New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-09-29
WHOLE NUMBER 458.

r.
lor lnese, reasons will you prescribe and
ostrae'se them by taking away the elective
iranchlseg Sir say that even the men of
color would not agree to this absurd and
narrow minded proposition. They look up
70 intelligence, appreciate it among them.
how 1t may be disguised or hid. il must
always bring aud command respect. Now,
SIR, now impoiitic to prescribe an element
such as this, composed as it is of the mo,t In.
teliigent, most respectable and most inhuen.
tial men Of the country. If you Keep this
element disatiected you keep in the State
constant running sore that will breed evils
whlch no power can heal, and that must
eventually destroy the body polite. If the
Senator has an interest in the State, and be
says he has, Il must spring from desire to
90 good to the peopIe-to the entire peo.
pie. How can you do so by legislating for
a part only, arraying, as it were, through
.hs partisan legislation, the two races In
dire antagonism. How can you consistent.
ly with the doctrine of your own rarty-
UNIVERSAL sutfrage-proscribe one class and
extend the franchise to another? And here,
slr, would say that the Legislature of this
State has no right to enact law taking
from the citizens of the State vested CON
stitutional right.
Now, sir, whether secession was right or
wrong is question will not discuss. In
the tlrst place, men better informed than
myself, and who have paid the most assid-
uous attention to this proposition, have not
been able to determine whether secession
was wrong morally, or simply political
error, and the discussion on this point has
not been confined TO the politicians of the
South, but the same question mooted aud
vexed has perplexed many of the most
astute politicians of the North. Therefore l
snail not discuss the question, except as to
its practical results.
Now, sir, in 1862 Congress declared, in the
most emphatic and positive terms, that this
war was waged not for the sake of conquest,
but to re'establish and restore the Union of
the States, and the integrity of the Constitu-
ton. In the proclamations issued by Presi.
dent Lincoln he announces that the States
then in rebellion or insurrection, if they lay
down their arms prior to January, 1864,
shall be received under the agis of the Con.
stitution, and protected in all their rights.
Mr.. Lincoln was the father, you may say, Of
the Radical party. He was the true expo
nent of reform, and he declares most posi-.
lively, in all of his official documents, that
this war was not waged for the purpose OF
subiugation, but for the restoration of the
Union. rHtr
He does not advise Congress to enact
laws prescribing the people of the different
Southern States. He saw that the only way
in which he could restore to the Government
the disaffected clements was by inviting
these governments, then in hostile array
against the United States, to lay aside their
arms, aid come again into the Union.
The people of the South, the instant that
this war was ended, returned with deter.
mination to be quiet and worthy citizens.
They took an oath to support the Consttu
tuition of the United States and most faith
fully have they preserved it. Many took
the oath to support the Constitution Of this
State Now, sir, the Senator finds it mat
ter Of great moment that but short time
since they refused to vote for the Constitu-
tion of 1868, and would argue that in this
they have violated their oath. The position,
sir, is almost too palpably ridiculous to at
tack. They swore to support the Constitu.
tion of the State as it then existed. The
mongrel Constitution that was subsequently
framed was not at that time in existence.
Have they not faithfully adhered to the
pledge they made? / ask any Senator to
deny, if he can, that there has ever been a
more constant, conservative and peaceful
adherence to solemn obligation than that
carried out by the people of the South
The Senator insists that few months ago
we were arrayed against the restoration OF
the State. and for that reason the perogatiGe
should be withheld. Sir, we were not op-
posed to the restoration of the State; we
yearned for it, but we opposed and bitterly
objected to the way in which the Radical
party sought to restore it. The constitution
presented 10 US was net the constitution
that we had sworn to support. 1t was new
constitution, which sought to deprive q
large portion of our people of the dearest
rights that can be enjoyed by citizen of a
free government. Such was the constitu-
tion that they tried to defeat, as they had
| every right to do. And, sir, when the regis
tration bill, as originally introduced, pro
| rid 1a1 hot no ana bn kn1 nHY,s
| the constitution should be allowed t
register, many of the Republican Senator;
| saw how perfectly absurd and tyranical il
| was, and 1t was at once expuuged.
| We had the same right, sir to oppose tht
/ Constitution as the people North and South
| have to oppose the election of Genera
| Grant. Unless we have right to oul
opinions, and are allowed to express them
| this Is no free government, and you NIGH
| rs well at once declare yourselves GRAND
AIoguls, and tell us we must do this or that
| according to your wise pleasure, or sutfel
tor our disobedience. That, sir, is the way
they do in Turkey. That, sir, is the mode
practiced among barbarians. But that /;
not the way in which free men will allow
themselves to be governed. Ii you, sir,
| vote the Radical ticket, / hope that may
| be permitted to vote the Democratic. You
| can not prescribe me for my opinions. You
| can not tell me that because opposed a
| Constitution that believed to be radically
| wrong, and in direct violation of all
| that we held most sacred and dear
constitution that is calculated to damn
! with indellible infamy the whole State and
| country. constitution that, in my opin'
| ion. is a bastard born in the seething eaul
| drons of hell. / say you can not prescribe
! me from the councils OF the State because
! opposed it. How could | or any man
| have an interest in or love for the country
when the dearest right is denied. 1t is the
right which was achieved and cemented by
the heroic deeds of the revolutionary fathers,
and yet we are told that unless our political
sentiments coincide with those of the Sena-
tor and his party, fOrs0oth, We must be pro
scribed. Sir, this Is unfair, ungenerous,
and most impolitic. We make no threats.
And, sir, We have suffered politically as no
people have ever suffered; we have endured
what, perhaps no people can ever endure
again, but, sir, through all this we have
looked forward hopefully to the time when
men of intelligence throughout the
whole country seeing that an er.
ror was committed in the blind mo
ment of partisan feeling would forget
all these differences and become an
united people; when they will march on to
a more glorious prosperity than has vet
been achieved by a nation.
I. This is the condition in which hope yet
TO see the country. This is the condition in
which every honest, true and dcouhtry-loying
man, be be Democrat or Republican, should
desire TO see il; and say tothe Senator, II
yon really want to, do your seuntry good,
for Gods sake commence it By showing you
are not .actuated entirely by blind and
fhnatical aniniosity.
In the Senate Wednesday, September
23, ls6s; sHzha fsaf-sasef
The report Of the committee in the case
@. %. Antoine vs.. Reuben White being under
consideration. m r8iar9 .Vf.aifs
ALr. Smith moved that G. c. Antoine be