The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-25
TIE KEcox,rKucTloN ooNvENrIox.
FORTY-ssvENTH DAY.
FRIDAY, Jan. q, 1868.

Convention met at III A. NJ. General NC tlen
presiding; sixty-seven delegates present.
The order Of the day was taken up. Cd.
Smith, Of Orleans, in speaking upon the substi.
tute offered by Judge Cooley, moved to amend by
adding and registered enemies.r He could re.
spect man. he said. who had shouldersd his
musket and gone ont to fight for a cause which he
honestly believed 10 be right, but as for those
who remained here in New Orleans sneaking
about the streetcorne,s, and calmly, coolly,
deliberately and without excuse, came
forward and registered themselves as enc.
MES against the United States, went
into the Confederate lines, and then were
too cowardly to light those, il any, said the speak
er, are the men who ought to be DISTINGUISHED.
he wished that all this matter Of dsfranc hsement
could be done away with. He was not pre-
pared TO say that he wished to disfranchise any
one But If any DISTINGUISHING Is to be done If
any distinction is to be made he would rather see
Robert Il. Lee made voter again, than those per-
sons who losfed about the streets too cowardly
to fight on either side. Let Us enfIanchise every
man, and particularly the gallant soldier who
fought, he cared not on which side.
The amendment was laid on the table By 10 to
70 and Cooley substitute came before the House.
II reads as follows:
The following persons only shall be excluded
from the exercise of the elective franchise in the
htate, viz: The president and ce-president of
the late so-caed Confederate States members of
the cabinet, Of the Congress, and diplomatic
agents Of the said so called Confederate States
governors Of the several States lately ia
rebeOD; all who were educated at the
expense Of the United States, either at the
Military and Naval Academy, and subsequently,
aided and assisted TO rebellion; and all officers OF
the army of the late so called Confederate army,
above the grade OF brgadier general. All those
who may be adjudged guilty Of treason, bribery
forgery, and such other crime as, under the laws
OF the State, is punishable by Imprisonment at
hard labor in the State Penitentiary.
Crane, OF Orleans, occupied the floor for his
twenty minutes speaking in favor of an amend
ment introduced by him, striking out the words
pIppfiVp franchise - m ha limo nd in
sorting instead holding Office" By consent of
the convention he was allowed to exceed the
Limit Of time allowed speakers by the rules.
Jones. of Orleans, said II made his heart sick
within him to find the convention voting down the
clause disfranchising registered enemies. To en-.
franchise that class Of men who had originated
this rebellion. is simply TO acknowledge that re.
belon was right and that treason is spectacle.
He, for one. had not raised companies for service
in the Confederate army. He one of those
who bad left his country for his country's
good" and the moment he entered the United
States lines, be had volunteered ia the
federal service TIE assertion made by one
speaker, that a great moral revolution is in pro-
gress. amounted in bis opinion TO very little. The
fact that the NcCarde case had been advanced
on the Supreme Court docket had no sig
Dfcance, and had only been referred to 70
sway the convention against the interests
of the State OF Louisiana. The appeal
TO the fears Of the delegates from the country
psrishes, should not make them shrink from their
duties. However liberal might be this Constitu.
ton, the same opposition would be made to it so
long as negro suffrage was contained in il. This
the opposition never meant TO recognize. II had
been said that this disfranchIsementis the scheme
Of offce.seekers He believed that he could go
before the people and get as many white votes
as the delegate making the assertion.
Barrett, OF Union, agreed with Smith, Of
Orleans. He had made up his mind to vote for
DISTINGUISHING nobody. But if any one il to be
deprived of voting the registered enemies should
certainly be included. He opposed Craues
Newshsm, Of FeliciSns, desired TO know since
when treason had became honorable; since when
the punishment of rebellion had been wiped out
from the Constitution. The speaker was inter-
lupted by and gave way 20 motion to lay
Cranes amendment on the table, which was car
Ted by vote Of 90 10 IL.
The substitute of Judge Cooley was laid on the
table by q vote of 81 to 20.
The question then reverted to Packard 8 amen :
ment, reading follows:
The following persons shall be prohbite from
voting or from holding any Office Of honor, trust
or profit in this State, to.wit
AllpeTsOns who having previously taken an GA b
as a member Of Congress or an officer of the
United States or Of any State legislature, or as
executive or Judicial officer OF any State, to SUI
port the Constitution Of the United States shall
have engaged in insurrection or rebellion ,ain't
the same, or given aid and comfort to the en- 9mes
thereof. The words executive and judicial
officers" shall be held to include all State, parish
and municipal officers provided by law.
2. All persons who shall have been cow cted
OF treason, perjury, forgery bribery or other
erin es punishable by Imprisonment at bard labor
3. All paupers and persons under interdicton.
4. All leaders or officers of guerrilla bands dur
ing the late war or rebellion.
8. Those who during the rebellion inflicted or
caused 10 be inflicted any cruel or unusual pun
ishment upon any soldier, sailor, marine. employee,
or citizen Of the United States or who in any
other way violated the rules Of civilized war
fare.
6. Members Of the Secession Convention who
voted for or signed the ordinance Of secession;
PTOuided The General Assembly, by a two thirds
vote of each house, remove such disability.
Newsham. Ct Fecivns, offered the following
amendment thereto:
No person, excluded under the provisions Of
the military reconstruction bill Of Congress, or
who refused TO accept the privileges granted by
the said set or registered himself enemy OF
the United States government, shall hereafter be
entitled to vote, or be eligibleto any Office of
trust or profit in this Slate.
The speaker took tue ground that the conven-
tons duty had been plainly marked ont by Con.
gress as plain as the handwriting the wall.
saying "Thus for shalt thou go, aud no farther"
There had been time when peace had dwelt in
the land, and disloyalty was unknown, until some
Of uuTymen had turned and stabbed their los
ter mother in the back. And now, by what RICH 1
doe man selfcon essed of treason ask the rignt
TO vote Is the national flag nothing but dirty
rag that allegiance may be sworn 10 il one mo-
meDt and 1t be the next moment dragged under
footl Has the clause OF the Constitution been
stricken out providing that treason is punishlbl
with death? The very men who once called that
instrument piece Of waste paper now invoke it
in support OF their liberties. Aud now shall the
first loyal convention OF Louisiana strike from the
escu con the first diamond that has everadorned
the crest OF the Statel Do we propose to trample
under foot the reconstruction laws of Con yress;
20 throw into contempt the best legislative efforts
of the country, and after four years OF war and
three OF persecution, TO place back the govern
ment IN the hands of those who atte mpted to des.
troy II? These are no longer subject to the Coz
s.itutiOn's protective provisions. By the very
fact Of their having taken up arms against the
United States they denied and secuted the Co lst-
tuition, and il is now too late for them to claim its
beLehs.
Bertonnesu (colored), of Orleans, said he hid
never been accustomed to make appeals 10 his
race. And what is now proposed here Is it to
give Louisiana the right TO disiranchise American
citizens II YOU allow this you shall have power
in the State for awhile, but you cannot keen IL
forever. IL he's been said that treason is odio u,
and that the rebels must be dsfranchsed. He
believed for himself that this was a business be-