The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-08-16

you must not trust the whites; seni
blacks to the convention; they circu'
lated falsehoods against every maj
who has led us to victory.
The result was, the Convention was
called, but no place named until {
weeks afterward. We said, "tell u.
where you are to hold it, and we will
be there.n They notified us yesterday
and also that no one would be admit
ted without ticket. We did not con
test.
They said if we made confusion they
would put us out. This morning We
went to the Postofiice for tickets; some
got them and some did not. Mr.. Lo
we'll said Packard had no right to name
the Postoffice as the place for tickets
Some got tickets and went. to the hal
and found the doors barred, and ever
commercial men could not enter with.
out tickets. The Government sees fl
to suspend it's business that its pecu
liar friends may transact their peculiar
business Twas finally allowed to en-
ter, followed by ninety delegates. We
mounted the stairs and found -four
companies of United States troops
with guns and lightning rods; they
said to us: s'Packard, Casey g. Co
are Determined to convene, and if W,
interfered we would be turned GU
with bayonets.1 A friend of mine hat
conversation with Spaniard il
Cuba. He told him he heard Their,
was a.contest in the United States TO
President. Said the Spaniard, "ol
which side is the army7"
In SPAIN, as army goes, so goes cleo
tion.. Our boast has been that the ar
my has nothing to do with conventions
This is the first instance; may it b
the last. In this State there is no Re
publican that has not been in favor O
Grant. IF a difference exists now, HI
must attribute it to his officers ant
the army. e.f
May we hope this its without thu
knowledge of Grant, but if it go tt
the people that he has sanctioned this
| tell you he will be responsible ant
the people will repudiate- him. w
want liberty for peoples, both blacl
and white. We want no black man t,
have rights that the white HASN'T
This is the landmark Of the Repubi
can party, and the beacon light which
has carried us through war, and dis
truction. We have reached the point
shall we turn back? (Cries of no |!
The Republican party is unit, guided
by its old doctrines, and that no mar
shall talk about organizing black o.
white party. (CAners.)
We know the people will stand b,
us, if this army come to disturb and
destroy us SO that the enemy may rear
the benefit. We will insist they give
place to others. Let US act as become!
delegates; let rs stand by our man,
hood, and adopt such ideas as will bt
of benefit to us.
Allow nothing of an individual char
acter to prevail for that would be
destroying of the harmony of the Re
publican party. No man has RICH
to, say that he is to be candidate un
less the people say so.
We have carried the party thus far
and we will carry it in the future. LIE
these men get up their mandates, ant
the people will repudiate them ant
spurn them.
! PINCHBACK'S SPEECH.
Loud cries for Pinchback then fol
lowed, when that worthy took the foo
and spoke as follows.
This reception has lifted off loat
from my mind. ! have never felt ST
since the first gun was fred announc
|
ing the secession of South Carolina
The same feeling overcame me whel
/ went to the .Customhouse to-day ant
saw o. S. soldiers placed there.
Is it possible that we are to be pu
down by the Government we hay,
sustained If that be the case, thu
sooner this Government is torn. dow1
and a monarchy be builtu upon its ruin
the better. These soldiers were Their
to beat down legal representatives. t,
the Convention. No such thing ha
been heard of. I was elected unani
mously as delegate. l went there
and yet, when 1 applied, was told
''YOu can't come in" The reason
they gave was: owe ain'tready, we'v,
already got a caucus" Who eve
heard of such thing? Closing tn
hall to fix everything to suit them
selves. We were too strong; the,
were not ready. The facts will prov,
that they resort to every means t,
pack the Convention.
The very day of the election tn
voters of the ward didn't know .wher
the polls were. This is fact, whicl
you have seen. Who did it? He VIII
= = ~.