Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-21
CONGRESSIONAL DESPOrIsM.
Protest of the state of Louisiana 20
the Senate of the United States.

Protest of the state OF Louisiana "a
the Senate of the United States.
We present below the conclusion Of ar
able paper presented to the United State,
Senate by a convention of the white mer
Of Louisiana against the tyranny Of re.
construction :"
We have endeavored to repel, because il
has been so often reiterated, the unfounded
charge that We give no encouragement Il
the Northern man to settle in our midst
Who is to-day responsible for the Injustice
and folly of prohibiting immigration "a
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 uninhab-
liable by the white mani We submit
this protest to relieve ourselves of any
suspicion that we yield even a seeming &C.
quiescence in the adoption of the Constitu-
ton. We did not oppose the adoption OF
the reconstruction laws, though convinced
of their unconstitutionality. If those laws
only contemplated that the negro should
be protected, the convention transcribed
its authority by perverting them and
making them the instruments by which
negro supremacy 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 Just guarantees
that may be required. That for these pur-
poses. before the law, he should stand As
the equal of the white man, we prefer no
complaint.
We are willing to be reasonably taxed
for his education, and would not look with
disfavor upon the efforts of the State GOV
eminent to test, by favorable Legislation,
his capacity for selfimprovemeGt Bud we
give solemn warning 10 the country, that
this effort to degrade the white race by
subordinating it, although in a majority,
to the political and social supremacy Of the
black race, as proposed by the Constitution
now to be inaugurated under the military
acts, will require more than human pru-
dence and iorbearance, if we are to avert
these frightful results which have been
foretold by men of all CLASSES, but by none
more positively than prominent Republi-
can Senators. Undoubtedly it is the duty
of every good citizen to aid in improving
the condition of the negro, but the candid
conviction of every intelligent mind must
necessarily be, that the colored man cannot
safely predicate his hopes upon the down
fall of the white race.
Sustained and led by European civiiza-
ton, which rules throughout the North
ern section, and must eventually rule
throughout the Southern section also, the
negro may attain the highest advantages
but he can never attain those advantages
while acting from the standpoint Of an
tagonism to the white race-an antagonism
which ia essentially the ground work and
cornerstone of the proposed Constitution.
We respectfully, but earnestly, appeal to
the Senate, TO its wisdom and patriotism,
to interpose its calm counsels and prevent
the establishment Of government so Ger
tainly calculated TO destroy our social and
material interests and which must newt
ably engender the most fearful spirit of
hatred between two races whose interests
respectively, when rightly understood and
protected, are not antagonistic.
Solemnly, before God and our country,
and in the interest of a common lineage
and a common civilization, we protest
against any recognition or ratification OF
the proposed Constitution by Congress, be.
cause that Constitution ia in violation Of
the Constitution of the United States; De-
cause it is not based upon the consent Of
the people who are to be governed by il :;
because it was conceived and framed in the
interest Of the negro az against the white
man, establishing unlimited and unre.
stricted suffrage for the one, and sweeping
Acknowledgement Of large classes Of the
other, and throwing around the remainder
such restrictions, limitations and interdic-
tons as virtually destroy their entire
political and social influence, aud finally
because it has been adopted in fraud of the
reconstruction laws themselves, not having
been ratified at an election 10 which every
qualified and registered voter was per
mitted to vote without fear or the influence
OF fraud. As we look over the whole field
of this discussion, we are unwilling 10 be-
lieve that the grave Senator'S whom we
now address ever contemplated the framing
of such a Constitution as is now offered
for their approval and sanction. Recon
strGction in the interest of the Union we
not only understand, but will without
dissenting voice, most zealously advocate !;
but reconstruction in the interest Of African
we neither can understand nor
can approve.
THos. L. MACON, Chairman.
". NJ. SMALLwOoD, Secretary.