The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-03-18
The State Election.

GREAT caution upon the question now be-
fore them. tits palpable that the new Con.
stitution cannot be defeated, because Con
gtess has made an e;r post acto amendment
to the reconstruction act, BY which ma
iority ofvotes cast for the Constitution will
secure its adoption. There are certain
obnoxious and insupportable provisions in
this instrument. They have not been put
there with tile consent of the governed
They will, sooner or later, be stricken out,
because they were not demanded BY either
the white OF black people Of Louisiana
We, Of course allnde TO- . few such provis-
lions as the following:
1 All persons shall enjoy equal rights and
privileges upon any conveyance. OF q public
character; and oil places Of business or Of
public resort, or for which a license is re-
CURED by either State, parish or municipal
authority, shall be deemed places OF pub
lie character, and shallbe opened to the &C.
commodation and patronage OF all. persons
without distinction or discrimination on &C.
count Of race or color.
This proposes what cannot be Effected
the social amalgamation ofraces. Persons
who come here to agitate do not appreci-
ate the settled determination Of white peo-
ple to choose their own associates. They
will see this more clearly if they remain
until this Constitution shall be enforced.
In the meantime, however it becomes our
c;t;zans tn determine what shall be done in
the premises. The Oonsti tuition cannot be
defeated by non-action on the part Of the
Conservatives. They must choose, then,
between submission without effort and the
best political exertion in their power. II
it be assumed that the Constitution is
inevitable, then the property holders and
business men who expect to make Louisir
ana the home Of themselves and children
must take active part in the election and
strive to secure such representation in the
Legislature and in the State Offices as will
enable them to amend the Constitution
hereafter, or will at least alleviate by just
administration the obnoxious features to
which we have referred. f1 E
Our readers will now see why we have
always regarded the defeat or modification
| Of the Constitution a., indispensable tot the
success Of q Federal party: Suppose we
let this Constitution and the elections TO
be held under it go by default What
chance will we have to send member to
/ Congress, or to the electoral college? And
| five can send neither, Of what use will
Louisiana be to any political party at the
North? Our interest ii this question is So
cial and commercial. We feel the intense
mischief to result from the embodiment
and confirmation of the obnoxious provis
lions quoted and|allnded to. We desire to
secure the safest organization and the ear
lest repeal of the obnoxious features, be
cause they are impediments Of the socia
and industrial reconstruction of the South
We are not politicians, and any competent
persons are welcome to the Offices and pa
tror age to result from the action which We
suggest. The election will take place with
| in Tie next month, which will fix upon ii
representative officers and official policy fol
some years toscome. Let our citizens takt
counsel together what is best, to be dole
in tile emergency Bulletin. S.