The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1868-04-04
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Approaching Election and
the Du ties which i'd Imposes.
IN. D. Bee, 2stk alt.J

white people of Louisiana will be called
upon to say, through the ballot-box
whether they will or will not adopt the
Constitution framed by parcel OF igno.
rant colored men, aided and encouraged
by combination of vile white men
MANY OF them strangers to our people
as the fundamental law of the State. un-
der which they are to Live, until the mill
tarv domination under which it is at
tempted to be imposed upon us, shall
have been removed or overcome. After
registering their names so as to be quail
fed for voting, the next duty of the white
citizens of the State is to read and tho
roughly comprehend this Constitution
and it's consequences, and then to devote
all the time they can spare from pressing
business, to the explanation of it's OBJ
uexisus and inadmissible features to
those voters, white and black, who are
unable to read and understand it. This
il no mere question of politics or Office
holding, anu lie who slirugs his shoulders
and kolds himself atoof from this contest
on aHy such crease, is u cOnsentang party
to tie establishment 0per as OF these anfd-
nous lates. Ii is question o. society,
question of refinement, question Oh
principle, and a question which touches
us all, male and female, young and cid.
We cannot escape the injurious conse-
auences certain to follow frum the ad0p-
ton of this Constitution. 1t will change,
if ratified, the whole structure of society,
and amaigamatiOn, commencing among
the lower orders, will become in no great
space of time so common among all
classes us to create no remark. Marriages
have, in fact, already taken place be-
tween men of color and white women
moving i'm respectable circles. When the
legal barrier to such connections shall be
completely broken down, and the differ
ence of color hitherto recognized by law
and by custom shall no longer exist, it.
will he too late ts prevent the mixture
of the races. Hotels, steamboats,, pri-
waite boarding houses, restaurants, drink
ing saloons, and all places of public
character requiring licenses to carry ON
business, will not be permitted to make
any distinction In the color of those who
may seek to avail themselves OF their use.
Persons engaged in either of these lines
of business have deep interest in the
defeat of this odious Constitution, and
most by their devotion of time and
money to its defeat, and even by the sa-
cFifce to SOME extent of tlrat pride of
race common to all members of the Cau-
easian family. There are few white men
in the State who cannot influence ut least
one eolored man, and convince him how
much it is to the interest of himself and
his race to keep the friendship of the
white people, among whom he was born
aud raised, and to refuse the hypocritical
alliance OF the selfish and cnld-hearted
stranger who approaches him with u
smooth tongue, and aliures him by false
promises to the ruin which he would not
turn his hand to avert. Let them be in
formed that the result flowing from the
ratification of this Constitution will be
the bitter and inextinguishable hatred of
the white towards the colored people,
which can onlyaend in their final extinc-
tion that the provision requiring pub
lie resorts to be thrown open to them in.
discriminatory with the whites, cannot
public opinion if not self-interest will
compel the closing OF every such estab-
lishment, and will band the white people
into one solid body against these intole-a
rable pretenti0ns. So far, the people of
color have not been blamed for the great
and violent change in their status, which
has lately taken place, but il. they shall
continue to ally themselves with those
whose sole object is to degrade and des-
troy them and us, and to presume upon
their advantages, they must expect to
submit to all the consequences of so un-
natural an association. #a