The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-08-24


an understanding that this is to be a
white mans government alone, that you
will be a adisintegrated, isolated, helpless
and pOwerless-nOt peOple-but mass
of small, distinct communities.
To-day, in this State, there are par
ishes in which you have no clubs, no
speakers, no leaders in which the color
ed people for the past four years have
had communication with the Republican
party in this State. If defeated in this
contest, all the parishes of this State,
except Il few Immediately surrounding
New Orleans and on the river, will be the
same as st. Landry, jackson, Franklin,
Caldwell and Winn are, now. If this
convention take the course advised by
Governor Pinchback to-day, two years
from this time there will not be single
Republican convention sitting in this
State representing anybody but these
few immediate parishes. When Gov
ernOr Plnchback goes back, two years
after his defeat, to appeal again to his
people with those clarion notes which
have resOunded so often Throughout the
State, and to (Which such grandrespOnses
have been made, he will find no people
to appeal to and will call forth no
response from the depths of the State.
All will be silent and desOlate.
Now, on the other hand, we saw
sight in this city the other day, a con-
ventiOn representing 10000 of the white
votes OF this State, composed Of the
most intelligent, influential and respect
able in the country, of their own accord,
and WITHOUT bargain or trade, offering to
you an alliance, as with an independent
and equal body, an alliance based upOn
the recognition OF your equal rights, re-
cOgnizing every essential Republican
principle, giving you the most liberal
representation upon their ticket, and
nominating cOlOred men for prominent
positions upon it. For the first time in
the history Of Louisiana, or Of any
Southern State, has such scene been
witnessed. In this summer Of revOlu-
tiOns was the most remarkable reVOlu-
ton Of all-that the white people of this
State, ex-C0nfederates, native South
ernerS, assembled in convention, should
send their plenipOtentiaries to a Re-
publican convention composed mainly
OF cOlOred people, and formally, in the
presence of that whole convention,
tender to them such an alliance, was
one of the most wonderful scenes that
has been witnessed in this country since
the close. of the war.
I would say right here, and be borne
out in the statement by the Lieutenant
Governor himself, that in all conferences
of your State Central Committee with
these gentlemen we were mOstprOf0und-
ly impressed with the candor, sincerity
and friendliness of their bearing toward
us as your representatives. | believe
that these gentlemen were sincere in
every word they uttered, and more than
that, that they were anxious to have
you accept the alliance, and as guar
antee of the fulfillment of their promise
you had security worth more than all
the bayonets of the federal government
the honor and faith Of 10000 of thewhite
people of Louisiana. With this alliance
you will secure a Governor and State
officers friendly to you, based upon the
principle that it is better for the white
and cOlored people to be united in a
political party than that they should be
divided politically, white against black.
And just here | wish to call your atten-
ton to the fact that the only distinction
between the Liberal party and the DEM
Ocratic party is just on that one point.
They are both supporting Greeley. They
are both recognizing the results of the
war, and accepting the situation in
every particular. Their platforms are
almost identically the same; there is
but one difference between them. the
Democratic State party is based upon a
| desire to unite the white people in a
party and make this white mans gov
ernment. The Liberal State ticket is
based upon desire to unite a portion of
both white and black, and to prevent
| forever the division of white against
black. You will have the same alliance
in the city and parish of Orleans, by
| which you will have your fair proportion
of the municipal and parish offices, EN-
plOyment on the streets and police. You
| will have a majority Of the members
elected to the Legislature friendly to all
your rights; you will have sent to Con-
gress from three to four col0red men,
| who for the first time will go to Congress
indOrsed by the vote of your white
| fellOw-citizens, and will consequently
exercise a great influence both with Con-
gress and the, administration in your
favor. Thus COngEessmen will see to it
that you have your fair proportion of
| appointments in the CustomhOuse; and
in the different parishes of the State the
same rule will prevail.
But more than all this question of
Offices, you will then have what you
never will have under any other alliance
you can form, the freedom of the State
to your friends and leaders. The or
ganizatiOn of your people in the parishes
will be protected by the white people
your schools will be fostered; and let
me call your attention to one advantage
which has been overlooked by all the
other speakers to yOu, Look at your in
telligeTit young men just growing up
and coming into active life, What is the
reason that all the avenues of the high
est callings of life and the professions
are closed to them? tt is this stubborn,
llnreasOning prejudice, which an al
lance, such as is now proffered to you
viii cause to melt away like ice before
| the sun. With that your intelligent and
capable young men will find the door
open to them to the professions and
trades, and to the higher associations OF
Life, but more especially to those four Oh
/ five caIlings, the possession of which is
| the most valuable stepping stone for a
| young man to a higher and more useful
career,
Ipefer to art0 of engineering, telegraph
| ing, photography and printing, these
| young men will also find their way
| opened to the practice of medicine and
law, from which professions they are
now excluded by law, but by much
more inexorable prohibition-the utter
impossibllity OF obtaining q living III
their practice on account Of the preiu-
dice which exists against them. In the
words of Governor Pinchback himself
"Sueh an alliance as those gentlemen
have offered to you would secure &
greater step in advance upon the ques.
ton of your public and civil rights, anG
III the promotion of the interests of YOU
i people, than all the civil rights bills thar
could be passed by Congress or you
State Legislature. =
i Fellow delegates, I feel that my abili