New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-09-29
THE LEGIsLATURE.
rtcosrisurD FROM FIRST rAeE.l

peculiar institution. This great wrong that
you and Jour people were suffering, was the
central idea around which the friends of
humanity in this country rallied. They did
not falter when maligned, they did not
shrink when danger threatened; and when
called upon to do 60, there were not want
ing among them those who cheerfully
sealed with their blood their devotion to
the cause and the principles they advocated.
The advocacy OF these great principles of
human rights found a ready echo in the
hearts of philanthropsts in England, in
Ireland, in Scotland and upon the continent.
These COED men the world over labored
with such vigor and effect to hold up to the
light of the nineteenth century the wicked.
ness and excuses of slavery, that the moral
sense of the whole civilized world was
shocked that the system was permitted to
exist.
Now, sir, all this discussion, all this ex-
citement and agitation, all this bloodshed
was not for you and your people simply
because you were black, it was because
you were human beings deprived of those
rights and liberties which the Creator de-
signed that you, in common with the rest
OF the human family, should enjoy.
These rights are now all yours. Embedded
broad and deep in the organic law of the
State and of the nation, they are guaranteed
to you. II you now, on being put in pos.
session of those rights, turn around and
Cypress those who formerly oppressed you,
the whole argument is turned against YOU
with tenfold force, by DISTINGUISHING the
most intelligent part of the community.
Two wrongs do not make one right. If
you do violence to the spirit and genius of
Republican principles by continuing in the
Constitution this article as it now stands,
you will shock that same moral sense of
the civilized world which was so potent in
securing to you your liberty. / appeal to
the colored men in this Senate and this
Legislature to act literally, act magnani-
mous]y, act in accordance with the progress
slVe spirit OF the age in which you live, and
strike from the organic law of the State this
abnoXious article, justly characterized on
this floor as monument of stupidity.
Besides, sir, you never can have peace
and harmony so long as this article remains
as it is in the Constitution. You never can
force people into good feeling toward the
government by course of this kind. His
tory Is full Of examples of the folly of such
attempts. For eight hundred long years
the English government has been making
the experiment on the unfortunate Emer-
aid Isle, my own native land. At the end
OF that long, dreary period there is one little
which expresses the feeling of
that people toward the English government,
and that word is HATE. Not hatred to the
SieaV LHluuie CldSS Vi Iue English people, Tor
some of liberty's truest friends are found
among themi but hatred to the central gov
erning power of that oppressive country. Is
It wise in us to follow the bad example of
England in this respect?
A republic cannot be unjust and illiberal
and be strong and prosperous. The rights
OF all must be maintained inviolate. A spiri'.
Of Kindness, forbearance and good feeling
must be fostered. Let the wounds and
bruises OF the past be healed over and for
gotten. listened to the speech of the SEN
ator from Orleans (Mr. OGDEN and especial
" to one remark he made with great pleas
1re. He said 1.-THE people of the Confed. |
eracy were conquered, it is true, but they
were conquered by Americans | have not |
I word to speak against the soldiers of tie |
Jontederacy. believe in the general fact |
hat all Americans are brave. There NAV
Dc some exceptions, but as a rule it is true; |
and so far from saying anything against the |
bravery OF these men, | believe the time |
VIII come when those who fought the bat
lies OF the Union will recite with pride and |
lender the highest need of praise to those |
VINO fought against them, and who on more
nan hundred battlehelds helped to make |
me term, an American, the embodiment of |
The highest yalor and courage. l glory, sir,
rs an American citizen in the brave deeds |
which they did, notwithstanding believe |
he cause was bad which brought them into |
he field. Again invoking a spirit of kind. |
less, torbearance and good feeling to iniu- |
nee US in all we do, II appeal to Senators to |
vote to wipe out of the organic |
aw OF the State this obnoxious section, In |
UGH an act can foresee brighter and a |
appler day about to dawn upon our unhap-
y State.