The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-04-01
The Constitution-Elective Franchise.

Article ninety-eight having prescribed that all male
persons born in the United States or naturalised here,
who have resided one year in the State and ten days
in the parish of their domicil, are qualified electors,
without distinction of race, color of previous condition,
the following persons (Art. 99) were declared incapa-
bic of voting Or holding office:
l. All persons convicted of treason, perjury, forg-
cry, bribery or other crime punishable in the peniten-
tiary, and all persons under Introduction.
2. Under cover of penalties imposed for participa-
ton or sympathy with the rebellion, but, in fact, to
reduce the number of white voters in the State, SO as
to secure both negro equality and negro supremacy,
the following named classes of persons are prohibited
from voting or holding Office: (a) All persons who
held either civil or military Offices, for one year under
the Confederate government. GU All persons who
registered themselves as enemies of the United States.
(c) All leaders of guerilla bands during the war.
d. All persons who, in the advocacy of treason, wrote
Or published newspaper articles or preached sermons
during the late war. (e) All who voted for Or signed
the ordinance of secession-in any State.
This wholesale Acknowledgement by classes, if the
constitution is ratified, would deprive of all political
rights and privileges, a large portion of the entire white
population Of the State, and, enforced by the constitu.
tional oath, to preserve sacramento the social and po.
litical equality of the races, asoald e5fectually transfer
all political power and confer political Offices, upon
either the negroes themselves, or their imported lead
ers and advisers. But, under pretext of q generous
%clemescg, while adding insult to injury, the conven-
ton, in the same article, provides that all these named
persons may remove their disabilities "by volgntariIy
writing and signing a certificate setting forth that they
acknowledge the rebellion to have been morally and
politically wrong, and that they regret any aid or COM
fort they may have given it; and that they shall file
the certificates in the Office of the Secretary of State,
and this shall be published in the oficial Journal
Yes; We may obtain forgiveness aud be allowed to
vote or alo5d Office with our late slaves, if we 90 down
on or knees to them and their leaders, and confess
the sin of loving and helping our own section in the
death struggle through which it passed, and agree to
have cur shame, our contrition, our late repentance.
and our sorrowful confession thereof 60 to the world,
under the naturalization Of the State seal. Have the
Office seekers thought Of these conditions? Will our
people, too, think Of the fitness of such men. of men.
we mean, who, for the sake of holding offices, evil
bend the knee, that thrift may follow fawnins ?"-and
named in these exceptions. Nay the generous elem
cilct u tHaI lHi.WUuS CONFenu0nE uiu not SLSD here.
In the shape Of a concluding clause to this article, it is
expressly provided, that adj persons who, prior to the
Est Of January 1868, favored the reconstruction meas
ures, and openly and actively assisted the loyal men to
restore the State, under these acts, may be allowed to
vote and hold Office, Notwithstanding they may have
been included in the above exceptions, and all the
proof required is their own oath. Here, too, is a
tempting reward offered to our people, to indorse the
late arbitrary, Illegal and partisan measures of Gen.
Shegidan-to approve the whole course Of the Rump
Congress, in its efforts to degrade the white men of
the State for the sake of black votes-to offer omen
sympathy for all the usurpations and legislation of
Congress outside Of the Constitution, and, in a word,
to consent to the Africanisation of the State!
Men of Louisiana! hoy are we to meet these in
suits, and these .outrages upon our rights? In closer
union; more active exertion; effective cooperation,
and "a common assault upon the centre line, against
the constitutional
W. obo1I ran,r r. III, ,I;,o ,u,;