Semi-weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1871-1872, 1871-08-20

rights OF black men, equally defines
and guarantees the rights of white
men.
The country torn by the ravages
of four years war, during which
billions of wealth were wasted, mil
lions of men taken from the active
pursuits of peaceful life, and tens of
thousands slain, finds, under the
wise administration of this party,
all this waste being rapidly repair
ed, the public debt and the burden
of taxes diminishing together, and
peace prevailing throughout our
borders.
STATE SOVEREIGNTY.
Just what they mean by States
Rights it is hard to find ont by their
declarations, but their deeds make
all plain enough. When they i'm
prisoned citizens of sister States,
entitled under the Constitution to
the rights and immunities of the
citizens Of all the States, and drove
away with violence and insults the
agent sent to test in peaceful man
ner, in the Federal Courts, the le-
gality of that Imprisonment, that
was States Rights. When they,
by order Of a Democratic postmas-
ter, violated the privacy of the
mails, that was States Rights.
When. they abused and sometimes
murdered peaceful travellers, who
Glanced to have about their per-
sons copies of papers obnoxious to
the community in which they were
sojourning, that was States Rights.
When refusing to submit to Presi-
dent called to the high votes Office
by the votes of majority of his fel-
low-citizens, they rushed into that
wild rebellion WHICH covered our
land with the graves of the bravest
and best sons. that was States
Rights.
States Rights mean the power to
deprive citizens of the United States
of their liberty, the power to deny
them the right of testifying i'll courts
of justice, the power to deny them
the right of educating their chill
dren, the power to deny their right
to travel from State to State, the
power to prevent the opening of
railway connections between distant
commercial cities, all this it means
and more that is baleful.
Our Democratic platform admits
the binding force of the recent
amendments, but demands thei-
strict construction. Like Ethan
Spike, they are in favor of the
amendments, but opposed to their
enforcement.
Imagine colored man approach
ing the ballot-bOx in some district
where this Democratic idea of con-
struction prevails. He is met by q
committee of Democratic fellow
citizens, who assure him that in ac-
cordance with the recent amend
ments they recognize his right to
freedom; they admit his citizenship;
they are willing he shall vote, but
here comes in the strict cOnstruc-
tion--if tonight you find your
dwelling surrounded by a masked
and armed band of assassins, if
your wife is beaten senseless before
your eyes, if the torch is applied to
your house and you taken off and
hanged, there will be no punish
ment for this outrage and arson and
murder, for no colored person can
testify against awhile man, nor do
these amendments demand that
they shall. We give you all they
grant, but you take what is granted
at your own risk. We are strict
constructionists. aii -cafaef
FIRE. SPEECH. AND FREE PREEs.
If the Democracy favor a free
press, they have been recently con-
verted to the doctrine. Inject con-
tinually in the streets of Cincinnati
the man who, assisted by his bro
ther, dragged James D. Birney's
nress from his Office at the corner
Of Seventh and Main streets. This
man is an active Democrat, and
would abandon his party instantly
if he thought it favored free speech
and free press.
In the South at this moment
thousands Of Democrats are joined
in Ku-Klux bandt to put down free
speech. Compelled to work secret