New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-20
THE REFORM PARTY.

~ clubs of five or more
THE REFORM PARTY.
Defining its position-Socia l Eauality-At-
titude of the DemOcracy-Speech of
Hon. N. Marks.
The speech of Mr.. I. N. Marks at the
meeting of the Tenth Ward Reform Club,
Monday evening. was reported by one of
the most accurate shorthand writer's in the
city, and has been since revised by Mr..
Marks. to whom We are under obligations
or copy. 80.
Want of space compels US to omit the
publication of portion Of the speech, but
we reproduce as follows:t
DEFINING HIS POSITION.
Now. fellow-citizens, l desire to come
down to our own time. When, two years
since, in the State of Virginia, an attempt
was made to organize new party, be-
tween the Republican party on the one side
and the Democratic party, on the other,
that effort met with the very same resist
ance that the movement for reform is now
encountering in Louisiana. Three leading
gentlemen of Virginia-Mr. A. II. Stuart,
Mr.. Baldwin and Governor Robinson, of
Aiding don-inaugurated the movement IN
the STATE OF NuSluid 1 utsc mcu NeIc loI
the time being the most unpopular men OF
the State of Virginia, and to-day are its
political prophets. at the two meetings l
have addressed, one in the first ward
and one in the second ward, | uttered
certain sentiments, and l do not intend
to night to abate one iot or title of what
! declared at either meeting. Applause.
intend to more clearly define and explain
what there stated. l declared that L be-
Ieved it to be our duty, as the very first
element OF success in this contest, that we
should come forward and cheerfully recog-
nize all the civil and political rights of the
coored citizens of Louisiana guaranteed to
them by the constitution and laws OF the
United States and the constitution and laws
of the State of Louisiana. Applause l
endeavOred to explain what those civil and
political rights were. l either signaily
failed in my explanation. or | have been
most grossly misrepresented since. Ill I'm
derstand the purport of this movement, it is
to build up in Louisiana an honest mans
party [cheersl: that this is what we set
forth in our public addresses; that we mean
exactly what We say, and that We inlend re-
Ggiously to carry 1t ont Applause. Be
fore any citizen of Louisiana can regis
ter as voter, or cast vote at the ensuing
election, he has to take an oath to support
the constitution and laws Of the United
States and the constitution and laws of the
State of Louisiana. presume it is not the
intention of any honest man to pronounce
that oath with his lips and break it in his
heart. [Applause.l l presume that if he
takes the oath to support these constitu-
tons, and the laws made in pursuance of
these constitutions, he intends religously
to observe that obligation. l shall GER
tainly do so myself. Let us see what we
are called upon to support. l want to show
that when l spoke at previous meetings,
from memory, though l did not state cor
rectly the exact language OF the constitu-
ton and the laws, yet l gave their effect.
Section one of the fourteenth amendment to
the constitution of the United States reads
as follows:
All persons born or naturalized in the
United States. and subject to the .jurisdic-
ton thereof, are citizens of the United
States, and OF the State wherein they re-
side. No State shall make or enforce any
law which shall abridge the privileges or
immunities Of citizens of the United States:
nor shall any State deprive any person of
life, liberty or property without due process
OF law, nor deny to any person within its
jurisdiction the equal protection of the
laws.
The fifteenth amendment, section first.
declares:
The right Of citizens of the United States
to vote shall not be denied or abridged by
count of race, color or previous condition
of seryitude.
We are called upon. when we east our
votes, to take an oath to support these
amendments. Let us turn to our own State
constitution Title one. bill of rights, ar
ticle thirteen, reads:
IAN persons shall enjoy equal rights ant
privileges upon every conveyance OF pubic
character. and all places OF business or o
public resort. or for which a license is re
Guired by either State, parish or municipal
authority, shall be deemed places OF pubic
character. and shall be opened TO the &C
commodation and patronage OF al person
without distinction on account OF race o.
color
This is not a legislative enactment this i
part of the organic law OF the land that w
are called upon TO swear TO support. his Il
exactly what | stated at the third ware
meeting, to which such strong exception
has been taken. | took 30 part in framin.
this constitution. | was not u member o
the convention at which it was adopted.
had no agency whatever in placing that ar
ticle in the constitutions: but | am coming
forward now, as one citizen. to do my bes
to redeem this State from the hands of tia
bad men who now control it. and | can no
do this unless | first register myself as {
voter and deposit my vote N the ballot box
and in SO doing am required to swear tC
support this constitution. Applause.
There is another oath in that constitu
tion. Title six, general provisions, article
100, provides that members OF the Genera
Assembly and all other officers, before they
enter upon the duties OF their ONCE, shaI
take the following oath or afilrmation: IL
r do solemniy swear Tor AFFIRM that
accent the civil and political equality of all
men and agree not to attempt to deprive
. o,r nerson or nersOnS on account OF race
Color ans r or previous condition of any political
loved by any other class OF men; that VII vi
support the constitution and the laws Oh sne
Tinted States, and che constitution and
laws of this State. and that VIII faithiuliy