The weekly Louisianian., 1872-07-27

And now, my Wult4 1ellOW~c1Cl
zans, I would say - hprito you,
bit before doing SO, Sllow me to
express the qualification feelsa'
seeing You here on an OCCASION Of
this kind and i'll such numbers.
Your presence ut this meeting is
significant, it shows that the preju-
dice of race is fast wearing out; II
shows that the spirit of 1868, which
would not permit u colored man to
speak in public is dead, or if not
lie nd, is changed and ready to &C
cept the new order of things. I am
glad to meet you, and I accept your
coming as an ausury OF the good
that is yet in store, when we shall
thoroughly and perfectly under
stand each other, when we shall re-
alize how much we are dependent
on each other, and how essentially,
how absolutely indispensable it is to
bury all past differences for our in
dividual good and that of our COM
mon country I trust for your own
sakes as well as ours that as 'by
the faults of others wise men cor
rect their own," you will shape your
future policy so as to avoid again
committing the political blunders
which you have been guilty OF. You
refused, when the war was over, to
accept the situation in good faith
and to take them by the hand, as
you should have done, and say to
them, ape are one people, our inter-
ests are identical, and we will go in
with you to get a good government
and promote peaceful and friendly
relations.
You said that the reconstruction
Acts, and the 18th and 18th Amend
ments would call for nothing aud
that with the elevation of Seymour
and Blair, whom you were confident
of elevating, they would all be wiped
out, and the old order of things re-
established with the single excep-
ton of slavery. You failed to &C
cept the doctrine of the equality OF
oil men before the law, and that was
your greatest blunder; the one which
has caused all the evil and suffering
of which you complain. But let us
hope that the future will be better
and brighter than the past; let lis
hope that since you have accepted
the amendments and the legislation
in pursuance thereof, since you have
recognized the fact that there IRE
ninety thousand colored voters in
this State, on whom depends the
question whether or not we shall
have q good government the next
four years, and which we can all not
only live under hut prosper; that you will
strike hands with us and earnestly
engage in the work of reform, and
the obliteration of prejudice, and in
blotting out for ever from ourstatutes
all partizan laws. There is one more
point ON which I desire to speak to
my white friends, it is this.
You gentlemen, complain that we
colored people are trying 10 Afri-
canize this State. Nothing is fur
ther from our purpose, nothing is
more foreign to our desires. We
have never thought of such a thing,
and it is only through designing,
INSCRIPTIONS demagogues that you
have been led to believe such an alb
surlity.
Again, You urge that yon do not
wish to be ruled by ignorant men.
In this you are right. But do not
blame the colored people for being
ignorant, for it is not their fault.
Ordinarily, it is q fault, amounting
almost to q crime to be ignorant;
hut it is no disgrace to the colored
people to admit their Ignorance, be-
cause they have had no chance to
be otherwise. And right here, I
may remark that ignorance is not
confined exclusively to our race.
There are q great many whites who
are ignorant also, notwithstanding
their opportunities. Il you desire
a better government, then help us.
to make it by coming into our con-
vention ut New. Orleans, on the
9th Of August, and putting up a
ticket that will command not only
the attention, but the respect and the
voters of the whole people.
The Republican party is equal TO
all the demands of reform, and "a
mean to have it. Come with ~ e..
and rest assured you will find: how
false the statement isthat We desira
oil the Offices for ourselves. Ia
voice: 'Do you menu that?"' I do
mean it I"Bully!" just take q
hand in your local affairs and send
us goodsdelegates toour convention;
so that we may be able to select the
best men for the State ticket And
when your parish conventions mees
Just settle between yourselves who
are the best fitted among you Tor
the parish offices, but dont1thryzto
keep the colored man out altogether
simply because he is colored, or on
the plea that he is Ignorant and in
competent. There ore 9 great many
men well qualified for sew
eral Of your parish Offices, and who
are perfectly reliable, and to such
men You ought 10 BE- willing to
.cive Whatever positions they are