The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-10-03

by an unre pealed law OF 1855, which, in substance
declares that in the absence of proper officers
presiding over elections, they shall themselves. in
their several precincts, assemble and choose com
missioners OF election, who shall each swear In
the other, and that the returns made by them shall
be valid to all intents and purposes and further
more, that In the event Of the probable rejection
of these returns by the secretary of state that the
electors 80 chosen shall meet and cast their votes
| as prescribed by the law of Congress, and shall
| send on the result Of their vote. with certified
copy OF the election returns of the vote OF the
State, to the president Of the Senate. and also
copy of the same to the National Democratic Gen.
| tral Committee.
Mr.. Mills, of jefferson, submitted the following
preamble.snd resolution, which were ordered to be
| referred 10 the committee resolutions:
| WHEREAS, The State of Louisiana is entitled to
seven electors for president and vice president OF
| the United States, and the existing laws have
only made provisions for SIX electoral districts,
and the State being now entitled to seven electors;
| therefore
Resolred, That this convention do nominate six
electors to be chosen from the six existing cleo
| toral districts, and the seventh elector to be
| chosen from the State at large.
| Mr.. Cntts, of Caddo, submitted set of resolu.
| tons which, on his own motion, were dispensed
| of being read. and they were ordered to be re-
4 ferred to the committee on resolutions.
| Mr.. Jones, of Orleans, right bank, submitted
the following resolution, which was ordered TO be
| referred TO the committee on resolutions:
ResOlued, That we recommend to the people OF
| the State of Louisiana general suspension of all
business on the day of the presidential election on
the Sd day of November next, so as to give the
white people no excuse on account OF business Tor
not exercising the right of suffrage on that mo-
| mentous occasion, whereby our future prosperity
! is jeoparozed.
Judge Alex. Walker, of Orleans, offered the
| Resotred, That this convention urgently coun.
sells the duty of every Demoerst to have himself
| registered as early as possible, and that no men,
Der of the party will be considered as having done
| his duty who fails to make an application and
| showing for registration.
Mr.. Fournet, of st. Martin, moved the reference
of the resolution TO the committee on resolutions,
and upon that motion he called for the yeas and
nays. They were ordered, and the following was
| the result, to-wit:
Yess-Ascension 4, Assumption 8. East Baton
Rouge 6, Iberville 3, jackson 5, Jefferson 8, La.
fayette 8, Livingston 4. Morehouse 4, Natchi.
| toches Z. Oreans-Second Ward Z, Third Ward
| 10, Tenth Ward s, Eleventh Ward 8 Orleans,
right bank. 2, 0uachita 4, Plaquemines 2, Pointe
Coupee 4, st. Charles l, st. Helena 8, st. Landry
9. st.Martin 6. Union 6, vermiion 2, Washington
| 3, West Baton Rouge 2-l0s votes.
Nsys-,Bienville s, Bossler 4, Carroll s, Cald.
| well 3, Catahoula 3, Claiborne 8, Concordis 2,
5. Madison 8, Orleans, First Ward 6, Fourth
Ward 5, Fifth Ward 5, Sixth Ward 8, Seventh
Ward 8, Eighth Ward 3, Ninth Ward 8. Rapides
9, Sabine 8, ST. Bernard l. st. James 3. st. John
| the Baptist 2, ST. Mary 8, st. Tammany 8, Tensas
| 2, Terrebonne 5, West Feliciana 2 VIM 4-l2l
| votes.
So the motion of reference was not agreed to.
Mr.. Fuqua, of East Baton Rouge, offered the
| following as a substitute to Judge Walkers reso-
| luton
Resolred, That ii is the first and most impera-
| tive duty of every Democrat, who can conscien-
tiousy DO So to register himself as voter.
On motion Of W. Pope Noble, of Orleans, Mr..
| FuQua's substitute was unanimously adopted in
lieu of Judge walkers resolution.
Mr.. Fuqus, of East Baton Rouge, chairman OF
| the committee on resolutions, to whom had been
| referred the resolution introduced by Mr. Walsh,
| of East Baton Rouge, submitted the following as
| substitute therefor:
| Resolued, That while we protest against all
| test oaths and dsquali6catons except for crimes
| whereof the party has been duly convicted, we
recognise the necessity of conforming TO existing
laws and this convention will entertain the name
| of no person as candidate for elector who can
| not qualify under these laws, and we recommend
to the congressional conventions to adopt the same
| rule.
Mr.. Race, of Orleaps, moved to recommit the
| whole subject matter.
On mo ion of Mr.. D. L. Rivers, of Concordia,
Mr.. Races motion was ordered to lie on the
| table.
| ON motion of 7. G. Noel, the report of the COM
| mittee was adopted.
Mr.. Fuqus, chairman of the committee on reso.
utions and on the state of the country, submitted
the following report, to-wit:
To President and Members Of the Democratic State Con-
yention:
Your committee on resolutions and the cond.
ton of the State have given the subject that
serious consideration which its importance de-
mands.
There is much in the present condition and
| future prospects of Louisiana to excite the most
serious apprehensions in the mind of every patriot
The Republican convention, which assembled
in Chicago in May last, adopted the following
| resolution:
1--WE congratulate the country upon the assured
success of the reconstruction policy of Congress,
as indicated by the adoption in a majority of the
States lately in rebellion, of Constitutions securing
equal civil and political rights to ALL"
Never was a sadder misstatement solemnly pro-
claimed to the world by any respectable body Of
men. So far from securing equal civil and poIiti.
cal rights TO all. the very foundation upon which
all of these constitutions rest is proscriptve. BY
the present Consultation Of Louisiana seven dis.
tinct classes, composed Of the most wealthy. the
most intelligent and the most experienced in affairs
| of government, are disfranchised for imaginary
political offenses, made ofenses for the first time
BY that Constitution, and of which, 1t is needless to
say, the parties have never been convicted. And
by the Interpretation placed upon that Conslitu-
ton by the present registrars of voters, large
number of naturalzed citizens, many OF whom
were soldiers in the federal army, have also been
denied the right to register and vote.
At sthe last election in this State, twenty thou
sand, one third of the entire white vote Of the
State, denied the right of suffrage, while the
elective franchise wrested from them by the strong
arm Of military authority, was by the same au-
thority conferred upon more than eighty thou
sand negroes, originally imported from the wilds
of Africa, and Just emerged from two hundred
years OF slavery. Thus we have seen established
among us, not universal suffrage and negro equal
ity, but restricted suffrage and negro supremacy.
What has been the result Of this most reckless
and wicked experiment. Has il been 10 any
sense q successs This depends upon what
Congress intended to accomplish by adopt
ing this policy. If it was their purpose to pros.
trste all our material interests to array onehalf
of our people against the other half, and to use
the strong but not exaggerated language of Sena-
tor DoOlitte, to " inaugrrate bells " 10 every
one of these States, then have they achieved a
complete success and well may they congratu.
late themselves upon the result. But II it was
really their object to establish governments
capable Of securing the rights of ALL and affordng
protection in life, liberty and property to every
citizen, never was there more disastrous failure.
Our present State government presents q spec
tacle calculated TO excite no other feelings than
those of shame and disgust. The ascendancy of
the negroes at the baotbox has enabled them
to elect the lieutenant governor and about one
half of the Legislature of theirsown race, and a
large number of reckless and unprincipled adven-
tuTers from otner States, who have no home or
interest here, and are entire strangers to laws