The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-08-28

cease, and that, although you diffe
fiom me, you will give your serious at
tention to what am about to. tell you
am speaking to you with the dee
conviction that the cause of Republi
canism, and especially the cause of tn
colored race, is standing in imminen
danger in this State to-day, and tina
the rights and prospects of your PEG
pie and your children are resting solel,
in the hands of this Convention, an,
depend upon your wisdom and you
calmness, your deliberation and you
disposition, to take wholesome advice
Two propositions are pending befor
you. One is the substitute offered b,
Mr.. Swords, of Assumption, proposin,
an alliance with that portion of til,
white people represented in the lat,
Liberal Convention in this city, ant
the endorsement and ratification O
their candidates as your candidates.
The other is the recommendation O
the Committee of Conference with tn,
Customhouse party, which advises yor
to nominate strait ticket. To follow
the first course would give your vote!
to Greeley and Brown; to follow the
second you would vote for Grant anG
Wilson. Let us look at the PROPOSE.
ton of the Conference Committee first
What does that meanq 1t means one
OF two things: either to put up a
straight ticket and run it out to the
end, or to put it up to trade upon
Which do these gentlemen intend you
to do? If they intend in good faith tc
nominate ticket to run until the cleo
ton, what hope of success nave you
You have no newspapers no State pa
tronage; no Federal patronage; nc
money; none of the requisites for car
rying on successful political campaign
such ticket could not but be q fail
ure. 1t is not intended by these gen
tlemen to be put up to be elected
The idea is in itself a preposterous alb
surdity, at which you laugh your
selves. Then it must be put up to
trade upon. To trade with whom
With the Customlouse or with the
Liberals If with the Customhouse,
is it not remembered that we have been
trying to trade with them ever since
the Convention of May %. We fol-
lowed them to Baton Rouge, and there
made honorable propositions, and were
spurned from their doors. They have
met every attempt of ours for reconcil-
iation, and every request for recogni-
ton with contumely and scorn, and
now, in your last effort when, against
the judgment of many of US, you sent
your Committee of Conference again to
beg recognition, what answer have
they sent back That if you endorse
Grant and Wilson and the whole Of
their ticket, and acls nowledge that you
have done wrong an d they have been
in the right, and 60 down on your
knees and sue for pardon, they will
then give you, what? Congressman at
large Oh their tickett9 l say, perhaps,
why? These men who are making
this promise know well two things:
First, that they are not entrusted with
The power by their Convention to make
ibis trade, aud that their promise is
and can't be performed;
ind second, that if the gentlemen whom
hey propose to withdraw refuse to
atty their action by withdrawing,
hey have no power to compel them SO
% do, and their promise becomes sim
,ly null and void: Your own Commit
ee of Conference, appointed from gen.
lemen from this side, who are anxious
or a union with the Customhouse par
y, have been convinced that the prop
'sition of the Customhouse party was
o lnslncere, so meagre, so insulting,
hat they have unanimously advised
'ou to reject it. What better trade
an you expect from the Custombouse
'arty by nominating ticket, than
hey have now offered you under the
resent more favorable circumstances |
s it to trade with the Liberals The
LIBERAL Convention has given you all
hat can justly be demanded of them.
they have recognized you upon their
tate ticket by placing thereon the
anne of colored man for Secretary of
tate; they have placed another
traight out Republican as Auditor of
'ublic Accounts, and another original
republican and Unionist, Wesley Nc
Donald, who run upon the Taliaferro
icket in 1868, as Superintendent of
public Education. They have nomi-
ated for Congressman from the Fourth |
district Mr.. Armstead, a member of
his Convention, and a colored man,
nd they have offered the nomination