New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-09-05
THE LEGIsLATURE
[coNT1rUED FROM FIRST PAeE.l

confined for short time by military au-
thority, without reference to the cause of
that confinement, is such blight, such an
| indellible disgrace to me, why is it not SO
with others?
Why do not these papers take up the
cases OF some of those white men Of their
own party, who were confined in prison at
| Ship Island and other places by military
authority. Why do they not take up the
case of John 7. Monroe? John I. Mon
roe was confined in military prison longer
| than l. and certainly no less justly than !,
| yet these same papers which have made the
| fact of my imprisonment the ground of so
much abuse, have been pleased to idoliZe
Monroe. They have made a martyr of him,
and would land him to the skies. Why this
| difference when his offense is the same as
mine? 1t is simply because he belongs to
their party, and has a white skin. 1t is be-
| cause have African blood in my veins that
these sh5 cts take occasion to abuse me. and
| through me, my family and friends. Now,
| sir, have lived in this State, more or less,
for the thirty years of my life, and during
all OF that time have never had quarrel
with white man, and never intentionally
given ofrnse to one by any act or
word of mine, but I have always en-
deavored to live and conduct myself
as man and gentleman. / am not
responsible for, and could not change the
color of my skin.
1t is true had an encounter the other
day with man of my own color. He at
tackled me with deadly weapon, and ! de-
Tended myself. And it has been industrious.
~ circulated around the city by the enemies
OF my race aud my party, that without
proyocation, |, Radical Senator of the
state OF Louisiana, deliberately drew my
pistol and fred upon a peaceahle and unof-
tending man; and thus they charge me with
an attempt to murder, to assassinate, a man
in open day.
Under the circumstances that exist, can
not expect to get hearing before this COM
munlty. ! can not expect an opportunity
to place myself right before the world in
any other manner than through my col
leagues here in this House, and it is for this
reason alone that ] have felt justified in
claiming the time and asking the attention
OF this Senate to make statement of the
facts in this case, trusting that Senators
will do me the justice to defend me before
their constituents, when they shall hear
these falsehoods repeated. The facts
concerning this ARRAY are there: AS
| was quietly walking down the
left side of Canal street, heard the click'of
of a pistol directly opposite on the other
side of the street. / looked in the direction
and saw a colored man with a revolver in
his hand in the act of firing, or preparing
to fire, at me. | had weapon and drew
it and endeavored 10 defend myself, as wen
as | could. And did l do wrong in this?
Where is the Senator with manhood in him,
or the man in the State of Louisiana who
would not have done the same? And this
circumstance is seized upon and made the
occasion OF additional abuse. And to show
more clearly the spirit and cause of this
abuse, the paper from which | have read
says: "This ARRAY might have resulted in
the death of some '7tte person. 1t is lucky
IL did not, for had any one been injured Mr..
Pinchback would perhaps never have oc-
cupied his seat in the Senate another day.n
II any ,chHe person had been injured Mr..
Pinchback would perhaps never have occu.
pied his seat second day in the Senate
What is meant by thisy Sir, what took
conclusion, explains it. INT had not been
for the fact that the Two police officers who
took ne in charge happened to be men
determined to do their duty, l presume
that Mr. Pinchback would not have occu.
pied his seat again in the Senate, for, sir, I |
was set upon by an infatuated mob, who |
cried out. He has G'hot at white
man." and "Kil him, Kill him for it; XIII
the damned Niger, Kill him. And when
assured them that the difficulty | had had
was with a man Of my own color, and that
it was him that | had defended myself
against they shouted, cts Pinch back-kill
him, damn him; kill the damn black Rad
lCdl son OI a ultCus Anu sir, II required
the best exertions of these police officers to
prevent them from numbering me in open
nay on the public street Of New Orleans, for |
no other crime, sir, than that Of being Re- |
publican and having some African blood in |
my veins. have not been a Radical-at |
least not until recently, since 1 have been |
driven to it. Whenever the question has |
been made or agitated in my presence,
as every one knows who is at all |
rGflaiOf an with ! l. alu
ed the largest liberty to the largest num- |
Der; have been in favor of universal am
nesty and universal suffrage, and my advo- |
cacy of this doctrine has been such as at |
times to draw down upon me the severe CEN |
sure of my own friends and psrtisans.
They say: "If any white person had |
been injured, perhaps ! would
.le Senator In plain English the meaning
If this is that, if had injured any white |
nan, no matter what his proyocation, / |
would have been murdered by mob. Yes, |
his is their doctrine, that any white man may
insult, and villify, and abuse, and maltreat, I
Tes, murder negro with impunity and
without the slightest provocatIon; and if
,he negro resent5 or defends himself the |
cry is kill tae damned black son of bitch.
Such has been the rule and the practice in
this city for q long time past; but, sir, it
viii prove q dangerous practice to pursue |
much fuI ther. Suppose the man who made
the attack upon my life had been white |
man, should | not have defended myself |
I would have done it. The color of his skin /
would have made no difference to me under |
such circumstances. | court quarrels and |
ARRAYS with no man, and by long practice I |
have schooled myself to patiently endure ali |
manner of abuse from white men which pen |
ran write or tongue utter; but when it comes |
70 an attack upon my life with deadly |
weapon, endurance eeaseslto be virtue. |
md ] will defend, with all the power and |
The best weapons l have, no matter what the |
color of my assailant. II there is any |
Senator upon this floor who doubts this, let |
him try It on when we leave this room, |
or whenever or wherever he chooses. And |
/ want 70 tell, and will tell, the people Of |
this city who have been in the habit of
and who manifest growing
disposition to murder men for their political
opinions and for the color Of their skin. /
want to tell them to beudre. / want to tell
them they have nearly reached the end
of their string. The next outrage
Of the kind which they commit will be the
signal for the dawn of retribution-a retri-
button Of which they have not dreamed; a
signal that will cause ten thousand torches
70 be applied tothis CITY, for patience VIII
then have ceased to be q virtue, and this
city will be reduced to ashes, and
Mr.. Braughn: call the gentleman to
order.
Mr.. Blackman: hope the gentleman will
be allowed TO proceed with his remarks
without interruption.
NJ Braughn. insist upon my point Of
order, Mr.. President. The Senator rose to
q personal explanation, and insist that be
shall be confined to IT,
The President: The Senator rose to a per.
Hnnal explanation; he must coniine himself
to that.