New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-02-23

1 ~ tRGtlCo aQE 1tff41lht1OU ANQ re-
iractory conduct which might in the end
secure 9 result which their arms failed to
accomplish. (Great applause.)
j IL ls expedient for justice and necessity
are always expedient and it will interest
the whole people in the stability and sue
cess OF the government. In it every mai
Will nave his pride, and enjoy the proud
satisfaction Of knowing that this IS his
country and its blessings are for him and
his when he Is no more. 'feat
tits necessary, just, and expedient, be.
cause in this great government of ours we
noast OF the freedom and liberty Of our peo-
pie. We have thrown the worn out theories
Z OF the past to the winds. We have left onr
pSse Of supplies and started for the broad
olue ocean Of universal liberty. For nearly
century we have resisted the combinations
Of the old world, and whippedfin every bat
tie tnelr powerful armies. We have, even
with the Inconsistencies of our theory and
practice prospered as no people ever pros
pered. We have produced more, consumed
more, settled more territory, enjoyed more
hberty, marshaled more men for battle,
gained more victories, enfranchised more
citizens, and accomplished more grand
results than any nation now in existence.
(Great applause. 81. 1lialoa @ lisf
II is just,for God created all men equal,
and endowed them with inalienable rlghts,
and said to us to do unto others as we would
have others do unto us; 1t is necessary, for
injustice to our fellQw-man has cost US q
million OF men and billions Of treasure. 1t
is expedient, for it settles the question, stops
Iagitation, and leaves us to other great fields
ofreform and enterprise. It checks the ag-
gressive spirit of man, and may save US from
other conflicts more servile and bloody than
ever known TO history. With it there will
be no war OF races, always the result Of op-
preston and injustice. ..--
The objection to reconstruction is con-
u f1nnn n cD IN oh 20
the new constitution is negro suffrage
They say that the negro is black, and ought
not to vote in this country. Now what
sense is there in that objection, any more
than our objection to the color of their
hair, the shape Of their noses, or the length
of their legs, or their nationality. The say:
But oh, he is a 4'nigger." Well, can't he
reply that they are Jews OF Gentiles; and is
there not just as much sense in disfran.
chising man for the one reason as the
other They say he Is ignorant and poor,
and unfit to exercise the right of suffrage.
answer by asking if this is consistent with
the ideas Of the Democratic party, or with
the teachings Of the fathers from Jefferson
down to Buchanan They do not apply tho
tests of intelligence and property to white
men. Why should they do SO to colored
men They may say he is poor; all the
/ more is the reason why be should be in
vested with the ballot to protect himself
They say he is ignorant and does not
know how to vote. Were they with all their
superior intelligence able to entrap one of
them into their Democratic clubs last sum-
mer? We're they shrewd enough to keep
any of them from the polls on the days Of
election, even with their Establishments,
bribes, and intimidations
! / tell you, my Democratic friends these
people are sufficiently intelligent to know
what is good for them, and that which is
coed for them is good for the whole people
and the country. You allow the poorest
and most Ignorant white man to vote, and
any test applied to black men and not to
white men is unjust and can not prevail.
(Great applause-cheers.)
And now, my felloW-citizens, will you
have reconstruction under the plan pro-
posed, or will you reject this opportunity
and trust again to the future? ask my
Democratic friends to pause before they
take step which may postpone reconstruc.
ton for one or two years longer. Do not be
deluded with the idea advanced that il you
can procrastinate reconstruction until the
next Northern elections that you will be
able to defeat general suffrage and the con-
stitutional amendment, sd.
Let me tell you there is no power on earth
can strip the colored men of this state of the
right of suffrage. (Cheers and tremendous
applause.) They are citizens; they are
| electors; and they exercise this right under
the laws of the country. They will stand
by their rights and maintain them firmly
and forcibly, and will only rehnquish them
when numbers coupled with the force OF
battalions shall have stripped them Of
them;
Revolutions do not go backward, and
freedoms battle once begun,
Bequeathed by bleeding sire to son,
Though bafiled oft, tsA
lseyer Won" gH.- -"-rH
And as sure as the providence of God con
tinues to smile on this people, SO sure you
never viii have reconstruction for this state
while you do mot recognize the civil and
political equality of all men.
The late war was prosecuted for UniOn
freedom, and republication. With tht
Union and the constitutions freedom an6
republicanism are safe. The Union secures
us government; the constitution secures
us freedom and good government. TheI
let us preserve the Union and the constitu
; | ton, and with the free expression of opin
! ion secured to all the people there can exist
. no evil which can not be corrected, and nj
! wrong that can not be redressed. Cap
Z plause.) Who of us can lock back upon the
rise and progress of the great republic
without feelings Of emotion and pride
/ From q wilderness in 1900; skirted on the
: east with civilization in 1900, and onll
Z 5000, 600 in l776, it has grown-yes, Jumped
+ to 4O,O00000 in 1868. From thirteen
!, IsBarsely settled colonies we have nov
7. thirty-eighf glorious states. Each one o
them an empire in itself, and the aggregate
representing more wealth, enterprise
, capacity, intelligence, and resources
. than any nation on the globe
J Who is not proud of his country when he
remembers Its history, hears its eulogy from
| untold millions In the old world, and seei
the rapid marches IL makes toward perfect
government and knows the freedom II
vouehsafes to All its people It is to-day
Yindicated. II has been tried and found
| not wanting. Its history is the story oi
I | liberty and its future is the hope of the op
: | pressed in every land. When it was created
| It had in it the seeds Of disease and death
They grew and hourished nntil they had
nearly undermined the system and broken
! down the constitution. PalliativesI and
/ opistes were administered. Cordiais and
: soothing syrups we're gwen but the
J | its fury, and nothing was left but surgery tC
] | save it, and that was surrounded with doubt
for 1t was feared the patient would die II
/ the operation. slavery, the curee Of the
body polite, had sent its poisons throughout
the system, until emaoiatea and sick the
most hopeful feared for the worst while the
! eRamEas injtiRted their eop=YssaoY and
struck aS its heart. But the knife was inyoE
/ / ed. and the operation was performed, and the
! patient rose clear Of the great disorder, and
J au the people were free, and to day my
country stands before the world vindlcated
and disenthraled, the victor Of Thousand
J battles, the hero Of four wars, the advance
. guard Of civilization. (Tfemendous ap
! plause.) What American will say he is no
Z proud q hts nationality, whether he b
i loyAllst Or rebel, Caucasian OF African
What 3 monument 70 liberty What |
rebuke fooid fheofieai What vindicRtiOI