New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-10-02
! Extract from Speech of Hon. 0. II.
Brewster in Uuachita Parish, August
| 1922

| by Democratic editors and speakers to, find
| the colored people united in their support OF
| Republican principles. And the question is
| often asked, why should they vote almost
| as a unit with one party while the white
people are divided on the political questions
| of the day?
| / propose to answer this question in as
| brief a manner as possible, and will show
| that the course taken by the Democratic
| party has been such as to drive every col
| ored voter into the Republican ranks; and
| to do so l will not 60 back to the days Of
| slavery, but will cOntine myself to the acts
! of Democrats since the colOred people have
| been declared free.
The thirteenth amendment to the con-
| stitution Of the United States reads as
| follows:
Neither slavery nor involuntary servi-
| tude, except az punishment tOr crime,
! whereof the party shall have been duly con-
| victed, shall exist within the United States
| or any place subject to- their jurisdiction.
! Congress shall have power to enforce this
article by appropriate legislation"
| Although every Democrat in the country
! opposed this amendment, it was finally
| adopted, and was declared a part of our
| national constitution on the eighteenth OF
! December, 1865. LincOln's military procla-
nation declaring the slaves free had been
| issued two years before, and was now car
red out more fully by making this amend
ment part Of the constitution, and placing
| it beyond the power of Congress or State
| legislatures again to establish slavery.
| But YOU will see that mere freedom from
| slavery was all that this amendment Sc.
| cured; the right TO testify in court, to sit on
| iuries, to sue and be sued at law, to vote
| and hold Office, had not yet been given.
/ And now the contest between Republicans
| and Democrats commenced in earnest.
The war was over, the great army of the
republic disbanded, the soldiers had gone
to their homes, and the magnificent struggle
for equal rights, SO nobly commenced on
hundred fields of battle, must be finished
by the ballot box at our elections and in
Congress. Colored men had no power to
vote, and could only wait listen and hope;
while their white friends in the Republican
party stood up as manfully to the work IN
the political contest as they had on the field
of battle.
When Lincoln was murdered Andrew
johnson became President of the United
States. He had been elected Vice President
by the Republicans on the ticket with Lin
coin, and was believed by all at that time
to be firm Republican. And, Immediately
on becoming President, he made some of
the strongest Radical speeches ever uttered,
declaring that treason must be made
odious and traitors punished" that 'rebels
must take back seats" in reconstructlng the
South; and he was the first man in authority
who declared in favor of dividing the
Southern plantations and giving them to
the poor.
Southern leaders became alarmed, not
only for their property, but for their necks.
They rushed to Washington, told johnson
that if he would change his course, leave
the Republican party and act to please the
white people Of the South they would unite
OF him for the next President of the United
States. And, like Horace Greeley, he sold
himself for the promise of an office; and
from that day on he was as strong Demo
crat as he had been Republican. His
promise to colored people, that he would be
their Moses, and lead them out Of bondage,
like his forty acres and mule story, was
soon forgotten. Instead Of becoming No
sea, he became their Pharaoh; and instead
Of assisting the colored people, he became
their oppressOr. About the time Of the
adoption of the thirteenth amendment and
before the fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments we're ratified, he ordered an election
in all the States Of the South for members
Of their Legislatures.
At that time colored men were not allowed
to vote, and the name "carpet-bagger" had
not been heard in the State. The "Oldest
and best" were nominated and elected; and
in this State but one Union man was sent
to the Legislature. Happy day for Democ-
baggers" to intrude; Democrats in the Sen
ate, Democrats in the House, and an old
citizen for Governor! This Legislature was
the first to meet after the war, and no better
chance could be given to any party to show
their real character.
The colored people had been made free,
as have stated, and this Legislature had
full power to give them all the rights of
other citizens, or to sink them in a cOndi-
ton worse than slavery itself. The cOlored
people had been true and faithful servants
for generation after generation. Their la
Dor had changed the South from a wilder
ness to one of the most fruitful regions OF
the world. Scarcely an improvement could
be pointed out that had not been made by
the hard labor of colOred people; and more
than all, their noble conduct. during the
war, when almost the entire white male
population old enough to bear arms was in
the army, and large plantations were left
to be managed by the women and children,
not single insurrection occurred, not a
life taken, and that, too. when the federal
armies were marching through the coun-
try with freedom upon their banners"
The Democratic Legislature, knowing
these facts, and pretending to be the best
friends of the cOlored people, met on the
twenty third day of November, 1865, with
full power to reward their former slaves by
improving and elevating the race, or to sink
them down to condition worse than before
the war. | am sorry to say that they con
cluded to use their power and opportunity
in returning evil for good, and to become
the OppressOrs of the very race they should
have befriended; and knowing that the
surest way to carry out oppressive acts is
to deprive people of the means of self-de
fense, one of the first things they did was
to pass the following law, entitled ian act
to prohibit the carrying Of firearms on
premises or plantations OF any citizen with
out the consent Of the owner"
SECTION /. Be it enacted by the Senate
and House Of Representatives of the State
Of Louisiana in General Assembly convened
That it shall not be lawful for any person
or persons to carry firearms on the prem
ises or plantation Of any citizen without
the consent of the owner or proprietor; and
any person or persons so offending shall be
fined sum not less than one dollar nor
more than ten dollars, or imprisonment not
less than one day nor more than ten days
in the parish Jail; or both at the discretion
of any court Of competent jurisdiction.
See act No. l9, page IA, of the acts of the
extra session of 1865.
According to this law no poor man could
have kept gun or pistol in his house with
out first obtaining the consent OF the own
er of the plantation on which he lived. If
he wished to take hunt on some Satur-
day afternoon, to obtain sqirreI or bird
for a sick wife or child, he must first get
the consent OF the owner of the land on
which he wished to hunt OF carry his gun
before he could venture cut. If his gun
got out of order, he must first get the CON
sent of the owner of every piece OF land
between his place and town before he
could carry his gun to the shop to be re-
paired. This, of course, he could not do;
and he would have soon found himself With
out arms or means of seIf-protection.
Still, this Democratic Legislature seems
to have become alarmed. for fear he might