New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-09-26
WHOLE NUMBER 456.

/ oIis u the nht0n ana make laws for those
who defeated your attempts. You arc ast.
ing thing which should be asked not N n
the tone Of men who scorR the laws Of the
Ano winch govern them, but it should be
asked IN the tone of repentance and remorse.
, NOW, sir, ls that the spirit in which it is
now asked BY the people in this country
Wno nave been disfranchised for their
crlmes IN rebellion refer you, sir, to the
reports coming from all parts of the South
ern country. refer you to the very words
OF the second leader upon the Democratic
Presidential ticket. They demand m thev
afe restored, not only their restoration 10 4
voice in the councils of the nation and 10 3
right to make laws for the loyal people Of
the country, but they say we will undo
everything you have done and disperse the
governments in the South and virtually re-
duce to their former position the men whom
the government has enfranchised. / say,
when this spirit is breathed upon the yerv
air, and from every public press, and in the
utterances of every speaker of that party,
as It is now, is this the time to restore them
to the high prerogative of rulers in the land?
They DO not ask simply to be restored to
their civil rights, and that they nav be pro.
tected in their persons, lives and property,
but they ask that they may become a nor
tion of the rulers in this country,
Now, sir, another thing, Under the Con-
stitutton, II this amendment becomes law
by the action of this Senate and House of
Representatives, and is approved by the
Governor, it goes forth to the people and is
| acted upon when2 at the next general
election for Representatives and Senators
of this General Assembly, which will be
two years from next November. Now, |
| ask If this is not little premature? / ask,
sir, what is the reason for this haste !?
SOMETIMES concession is a virtue,
| and sometimes it is heinous vice.
Sometimes it is upon that feeling
OF humanity which characterizes great
and magnanimous minds, and some
times it arises from desire to conciliate
the popular will-from fear, or other
motives-not intending to impute such a
motive to the gentleman who has just
| spoken. -
But If man has violated the law, and
tried to destroy his country, so long as he
| shows no sign Of repentance for his act, l
say 1t is not proper act of magninimity to
restore him to his lost powers in that gov
ernment. Two years must elapse before this
law csh take effect. In the meantime we
shall have two general elections. 1t will be
time enough after the present existing
events have passed away to present and agi,
tate this question. 1t will be time then to
see what the sober judgment and temper Of
the people OF the South is. 1t will be time
then to see whether they are prepared to
ask admission into the great family of SOW
submit 1t to Senators whether the same OBJ.
| Ject-if they are sincere, as have no donbt
they are-can not be as well accomplished
by presenting such an amendment as this
at later day, when we may see, and hope
to see, proper spirit of repentance and
sorrow shown upon the part of these peo-
pie for the crime they have failed to accom-.
plish.
The Senator gave another reason, which !
deem worthy OF only passing notice. He
said, if l remember his words, it would
avoid bloodshed. ask the Senator if he is
afraid of bloodshed if he leaves this Consti
tuition stand as it is?
Mr.. Ray: l do not, except in individual
cases.
Mr.. Campbell; Then, ask the Senator
what viii be avoided by this amendment?
Mr.. Ray: Private quarrels and bloodshed
in individual cases and much illwill will bC
avoided.
Mr.. Campbell: If this is all the meaning
OF that language, it is reduced to u very
small reason; but will merely remark tha
ii there is any feeling or idea on the part o
any Senator that the enforcement of tn
laws and the Constitution of the State, a
they now stand, will be resisted; if there
any feeling of that kind, it is in my mind tn
strongest reason for letting this Constitu
tion stand as it is until the people of thi
State shall have learned that the only wa,
Of repeating laws is by submitting to thi
laws. There are threats made on the foo
of this Senate that in certain contingencies
an appeal to arms will be made. If there i
such feeling really animating the peopl
OF this State, it is the strongest possibl
! reason tor leaving the Constitution q
it is. / think we are not yet il
position to put in the hands of men tb
power they seek when they are threatening
to overturn the very government from whicl
they are soliciting this favor.
The franchise Of suffrage is power, not
right. 1t is a great and high prerogativ
which is thus attempted to be given them
before any spirit of repentance upol
their part is shown for the past.
! wish to leave the government as it nov
exists. When there shall come restors
ton of some feeling which will lead all pal
ties to cherish good feelings with those VIII
have differed with them before upon thes
things, and no one will be more eager G
glad than l to repeal any disfranchisin
clause in the laws Of this State. But d
not think that this is the hour for sue
action.
1.-THE balance of the debates in the Senat
on Tuesday, September 81, will be given a
| another dav