The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-06-10

question of race-it IL not @ political question
The American people know that the white AND
negro races do not rank upon one level 10 nature
that legislation can pescesbly no more change
the mould and stamp Of nature than IL can disturb
the order OF creation. The governing intellect o
the white race has ruled this country. The white
race has never yet intrusted any Of its Interests
20 The negro. This determination springs from nc
local, sectional unressoning prejadice. Every
State In the Union has fixed the status of tbs
negro The free negro In Ohio and Indiana could
not testify In court In civil suit in which white
man wssinterested as late as ls5l-if be can TO.
day. 10 Louisiana he has always been q compe.
tent witness In such cases. The Massachusetts
Law of l7ss. Furnishing with imprisonment and
stripes any negro without exception who commit.
ted the onense Of residing sixty days in that
State, was repealed only in 1884. 1t was
only In 1868, for reasons which we pass
over, that Massachusetts, removed another
badge Of dishonor on account Of race, and
allowed the negro the privilege Of bear.
ing arms In her militia. The new Northern
States. moved BY the same reasons that prompted
the Legislation OF the older States vigorously car
red out this principle Of excluding the negro
from their limits. though. at the same time, they
were making strenuous efforts TO increase their
population. The laws prohibiting intermarriage
and Withholding the elective franchise, fixed the
negros status Of social and political inferiorty.
We repeat that this prejudce Is not sectional.
The result Of the late elections at the North are
not calculated TO fatter the hopes Of any one that
the American people have changed their estimate
OF the claims and character Of the negro. The
popular viii to-day Is as 1t has been ever since
the formation Of the government-the white race
must govern the State.
When legislation has been so uniformly ex-
elusive and unbending, Il finds its justification in
Is proposed that we shall have for social equals
and political superiors race that carries on its
forehead the stigma of degradation, stamped by
the legislation of every Northern State. Our
governors. our legislators, our judges are to be
of that race which. by your ussges, Is ostracised
from the lowest grades of human society. The
menials Of your households would scorn 10 ASSOC
ciRte with these who are 10 fill the honored Offices
Of our State. The rights of property, the safe.
guards OF personal liberty, the vital Interests Of
own States have declared unworthy Of the cleo
tive franchise, even when its exercise would have
but an unappreciable effect. Such government
may crafty the base passions Of revenge, but II
promises the strife. sacrifices and anarchy, which
suffering country can Ill Afford to invite. Since
history has FIRST narrated the events Of the world,
where has such q spectacle been presented as that
which we present to-day freedom Americans
pleading TO the American Congress for the gov
eminent Of the bayonet to escape more dis
honoring fatei
Your laws did not even allow rs TO determine
this ptable alternative; they their inter preta-
ton, which is practically the same, made the ne.
gro decide whether or not he should rule the
Mullt IhCts III QUO phTlbQ, vi lkUU WQlLo voters
A50 were DISTINGUISHED. The Indian was forced
70 yield the occupation Of this country and aban.
don the tombs OF his fathers because he could not
avail himself Of the advantages of civilization.
By the test Of your State legislation his voice is
superior TO the negro race. Is 1t less than fraud
upon civilization, after having at an enormous
cost Of life and treasure chased the Indian from
his dominion, after having encouraged and invited
the white man to build up this country now to
surrender the monuments of his civilization to a
race inferior TO the Indian!
II we are asked what We will do, we can only
answer that as full and as suggestive as are the
teachings OF history we cannot point to the past.
The experiment OF subjecting the white man TO
the rule Of the negro has originated in this coun
Try and In this century. An answer might be 90.
tanned II you ask yourselves what the constituent
cies you represent would do IL similarly situated.
Ofpur population of nearly 400, 900 whites SO 900
are lrish and German, men whom no sacrifices de-
tered from escaping from the tyranny of the
white despot. large proportion are men from
the Northern States and their descendants. They
are known TO you. A very large number are
from the original Southern Ststes-the descend.
ants OF those whose vaor, patriotism and states.
manship contributed TO secure the Independence
and liberty you enjoy. The remainder are the
descendants of those whose political privileges
and civil rights were sacre1ly guaranteed by
treaty.
We have endesvored TO repel, because Il has
been so often reiterated, the unfounded charge
that We give no encouragement to the Northern
man to settle in our midst. WHO'S to-day respon.
sble for the Injustice and folly of prohibiting i'm
migration 10 our State: We, who in every parish
have invited the Northern mechanic farmer and
merchant TO make his home in our State, or those
who. BY establishing negro government, will
make this State uninhabitable by the white
mani
We submit this protest to relieve ourselves OF
any suspicion that we yield even seeming scouI.
esoence In the adoption Of the Constitution. We
nnfAr fhaa et,, ~ a..
laws, though convinced of their unconstitution.
atty. II those laws only contemplated that the
negro should be projected, the convention trans
cended its authority BY peryerting them and max
ing them the instruments by which negro So.
premscy is successfully established. The negro
has our sympathy. For the protection of his
person. his freedom, and the enjoyment of his
property, we do not demonstrate against any lust
guarantees that may be required. That,
for these purposes, before the law, he
man. we prefer no complaint. We are willing 10
be reasonably taxed for his education, and would
not look with disfavor upon the efforts by the
state government TO test, by favorable legsla-
ton. his capacity for selfimprovement. But we
give solemn warning to the country that this
effort 10 degrade the white race by subordinatiuR
II, although In q majority TO the political and
social supremacy Of the black race, as proposed
BY the Constitution now TO be inaugursted under
the military acts, viii require more than human
IL
these frghtful results which have been foretold by
men Of all classes, but by more positively than
prominent Republican senators. Undoubtedlyit
!. the duty of every good citizen to aid in improving
the condition Of the negro, but the candid convic
ton Of every intelligent mind must necessarily be-
that the colored man cannot safely predicate his
hopes upon the downfall Of the white race. Sus.
tsined and led by European civilization, which
rules throughout the Northern section, and must
eventually rule throughout the Southern section
Also. the negro may attain the highest sdyan-
tsges, but he can never obtain those adyau.
iages, whilst acting from the standpoint Of an.
tagonism TO the white race-an aniagonism which |
IS essentially the ground work and corner stone |
Of the proposed new Constitution.
We respectfully, but earnestly. appeal to the |
senate, to its wisdom and patriotism, to nterpose
q calm counsels and prevent the establishment |
d government so certainly calculated to destroy |
,ur SOCIAL and material interests, and which must
Inevitably engender the most fearful spirit of |
iatred between two races whose interests re. /
pectvely, when rightly understood and pro-
ected, are not antagonistic. Solemnly, before
rod and our country. and in the interest OF com.
non lineage and Q common civz alton, we pro
est against any recognition or ratification of the
proposed Constitution by Congress, because that
Consultation Is In violation Of the Consultation of
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