The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-01-29


property, life and liberty, arc trodden TN
der foot. They disfranehise large portion
of the most intelligent and yirtuous citi
zens, as a punishment for alleged crime o
which they have not been legally c0nvic
ted, and confer universal suffrage upon the
emancipated slaves Hence, tie Congress
sional scheme is not only violative of the
Constitution, but grossly cruel and unjust
and devoid of that far-seeing and compre
hensive craftsmanship which seeks good
government, in contradistinction to parti
san ascendency. For who can fail to SEE
that those Acts must lead, and were inten
ded to lead to negro sMpremdey2 Else why
such disfranchisement of the white as te
throw the power of the ballot-box into the
control of the enfranchised black race?
Such is obviously their design, deducted
from their letter and spirit, not denied by
their authors and fully illustrated by the
manner of their enforcement. Having
placed us under military law, and tolera
ting orr organized government as merely
provisional, It's civil officers were compel
led to support them, onpain of dismissal
Judges and other officers were deposed fol
refusing to violate the Constitution and
laws which they had sworn to obey and
execute; all civil and military officers were
ordered to publish their legal advertise
ments in such papers only as sustained the
Congressional scheme. Thus the purity
independence of our Judiciary have been
polluted and stricken down and the sancti
ty of the jury box dcsecfated by compel
ling jury lists to be madeup of whites and
blacks indiscriminately; and thus the lib
erty of the press is fettered and tolerated
at the will of the District Commander and
Military Governor of the State. To these
we might add numerous instances of the
violation of personal liberty, by arrests
without legal accusation or warrant, and
imprisonment without an impartial and
public trial by jury. IN consideration
therefore, that the establishment of negro
supremacy was their intention, and that
from the mode of their enforcement Ii
would inevitably be consummated, we
firmly and deliberately opposed the Recon
struction Acts, as most compatibly with
our selfrespect and our duty to the dead
and the living, to present and future gen
erations. s.
But power has, thus far, trinmphel over
reason, justice and right; aud the Conven'
tion provided for, representing negroes
only. with the exception Of a few whites
now sits, to crystalize into constitutional
forms the policy of bringing the State Of
Georgia under the dominion of negro su
premacy 1t is without parallel i'll the an.
nails of the world. For although history
furnishes instances of abolition, yet it af
fords no example Of an attempt Ny militia.
ny force to elevate the elnancipated slave
abOyeSL bis recent master, to subordinate
the superior to the inferiorrace, and clothe
the latter with Che political power Of the
State. 1t is the most outrageous policy
ever advocated by o Christian people. II
should arrest the alarmed attention of ev,
cry friend Of constitutional government
throughout the Union, as Unjust awaken
the establishment Of the civilized world
The preparation Of such monstrous wrong
has been reserved for The dominant power
now controlling the destinyof this country
for men, slrorn to support and obey the
Constitution of government professedly
deriving, as fundamental principle, its
just powers from the consent Of the gov
erned"
FelIow-citizens: Shall negro supremacy
be permanently enthroned i'll the State of
Georgia Shall ten States of this Union
be surrendered, at the Fpoint of the bayo-
net, to the dominion of the African race
Shall eight millions of whites be subjected
to tho rule of four millions Of blacks !
Shall they becoae our Magistrates, our
Judges, our Governors, and Represents
tives in CongressQ Shall seven hundred
thousand ignorant negroes, who can nei-
ther read nor write, who know nothing OF
the principles of the Constitution or OF
legislation, agrarians by instinct, and
taught by political drill-lnastels that they
have injuries to avenge against the white
race. he admitted to the ballot-boNg These
are the momentous questions which de-
mand solution and disturb the peace and
harmony of our country. Ii they arc to be
decided aflirmatively, what pen or tongue
can portray the direful calamitles which
we Shall reap at no distant day. The
present arrangement of Government will
continu to grow worse, o,ir material pros
perity, already arrested, viii be destroyed
forever; society, already shocked by sud.
den and forced changes, will be thrown
into the most deplorable condition OF inse-
curity, and property, life and liberty will
be exposed to irremediable peril.
If our silence, in the past has been con.
strued into apathy and Indifference, then
we have been greatly lnisapprehended.-
We have submitted, almost without CON-
plant, because every whisper of protest
has been construed into disloyalty by oal
oppressors.
We have offered the feeble opposition o.
scarcely uttered remopstranee, only be-
cause Dutnnmbered at the ballot box, and
therefore impotent forsnccessfnl resistance
The Conservative people of Georgia fec
that tune submission has ceased to be q
virtue, and has become crime against
their country, add their race and future
generations. The rnthlets arm Of unhal
lowed power may .enslave and degrade
them, but they viii never, by word OF
deed, active or passive, consent to the out
rage offered to their manhood, bnt they
will struggle against it by every legitimate
means which they can command. They
appeal to the friends of Constitutions
government throughout the land to rally
to its rescue from the grasp Of RELENTLESS
centraiism.
1t is the province of enlightened states
nianship to search for the causes of politi
cal mala,lies, with a view to their removal
1t is easy for any candid observer to dc
tect the origin of these existing evil
which threaten such calamity to our com
try. We have previously remarked tina
the Reconstruction Acts assume that Con
gl'ess has the power to construct, govern
ments for the prescribed States. This as
sumption is the fruitful parent of all polit
teal Troubles 1t Is NAT nipfan.lrt! that tn,