Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-08-07
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However much the attempt may be made
TO twist or naystify the facts connected with
the New Orleans riot Of one week ago,
wherein large numberof Blacks and q
few Whites suffered death, It is unquestion-
able that the prompting cause of the whole
difficulty was nefarious scheme on the
part Of the Radcals--not the Radicals OF
New Orleans alone; but Of Radicals at
% Washington, too, against whose revolution
ary schemes the President some time ago
warned the people-to put the political
power into the hands OF 5000 reputed
loyalists of Louisiana. Whether the Con-
vention of 1864 was or was not legal body,
Is immaterial, inasmuch as the Constitution
that body framed is the Constitution under
which the people Of Louisiana are living.
1t was ratified by the voters who voted on
It. With that ratification, the Convention
ceased to exist, just as the Constitutional
Convention of this State cased to exist when
il submitted the present Consultation to the
voters of the State for them to pass upon.
No one pretends that the members who
framed this instrument would have q right
to re-convene TO overhaul and amend the
Constitution. And yet the members Of The
Louisiana Convention Of 1884 arrogated to
themselves such right. They PROPOSED TO
overhaul and amend the present Constitu-
ton of Louisiana, so that the Negroes
should be made voters, and considerable
portion ofthe Whites who were in the Con-
federate army should be disfranchised, IL
Is claimed by the Radicals, that there arein
Louisiana 5,OOOloyal voters; 10000 voters
who are Secessionists, and about 1900
Blacks who could be turned into voters; and
that by disfranchisement of a portion OF
the 10000 Objectionable voters, the 5000
loyal Whites, with $4,000 Black voters,
could without trouble dominate over what
is characterized the secession element. 1t
Is stated that it was the intention Of the
- Convention to submit the amended COnsti-
tuition to a vote of the people-Whites and
Blacks. 1t requires very little sense to fore
tell what the result would be. There would
be most bloody rioting at every voting pre-
cinct on election day. Itwould be inevit-
able, unless q large military force were
stationed at every voting precinct. 1t was,
then, the initial movement Of the Radicals
to force Negro Suffrage upon the White
people of Louisiana, that caused the bloody
New Orleans riot.
We are told by some Radical journals
that 'ithis riot resulted from the attempt to
organize a Union party In Louisiana and
from the brutal determination of the rebel
mob to crush 1t in the bud" If domina-
ting Republican party cannot be organized
in the South, except it is made up four
fifths of black men, the enterprise had bet
ter be abandoned; for it will precipitate
that war of races that Governor Cox spoke
of in his letter last year to the 0berlinites.
With his freedom and civil rights assured,
the black man will be content at present.
This of itself is an immense stride from
slavery, and to force him into political re-
lations for the purpose Of promoting the
interests of political charlatans and reyolu-
tionists, will be to him disastrous indeed.