The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1868-04-11
The Constitution
AS PROPOSED FOR RATIFIcA4

For the benefit of our citizens we viii
maintain at the head of our columns un
til the election, the text of the articles
of the Constitution, relating to civil
political and public equality, and of the
one which would deprive Of political
rights large number of whites if the
Constitution should happen to be ratified.
| We would ask each one of our readers to
weigh we'll the bearing of these articles.
Ii the regime which would be established
by that Constitution does not suit them.
they have it in their power to avoid it,,
by using every effort to prevent the rati-
fication of that monstrous document.
ART.2 All persons, without regard to
race, color, OF previous condition, born
or naturaized in the United States, and
subject to the jurisdiction thereof, and
residents of this State for one. year, are
citizens of this State. The citizens of
this State owe allegiance to the United
States; and this allegiance is paramount
to that which they owe to the State.
They shall enjoy the same civil, political
and public rights and privileges. and be
subject to the same pains and penalties.
ART. 13. All persons shall enjoy equal
rights and privileges upon any convey
anee of public character and all places
of business, or of public resort, or for
which a license is required by either
State, parish or municipal authority,
shall be deemed places of public char
| acter, and shall be opened to the accom-
modation and patronage of all persons,
without distinction or discrimination on
account of race or color. @ .44
APT. 1s. Every elector under this Con-
stitutiCu shall be eligible to seat in the
House OF Representatives and every
elector who has reached the age of twen-
ty-five years, shall be eligible to the Sem
ate; Prorided, tfat no person shall be
Representative or Senator unless at the
time of his election he be aqualified cleo
tor of the representative OF senatorial
district from which he is elected.
ART. SO. Every male person, OF the
age OF twenty-one years or upwards,
born or naturalized in the United States, |
and subjectto the Jurisdiction thereof,
and a resident of this State one year
next preceding an election, and the i,ast
ten days within the parish in which he !
offers to vote, shall be deemed an cleo i
tor, except those disfranehised by this /
Constitution, and persons under inter- I
diction. T
ART. 100. Members of the General /
Assembly, and all other officers. before I
they enter upon the duties of their of T
fees, shall take the following oath or
affirnation: II a. b. do solemnly swear
Tor affirm) that accept the civil and .
political equality of all men. and agree F
not to attempt to deprive any person or
persons on account of race, color or pre- /
vious condition, of any political or civil
right, privilege or immunity enjoyed by
any other class of men. That will sup
port the Constitution and Laws of the /
United States, and the Constitution and /
Laws of this State, and that I will faith
fully and impartiafly discharge and per-
form all the duties incumbent on me as
-------, according to the best of my abil-
ity and understanding. So help me
God.n
ART. 135. The General Assembly shall |.
establish All least one free public school /
in every parish throughout the State, +
and shall provide for its support by tax
alton or otherwise. All children of this /
State. between the ages of six f6) and I
twenty-one (2l) shall be admitted to
the public schools or other Institutions of T
learning sustained or established by the |
State, in comnlon, without distinction /
of race, color or previous condition. |
There shall be no separate schools or in /
stitutions of learning established exclu-
sively for any race by the State of Lou
siana. ~ - V tss*-s g.'1s'..s. 30