
plpr. haa now. and IL destined IN future to
have, an excessive sifve population. The
white portion Of her country population, is
now, and will always be comparatively thin-~
the white portion Of tho eountFy population,
Will probably increase slower, than 10 any
State III the Union. But how will Y 20 with
the great capital, that stands on the Eelta, OF
| tho father Of waters, tho emporium Of the
boundless Weat--the present commercial cap
ital of near a dozen States, and the future cap
ital Of as many more TO come-who will as@
sumo to calculate the rapidly of her increase,
or to mark the limits Of her future white pop.
| ulation The Introduction then Of the princi-
pie OF universal suffrage will invest New Or.
leans, now and forever, with the political pow
or Of tho State~-the farmers, planters, mer-
chants and mechanics OF the country, will be
annlhilatod,a and need scarcely take the trouble
to 60 10 the Polls to depusite their votes. II
aus Ag bN1N N tAa@AHA Wv FSAAhAs&t PlhlAS11a
ply shat the power of Government, TO bc use.
fal and safe, must rest in the hands Of the agfi-
cultural and country portion Of State, from
timU l%tiuiemotiall always considered tho most
moderate, virtuous, Independent and p]atriotic
but noav tho object is to reverse this great pri1-
CiplG aud let O city govern d state, Standing as
] did on the ftour Of the Legislature, roprgson.
ting the country, | could not without ~inatruc-
ITEMS from my constituents. give my support,
20 THE scheme for their political destruction
such Instructions were meyer given meal.
though / did hear come domaRoguos talking
loud, Eb0ut universal aniErages about which III
tho abstract, no ono differed with thsm--but
which was too tempting q theme, Of self glur-
~iiicatiun for them to ~resists-I myself appr0-
we'd of universal suffrage, because | had heard
that Il usefdlly existed in other S~tates--but | +.
saw my state diiEeruntly sit~uatod--and | Jaw :
besides, that practically, universal suffrage !
did exist IN the country parishes that by !
Of Shoe Crock, and Gum swamp titles /
or some other such stratagem, every man In i
the parish. did or might vote, What more 4
could | want under these circumstances; was d
{ my duty, posted as a sentinel, over the inter- !
sst Oh the country, to assist in the suicidal Of :
ice, of binding my constituents hand and foot, 4
o deliver them over consigned to political BON Il
AApCg 10 n C0HllINgCldt tlby WItSiV=AHbQ uAtlOs "
,ox was 10 DO controlled by O floating popula- d
iona floating population . vast portion Of ;
votes could be bought and sold like c
merchandise, where the votes of unconVicted /
watched by the police, might at some s.
uture day outnumber the honest, and patriot n
c suffrage, of a half dozen country parishes ! u
I representing the country to assist in
upon 1t a suffrage, which might des- y
roy al good government suffrage SO fear :
III in its character, that the city delegation =
hrunk from, and rejected the proposition, de- :,
lining to accept an offer, which although il "
vas TO confer upon them all the political pow :,
r Of the state, was destined TO introduce with !;
!, an irresponsible suffrage. corruption, and Of
ad government. N
Now with these expositions of my reasons, ~
ask ell candid men, il ] was in fault, in vo- 10
as | did, against the law for levyiRg a poll ar
tx If was in error, / have the consolation &c
f knowing, that | voted under the sanction of CO
ly cath and agreeably to the dictates of my of
onscience, and that ! was sustained, by the liz
pinien of some of the wisest, and best citizens I {
{ the State, of both political parties. But it wi
Jay be enquired, what arc your present opin- or
of universal s~ufffage--l answer thatI In
ever have been opposed to universal suffrage; pc
lat were it not for fear of city domination, on "a
,eount of the Overwhelming population of IN
10 city of New Orleans, | should have been
ready, as any man, tohave removed the pro- ma
qualification, and to have permitted eve- pc
man to vote, there can be no better, nor 30
ore patriotic voter, than the man, who is rear n
z an honest family by the sweat of his brow, sa
lch an one, has, and feels the deepest posi- :,
. interest, in his country and its government, ~,
lch an one [ feel proud to walk withupt to br
e Eallot Box-because | know, that he is m
louts to deposit an honest, patriotic and indie Sc
lnd6nt yote-such men know that the honest, en-
i'd ihdustrious families they are rearing, will m,
i've all the advantages to be derived from ele
,od goyernment-and that they and their be
after them, can always aspire to an equal
in the administration ofthat government, to
ID to any Office in ii, that thoy are competent en-
fill, such men take ais much interest in the PEI
slfare, glory and success 0 ftheiF country, as an
the richest in the land; then again repeat, me
At I am not opposed 70 universal suffrage ths
larded with proper restrictions in regard TO err
sidence-and with registry laws, and exclu- by
the inmates of work houses &c. g., such BIZ
e, aud havebeen my views in regard to uni apI
rsaf suffrage generally. and as regards its r. in
too int this State. it is impossible apI
Disguise the fact, tbat a large majority Of the apI
lte, have declared for it--and that the coun- dal
!, has gone SO far inceReession on this point sht
that she will entirely coneede it to the city, veI
amendments which are shortly 70 be my
ne Constitution. Every one endow- qai
w;,b i. slightest sentiment OF patriotism, poi
:, b.sa heb. ID with modification, griefand if
,rsbans;on ,be oE:sfngs and scenes which for gu: