New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-05-03
Lat speech OF the Murdered sinclair

Last speech OF the Murdered Sinclair
In order that the whole people of Louisiana
and of the United States may have an oppor
tunity to read the last speech ofMr. Franklin
Sinclair, one of the Republican candidates
to represent Ouachita parish in the STATE
Legislature, we publish it in full. 1t wa,
for uttering these and similar sentiment.
that he was assassinated in Morehoust
parish on his way home:
FELLOW CIT1zENs-Though stranger tc
many OF you l appear before you today az
one who has the interest of the State o.
Louisiana at heart and who desires to pro
mote her interest in every way ana manner
that It may be possible. meet the citizens
Of this parish assembled here to-day in
peace and friendship. stand here not tc
advocate policy antagonistic to your in
terests, but as a citizen of the State OF
Louisiana whose present and future wei
fare are connected with the interests of the
people OF the State ofLouislana, both white
and black.
l am for the rights of all without the VIC.
lation OF the rights of any. ] am not one
Of those who would pander to the preiu.
dices OF the ignorant, and seek to use them
as tools for political purposes. l am not
one OF those who are inspired with morbid
sentiment of hatred against the white race,
for recognize them as having taken the
lead in modern civilization, and believe
they are justly to be regarded as the great
leaders in the worlds advancement in civil.
ization and improvement.
! believe that stand here to-day before
this assembly with firm, honest purpose to
discharge my duty as far as Heaven enables
me, not for one race more than another,
but that all, both white and black, who
may live in this State hereafter may live
together in peace, harmony, and good will,
and may strive to promote the true interests
of each other.
At the close of the war the Southern
States were found without any civil govern.
ment. The loyal white people, these who
raised their voices against secession, were
prescribed and driven from their homes.
The pathetic stories Of their sufferings and
hardships are known. Those who favored
the rebellion, though Vanquished by over
whelming numbers we're still as unyielding
as ever, and still opposed to the govern
ment in principle. Though they were the
first to appeal to the decision of the sword,
they were unwilling to yield to the results
of its verdict. They still wished to be in
the same position, civil and political, as
though they had never taken arms against
their government. Though guilty of the
crime of treason and rebellion, they still
desired to be treated in such manner as to
make treason honorable.
Could the government consent to this
and be true to the interests Of the loyal
people in the Union, who had furnished
such vast amount Of money, who had sent
armies into the field to crush this huge
giant crime of treason The government
not be the friend OF the Union people and at
the same time Of those who 70 lght against
the Union. 1t therefore became the gov
eminent, for the sake Of the loyal people
North and for the sake OF the loyal people
South, to adopt such means and measures
as would secure their interest as well as
extinguish every vestige OF the
rebellion.
Congress then drew up the plan of recon
structiOn for the sake Of the loyal people of
the South, and slavery was destroyed by the
very acts of those who sought TO perpetuate
it. Congress declared the colored man to
be a free citizen of the United States, and
entitled IS such to all the privileges and
rights Of citizens. The mental qualifica-
tons of the colored man were no recon.
Of him to Congress. But Con.
gress believed that the colered people were
loyal, and that they we're the true friends of
the government. And had Congress no lust
right to place confidence in our loyalty and
devotion? The whole country knows how
CALAMITY and nobly we struggled at Vicks-
burg, Port Hudson, Mobile, before Peters.
burg, and In the Wilderness.
Congress knew that no truer and more
faithful heart beat in IL bosom ofman than
that in the breast Of the colored man. NV
colored fellow citizens, will you not prove
It by your ballots, when on the seventeenth
and eighteenth instant you will be called
upon, in still more striking manner, add
ing new lustre to your names by voting for
hat Constitution which will restore our
State TO the Union and bring Northern cap
tai and energy here to build up the broken
ortunes of the State! This il is your duty
10 do, and besides it secures to you, the !
oval citizen, all rights and privileges pos.
iessed by others.
know there are many who object to the
Constitution soon to be submitted ito Won
Tor ratification on the ground that the right |
,fsuffrage should depend upon either men
al qualification, such as the ability to read |
md write, or property qualification. | |
will here state that have examined fairly |
ind candidly, / believe, these two most |
objections, and have come to the |
.onclHsion that both would work injustice to |
he loyal white and colored citizens. Ithas |
)een estimated, and believe the estimate |
correct, that there are twenty thousand |
White citizens in the State of Louisiana
Who can not read and write, and If YOU
ould enact such a law thew wonId he dis. |
ranchised as well as sixty thousand black
itizens.
Do you think that they would submit to
his Invasion of their rights which they |
njoyed under previous Constitutions No, |
hey would not. Now for the second OBJ
ection, there are ten thousand colored |
men In the State of Louisiana who possess
efficient property 70 entitle them to vote
Inder q property Qualification clause; and
here are fifteen thousand white men who
you'd be distranchised by property quail
location. But why this argument? The |
Ian for the reconstruction OF the State has
cen clearly set forth in the act of recon
truction, and the supplementary bills |
hereto passed oy Congress, and we are re-
uired to comply with these acts as a pre-
eQuisite 10 admission into the Union.
II is not for the vanquished to dictate
erms of peace to the conQueror, but TO &C,
ept such terms as the victor may prescribe.
We must, therefore, if we would save our.
elves from utter ruin, if we would pass /
rom under the tyranny of military des- |
otism to the benign influence Of civil IN. |
to secure Justice and TO secure |
be blessings Of peace and prosperity to our |
tate, adopt and ratify this Constitution, |
hat whatever obnoxious feature it may con- |
ain may be changed BY amendment.
%he Republican party, known by the |
srm radical, which means going 20 the |
ottom Of things, is the party that every |
,yal citizen should cooperate with, because
lat party, and that party alone, is earnest
/ working to restore the State to the Union |
D the Congressional plan OF recon
/
The New Orleans Weekly and Daily Re
contain the nrincfp1ae of the |
epubliean party, and this paper IS the |
My organ Of the Radical Republican party |
{ this State. The, Radical Republican |
cket, headed by the Hon. RI. G. WarInoth |
n Governor and she Hon. Oscar j. Dunn |
IT Lieutenant G0vernoris the only regular |
czet Of the party. We must deplore the \
vision which has occurred in our PARTY az [