The Opelousas courier., 1871-06-10

''''o W the dlstranchised white men of the
south the high rights an,ll privileges of u citi
zen OF the United States-the right to vote md
TO hold Office ! is it not the Republican party,
NAT party Is 1t that has been for wears past
oH ieslslatlons before unheared Of. Interfering
! win 'he social rights of white men american
'''"s' anu seeking to elevate the colored man
oH dragging down the white man! IL il not the
party In power; the Republican party,
! "hat party lis it, that has prsistcutlv. and
systematically kept up political aotat;,u
throughout the South, has kept alive and foster.
'u ~ ''s teachings, III feelings and suspicion
on 'h' part of the colore'l people Of that region
towards the whites, and engeudered among
them feelings of hatred that would have been
unknown had not all the dubolical machinery
! OF an ambitious and INSCRIPTIONS party been
put aud kept ill motion. Is it not the partv To
which the New Orleans Republican, belongs
the Republican party !
y general amnesty may hr favnrc, hv some
portions OF that party, but it certainly is not hv
Il majority thereof; it certainly j. not hv the.
: party rs National party
lh' measure is esscnr TALLY a Democratic meas
"f'' ''!'! lis growing popularity is forcing the
to take it up and to a,lopt it as n mart of IT.
creed.
lhc Republicans, or some of them at least
; seem to forget, that it is remedial measure
| rendered necessary on the part of the Demo
crats, by the oppressive and corrupt nature Of
the laws passed, aid the policy adopted land
carried out by Republican Congress, Republ
can Legislatures and Republican, Politicians.
No. gentlemen, Reconstruction with disfran-
chisement and attempt of degradation of the
white man OF the South is part of your creed if
you be Republicans. is a measure inaugurated by
your party, and You may rest assured that YOU
Will never he able to rid it of the odium that
such an unjnst. illiberal and oppressive measure
has brought upon it.
But general amnesty is not lRepnhican
measure. The Republican party, though for
live years in the ascenlance and controlling alb
solutcly the leg iSlaton of Congress. has refused
to give to the country this great measure of
peace, justice and relief
Let the necessity for such measure rest
where it belongs, and let the refusal also to
grant it remain where it bclonss-with the Re
publican party-thc pi irty Of great "eonscious-
ness Of rcctit,tde
Resolutions Of the Ohio State ;
Convention.
Columbus Ohio June 2-The following reso
luti"us were passed by the Ohio Democratic
State convention:
Resolved by the Democracy of Ohio:
l: That denouncing the extraordinary means
by which they were brought about We recognize
IA accomplished facts the three amendments to
the constitution recently declared adopted, and
consider the same AS lIU longer political issues
before the country.
:. We demand that he rule of strict constrllc
,ion rs proclaimed by the Democratic fathers.
accepted by statesmen of all parties previous to
the war, and embodied in the tenth amendment
/" the constitution, he vigorously applied now
to the constitution as it il. including the three
recent amendments above referred to. and insist
that those amendments shall not he held to have
in any respect, altered or modified the original
theory and character of the Federal Govern
ment. hut only to have enlarged the powers dele
gated to it. and to that extent and no more to
have abridged the reese rved rights of the States
and thus construed. thr Democratic party pied
yes itself to q full faitlful and absolute .cxecu
tion and enforcement of the constitution as it
now is so to secure equal rights to all persons
under it, without dis tlncton of race, color or
previous condition.
3. That the absolute equality Of EACH and every
State within the Union is fundamental princi
pie of the Federal GOVERNMENTS; that we shall
always cherisl, and uphold the American system
of State and local government, for State and 10
cal purposes, aud the General government tor
general purposes only and are unalterably op-
posed to all attempts at Capitalization or con-
sulation of power in the hands Of the General
Government, and more especially when such at
tcmpts are in the form OF usurpatlOn by any de-
partment of that government
l. That We adhere firmly to the principle of
maintaining perfect Independence between the
coordinate departments Of the government, the
Legislative, Executive and Judicial, condemn
ing all encroachments by one upon the functions
of the other.
5. While the fundamental law expressed in
the Constitution is nee essarily paramount until ,
abruyated as prescribed in that instrument, all
legislation is in its nature and purposes tempo
rsrr. and subject to change. modification or re-
peal at the will of the majority of the people as
expressed through the law-nlaking power, and
that the pretence that any act of Congress not
executed. or any legislative polcy OF party ia an
absolute tinality totally inconsistent with the
whole theory of government, and that 1t is the
uuuuestonable right of the people of fthemselves,
and through their representatives at each sue
cessive election. and in each successive congress,
to Judge what legislation is necessary. proper or
appropriate to carry ilto execution, or enforce
the central powers rig hts and duties OF the Fed
eral Government.
g. That as an instance of the eminently ap-
proprute Legislation under the fourteenth
amendment we delna nd now OF Congress uni
versnl amnesty.
:. That while we depounce all riotous combi- |
nations and conspiracies against law, or to DIS
turb peace in the South elsewhere, aud de- |
mand of all good citize ens their utmost influence
to uut all such down, We also denounce the act
commonly called the bayonet bill, recently
passed by Congress, and the more recent act |
commonly called the Ku-Klnx hill. extending
hy its terms to any State, and enacted for no
other purpose than to complete centralization
of all hover in the hands of the General Govern.
ment and to establish . military despotism, and
thus to perpetuate the present Administration
without regard to the will Of the people, and as
not only inconsistent with the whole theory ana
character of the Federal Government, ana 40
revolutionary and dan gerous in their character,
but are in direct conflict with the splrit ano .e
ter Of the constitutie On, including the amend
ments which they pretend to enforce.
8. That holding still to the good oid Demo-
cratic doctrine Of anne exation or acquisitions OF
territory we arc yet totally opposed to the
scheme of President G rant to acquire st. 70
mingo as job and by the means and tor tho
purposes evidently intended.
9. That we are in fa vor of strictly revenue
tariff. conformed to the theory and principles
of ali other Just and wise tax laws, and opposed
to the protective theory, so-calied.
10, That profiigate corruption and wanton ex. |
which perv vade every department of
The Fsderal Goyernment, sacrifice the interests !
of labor and sggrandize 8 handful OF aristocrats'
are q wicked deprivation OF the peoP,e GI tnen