The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1871-04-01
0pelousas Parish of St. Landry, La, April 1, 1871.

that its huir of dissolution is at hand.
1t is one "t MANY tt, ~'rlujr tl"ll~ to
avert Il fat" it lnlI. has mcli:td an,i
which t}:i> very MEASURE bc,u>tl,> and
will hH>tcl:. Mr. Speaker, hnvt said
t:t!~ l,Ili j. uhnnXlul> to lhr.'t r;otI,tI !nn.
Who will argue that it il not W!t"Wl,i
contend that the Constitution of this
great IrTut:;lc variants such il nlra~urr
VI iIn Will admil that the states. ;i.t.
1'an,', glorious States of this | ls"m, til,
very pillars ur"n wii,L the | n!,.I /,
built an,l by Nhi.'h it is upiIrii anl >,l>-
talui:h are sunk 80 low. have b,'rn!lt. 50
in>i-illirani, ;:> to hr uiilrh with ast!
Inundated ;.;lu collttninr,l il hs ,I~ i,i!I
Is there. any one in this iI..u>r "r ,i~,.
where to stand up Hn;t asset the li-ht
IL The FrG.I"l government to intrrlrh-
die as proposed in the re- i~tlntInN ul the.
citizens of the States! i~tiirir Il >'.,;,>-
man in all IT,. ln'.d who vi! "t.'t1,'t.
under onr Constitution, to defend the
wantnn and arbitrary arrests -.,lrr>t>
W,hout complaint and without W;t.lnn:
provided to, hy this bill 1t is pre-
tended that our iill o! rights is repealed
10y the "t'lttrtnth Amendment = Has
tive adoption into our t"n>tit;tt!''n i N',::
if j; Nrlc legally and vAii,.,.> dome. which
| lsnN) of the declaration that "ti.
ri .ht Of citizens Of the nltt,i States to
Vote Shall no: !". dc:!i.,l OF at: ii! -rvI hv
tn" United States, or by amy State, ON
arrrlnt o.! race. color. or mrrl""~ CON
dtInn of >r'vltuIt. given Authority t"
the ulttd States t." ,.'tt~; my and all
ritl1"nS Nil!.pat N;rl,;ni and lIni'!E~uH
them y :thnIi; Il u!al or ltall"- In
giving the. right to |"tc til" hrG'" have
We sNnl"rtrh every citizen III lh' h''''
Statc> to the. lnt!i4ni'lr> ana "n'l'@'N
provided for hN lhlS bill. in Altr:'a'hI
the polls for the n"lr ruip">' OF tlH1"-
To ,ntr BY rn1!:..lill- >lllliA-r upHh
the r"lnrnu race have We lost th'. rights
our fathers tncd to us hy tht C"n>l-
tuti"u In giving freedom 10 he slaves
have We become slaves on: =: Ives 1t
must be apparent t" AL t';it the l"H:--';'-r
of this pretended Fifteenth Amendment
r"nt'Is /" power upon ''"H-r'>> t" pass
such Il HirA>Ilc as this bill. 1t Is at
most OH! y 4 prohibition upon til" | n't'd
States and the States a. lliltvi. upon
them in thril legislative capacity, Tie
"niy cl,"Gtli\ iii hiyil they cas- act
prui!ihiI!,,I Ilt..n II ON discriminating
against auy citizen on account "i "iI't.
color, ul prev iou> condition ui 81! N!t'lhr.
1t makes void any act OF the | u1irh
States and the states that should make
this discrimination. The power t" rni'-
i>h individuals and impose penalties 70:
the violation OF law or .nh.hirn'' t"
state laws must he found, if at all, in
some other provision. Aud. ~ir. Is II
possible that any one will he t"r!;' h"lt
enough to attempt to defend tn" c"n>'l-
tr'i"nHiiy of this measure under section
/. riu!s~r |. of the Constitution
lhn times p,ar,.-. a.d manner of loH4
r",,u.- Tor :-t.;l.tt"r- and Representatives *N
h. prt'<..rir,t III r,,.' :: It, hy t!e ir-; lat ur
thrr:,t; bat he Congress may "i any 'lH' ny
law MIX" "r tl:"l 81 Ii r''Gn'h'l"HS. except - /"
the places "l ct,'"-inG Senators.
Congress may ar any time make or al
ter such regulations. Can arhltlarY az
rests and imprisonment. Without tli':l "l
warrant, he justified under this rr"vl
sion Can state officers, for obedience
to State laws, net tltrrr'l l'y an.' act ni
Congress. be made criui;l.:,.: "!.st sub
icrtcd to- the penalties OF this hiil Can
the array and navy be placed under Tire
ro,nnln,l of any mnlSlInl'> drNu'! and
ma'chcd lnhi~rl Intimately against the
citizens, and officers vi States on Il bare
suspicion that they contemplated rt>lI-
tanrr to some outrage OF such dti'ntN
marshal ! Will any gentlemen argue
that under this provision or amy other
provision OF the Constitution iltr / nl'd
States may take POSSESSION ot the regis
tratinn :l> we'll is the elections OF t;lr
States, determine who ia qualified and
wllo not qualified, who shall anI A'.o
sEal! not reg >tcr, to the exclusion OF III!
State authority, as provided by this BILL
that the governors of the States ami all
other State officers can, under penalties.
be required by TIE Federal government
to serve aS its officers and do its bidding
Sir. the propositions ar' To" ii,~ii!d and
,:cpoSttrou> for Il candid answer. There
j. no constitutional variant tur this
mra~llrc 1t il rank u>uri,ltInn and rev.
oIut,nn il is All insult to every citizen
OF the republic: 1t is ho>tll" in every
feature to liberty, and violates every
fundamental idea Of republican cavern
mcnt: it will bling war and blood>hrd
it is intended to awe the treemen of the
States and drive them from the polls.
They will not submit without IL struggle.
There will be many ii man, accustomed
to cast his vot. Witlrut hinhrancc or mo-
, ltStAtion lnHny Il good and true citizen.
faithful, law abiding. and patriotic. VII"
will feel iIinre like firing Il hliiirt than
casting ballot through the spy aud in
former paid from the peoples treasury,
which this bill places before and behind
the ballot box. to oh>trnct, not facilitate
voting. The hypocritical cry OF "Let us
have peace" will not avail in the face
of such measures az this. The people
cannot be humiliated mucl, further ; they
will soon have borne all they can; they
will ere long assert their sovereign right
and power to be free; and they will teach
Congress, too, that its members ale the
servants not the masters of the poople,
and that the people have, under our sNs-
TEN, the right to govern themselves.