The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-03-21
What Reconstruction Means.

head off the Democrats in making tn,
finances. or payment of tue national debt il
greenbacks, the issue in the next presidential
contest, by themselves endorsing the Pendle
ton plan in the West; but that the Issue mex
fall will be "equal rights in the South,n-ir
other words, approval or disapproval of tn,
reconstruction policy of Congress. If that il
to be the issue, then, it is time the people
| were posted as to what that reconstruction
means. We have before us, in the Chicago
Tribune of Tuesday, the constitution recently
adopted by the black-andtan convention in
Louisiana 1t is fair specimen of all the
constitutions that are now being, or have been
adopted, by the various convention recently
or still in session in the Soth, under the auspi-
ces of our radica! Congress, backed up by the
Freedmen's Bureau and the army of the L. S.
Demonstration" means, therefore, simply
forcing these constitutions upon the people Of
the south, against the will of every 900 white
men out of every 900. Let us see what these
constitutions are like. We copy:
ART. ID. All persons shall enjoy equal rights
and privileges upon any conveyance of public
character; and all places of business, or of pub
lie resort, or for which license is required BY
either State, parish or municipal Authority, shall
be deemed places of public character, and shall
be opened to the accommodation and patronage
OF all persons, without distinction or discrimiua-
ton on account of race or color.
In railroad cars, omnibuses, saloons, hotels,
and all other public places, the negro must be
allowed to enter, stand or sit by the side of
the white man or woman, the same as if he
was the biggest fish in the puddle At the
public table of a hotel, north or south, if
white mechanic enters in his working clothes
he will very likely be asked to take seat at
one side; but if he is negro, no matter how
reeking his clothes with machine grease or
perspiration, at the south, he must be allowed
to sit where he pleascs. Are the people of
Illinois prepared for 'social equality" like this,
and if not, TO force it OH the south: Again:
ART. 100 Members of the General Assembly
and all other officers, before they enter upon the
duties of their Offices, shall take the following
oath or affirmation 81, "a. b. do solemnly
swear (or affirm, that accept the civil and polit-
cal equality of all men. and agree not to ATTEMPT
to deprive any person Or persons on account of
race color or previous condition of any political
or civil right, privilege, or immunity enjoyed by
any other class of men. That will support the
constitution and laws, &c.
Would one Republican in ten in Illinois be
wiling to take this oath-it is prescribed to
voters as well as all public ofcers-te swear
before depositing a vote in the ballot box, to
agree never to oppose negroes holding office,
sitting on juries, or attending churches the
same as white folks, or that black children
shall occupy the same seats with their own
in the schools? Again:
ART. 135. The General Assembly shall estab.
lish at least one free public school in every par.
lsh throughout the State, and shall provide for it's
support by taxation or otherwise. All children
OF TINS state between the ages of six and twenty.
one shall be admitted to the public schools or
other public institutions of learning sustained
or established bv the State, in common, without
distinction of race or color, or previous condi.
tisn. There shall be no separate schools or in.
sttutlons OF learning established exclusively for
any race by the State Of Louisiana
Roman Catholics, and some of the Prostest.
ant denominations, frequently establish sep.
arate schools for the reason that no distinctive
religious instruction can be given in them, or
on account of their mixed character. are dan
gerous to the morals Of their children; but ia
Louisiana, no matter how demoralizinc NAV
be the indiscriminate association of white and
black children, there can be no separation of
the races in the schools by authority of the
State. How would the people OF Illinois like
thatY
These Reconstruction" constitutions at the
South not only aim to make the negro the
equal of the white man in all civil (sociaD and
political respects, but his Superior. BY Art.
9S, every negro no matter how arrant rebel
he may have been during the war; is admitted
to the right of suffrage if he is 81 years of
age and resident Of the State for one wear
the election and 10 days in the par
sh where he votes; but all white men, about
whom there is the least faint Of the rebellion,
are disiranchised, to tie extent of more than
half tho white men in the State and of tbes.
not over half can under any circumstances be
to suffrage While this abominable
constitution is in force.
The wrong to the people Of the South, in
forcing such constitutions upon them, is all the
greater, in view Of the fact that it is done by
the north while rejecting this negro equality
themselves. Yet in the north, where there
are comparatively few negroes, it is little more
than a QUESTION Of iastn TIC few ncorurs