New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-04-10
TO THE oo1ORED VOTERS OF LOUISIANA.

COlored men Of Loltisland:- grandest
hour Of your life is at hand All that is
dear to you in this world is at stake. If
you fail to do your duty NOW, the tears and
sweat of the next twenty-five years can not
wash out the error. On the SEVENTEENTH
and EIGHTEENTH DAYS of APRIL will be held
the state, parish, and city elections. At that
election you will be called upon TO ratify
the NEW CONSTITUTION. That constitution
is your political BIBLE. By its provisions
all your rights as MEN and CITIZENS are
secured to you. 1t makes you the POLITICAL
EQUAL of any and every WHITE MAN IN
LOUISIANA. It declares that you and your
children shall never be SLAVES again. 1t
gives you the right of FREE SPEECH and FREE
MEETINGS. It opens to you all places
Of public amusement, and gives you equal
rights on all steamboats, and railroad cars.
By that constitution you may be elected
to any Office in the state; you may be
armed and equipped as part of the state
militia, and your children may attend any
public school in the state.
But you must vote for this constitution
or you can not enjoy these rights. Re-
member that your old masters, the Demo-
Gratis, do not offer you any kind of con-
stitution. They are opposed to your
voting, and will do all they can to defeat
the constitution which offers you so many
blessings. Do not vote the ticket which
they vote, and you will vote right. When
they say No, you say YES, and the constitu-
ton will be ratified, the state will be
saved, and you will have all yolr rights.
The adoption of this constitution will
bring prosperity to Louisiana. Our levees
will be rebuilt; Northern men will come
with money and settle among US; and the
rich men of the North will invest their
funds in the lands and trade of our state
You will then obtain higher wages for your
labor, and in short time you will be rich
enough to buy little farm. And in the
possession of your property you will be
protected by well organized courts and by
a powerful militia force composed of Union
men,
To secure the adoption of such consti-
tuition it is your duty to make any sacrifice.
You may live far from the polls, but if
necessary walk HUNDRED NILES TO vote for
so many rights. Your employer may
threaten to discharge you if yon leave off
work to go to vote, but pay no attention TO
his threats, go and VOTE.
It will be better 70. you to have con-
stitution which will bring to you 50 many
rights and blessings than to save few dol
lars now. Your present loss will be your fn-
ture gain. Do not be alarmed by threats of
violence. Go quietly to the polls and vote,
and no one will dare no hurt you. DO not
fail to take your registration papers with
you on the day Of election, and if any Of
you have not registered, go at once and get
your papers.
Colored men of Louisiana, you are in the
majority in this state. You are EIGHTY
THOUSAND strong. If you all vote one way
the constitution will be adopted, but your
greatest danger is you may divide among
yourselves, and if you do, ALL is LOST. In
your Union there is STRENGTH. All vote
one way.
There are two state tickets in the field.
One is the ticket nominated by the state
nominating convention Of the Radical Re
publican party, composed of delegates
whom you helped to elect, and headed by
Il. G. WarmOth and o. ]. Dunn, and the
other is composed of men who have come
out as candidates without any nomination,
aid is headed by J. G. Taliaferro and f.
q. Dumas, both Of whom have been slave
holders. The ticket headed by Il. G. War
moth and o. ]. Dunn is supported by the
whole Republican party of Louisiana. The
ticket headed by j. G. Taliaferro and F. E.
Dumas is supported by the Rebels, Copper
heads, and Conservatives, and all who OPP
pose the Republican ticket.
These two tickets are the only ones that
can possibly be elected. Either Judge
Warmeth or Judge Taliaferro will be
elected, unless the rebels shall put out
another candidate. All kinds Of tricks
will be tried to deceive you, snd yon must
be watchful and wise. If you vote for any
other candidate for governor than Judge
Warmoth OF Judge Taliafarro your vote will
be thrown away, for he can not possibly be
elected, and between these two you can not
but vote for Judge Warmoth. al Repub-
llcans vote for Il. c, Warmoth and o. J.
Dunn, and the regular nominees Of your
party. ra rar H4aJ
They are the irregular candidates. They are
your tEle friends. Congress wants them
elected, and they are the only Republic
ans who can Epossibly be elected. Then,
Republicans Of Louisiana, arise in your
might, adopt the Constitution, and elect
the Radical Republican ticket Your
enemies will be defeated, and you will
stand forth in all the pride and glory Of
true American citizens.
]. MADISON WELLS,
We understand that this leader of the