New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-10-22
SENATE DEBATES.


The following is the conclusion of the de-
bate in the Senate on Wednesday, October
II. Constabulary bill under consideration:
Mr.. Pinchhack: Mr.. President have not
| examined this bill very carefully, but have
heard it very favorably spoken Of, and |
thought it would be well to bring it up in
order that it might be discussed, and, if it
| Is good law, pass it. Being then, sir, but
poorly informed of its merits, | shall not
attempt at this time to say much in regard
to it. But, sir, can not allow to go unan-
swered some OF the arguments that have
been adduced by gentlemen who are opposed
to this bill. The Senator from st. Helena
| (Mr. Thompson) said it was proposed to arm
u political party with the intention Of ostra-
cising another. II, sir, thought for one
moment that the author of this measure
had in view any such purpose, should
now, without hesitation, make up my mind
to vote against it. But / do not believe the
author had in view any such object. | be-
lieve, sir, that he had in view only desire
to protect and bring about peace and
good order in those parishes of the State
where riot and murder are SO COM
mon today. l think, sir, it was to pro-
tect the citizens of the parishes, without
| regard to their party proclivities, whether
Republican or Democrat. The Senator said,
also, that his people are patient and law
ABIDING people; or rather, believe, he said
the Southern people were so. 1t is strange
to me, sir, that when gentlemen use the ex-
preston Southern people, they only re-
cognlze as southern people those who hap.
pen to have white faces-those who happen
| to belong to the Caucasian race. Now, sir
claim to be one of the people of the South
claim to represent on the floor of this Sen
| ate Southern people. am sent here to give nv
vote for measures that will protect and ben
eht Southern people, without regard to their
oclor. Now, sir, | say again that | differ with
the gentleman if he claims that the white PEG.
| pie only are Southern people, especial.
ly in the State of Louisiana | claim that
they are not the only law.abiding people;
and that in many instances they are not law
| abiding, but claim, on the other hand, that
| the people which he seems to ignore are
abiding people.
The gentleman also says that but a few
! years ago the negro was accustomed to ap-
proach the white man with his hat in his
hand-he did not finish the sentence. "How
| de do, massa'-I will finish it for him. But
| this state of things has been changed and
| to-day, thank Cod the colored man can ap-
proach the white man as men should ap.
proach each other. | am glad that change
has been brought about, and l hope such
| changes Will continue to be brought about
wherever one man is compelled to do homage
TO another on account of any arbitrary dis
tinction, such as that of color.
1t has been said that if we pass this bill it
| will be considered as a declaration of war
| by the party in power, and will lead to q
counter organization, and will necessarily
lead to collision. Are we to understand
that If we pass law here that does not
happen to suit some portion of the people of
the State, that they will rise up and revolt
| against It's execution? In other words, sir,
is legislation here to be shaped in accord
ance with the wishes of only portion of
the people of the State of Louisiana? Are
| we, sir, to be dictated to as to what mea-
sutes we shall pass by the whims and ca
prices OF certain persons who are admitted
| by the Senator to be lawless men? II such
| Is the condition to which we are reduced,
! we bad better adjourn sine die and 90 home
| at once. can not believe that the gentle
man represents correctly the state OF feel
| ing among the majority and the more
| respectable part of his constituency when
he intimates that they will, by force of arms,
resist any law passed by this Legislature.
II so, there is strange inconsistency, for
we have been told, day after day, that the
people propose only to change laws and
remedy evils by the proper MEANS the bal,
lot-box. That sir, it seems to me, is the
legitimate and the only way that obnoxious
laws can be erased from the statute books.
The gentleman went on to deliver his OPT
mon that the people of Louisiana do not
wish to deprive the colored man of his
rights. 1t is strange that the celored man
must be brought into every discussion of
this kind. can not believe that the Repub.
lican party, as represented on this floor,
have only the interests of colored people
at heart in the passage of laws. Laws are
made for the general good. Certainly /
shall not support any law that think is
partisan, or framed for the benefit Of any
particular class. And why is it that the
colored man must be brought forward IN the
discussion of every bill?
What have the colored people of the State
OF Louisiana to do with our Legislature, any
more than the white people? They have
cast their votes l I'm told, some of them, for
a Democratic candidate, and Democratic
members of the Legislature sit here by vir-
tue of their votes. know that the Repub-
licans come here almost entirely by the
votes of the colored men; but do not be-
lieve that men who sent them here expected
that they would enter into a series of class
legislation, looking to their benefit alone.
1t is our business to make such laws as
will protect white and black alike.
The gentleman says he has no desire to
take from the colored people their rights
which they have so recently acquired; but
in the next breath he says that these people
would rather have the "boys in blue" live
under military despotism, if necessary,
than to submit to being ruled BY this "ilht-
crate people"
WV, ollp uO uOL Dtlltft ne ID DSlDp
ruled by this 'flliterate people, am frank
to say that whenever the people of this
State acknowledge the political rights of
our people, you will not find us bound to
any political party. We simply desire our
rights, and we are anxious to support the
party which gives us the best chances in
life. Illiterate men, indeed, many of US are
but we can trace back that illiteracy to the
very fact that we have been oppressed by
the race to which the Senator belongs: and
he owes his superior intelligence to the fact
that we were deprived Of the God-given
right of acquiring knowledge.
The Senator from Orleans, speaking Of
these constables proposed to be appointed
by this bill, says it is class legislation. |
can not see upon what he POUNDS such a
statement, unless lac goes off into the pre-
sumption at once that the Governor will ap.
point all black men to this office, or all
white men.
Mr.. Braughn: The presumption is that he
will appoint all Radicals.
Mr.. Pinchback: Wen, we have very good
precedent in the practice of the party which
the gentleman represents, which has always
carried out the principle that 'to the victors
belong the spoils." l should like to know
when the Democratic party had appointed
any ether than Democrats to the offices in
this State or In any other State.
Mr.. Ogden: | will mention one instance,
sir: When they put Wells in office.
Mr.. Braughn: And when a Democratic
Senate put five Radical Judges upon the
supreme bench Of the State of Louisiana,
when they were well known By Democratic
Senators upon the floor.
Mr.. Pinchback: Those are facts am not
acquainted with.
Mr.. Braughn: There are a good many
facts you are not acquainted with. (Laugh'
ter)