Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-04-05

can exist for "ten ears" for after
all s.time, shows US our errors aud
successes, whether in the dawn of
youth or in the winter of old age.
We are assembled here tonight
to renew upon our altar of liberty
this grand old st. James Chapel,
from whence our Native Guard
marched to death and victory-our
devotion continued and unbroken
from the hour that give birth to the
Republican party; to say that we
are true to day as we have been III
the past. We come not as disap-
pointed men, having our hearts fill
ed with the gall of bitterness, hay
Ing personal wrongs to redress; we
come not as men baffled of ambiti-
GUS hopes, shattered by the votes
of our fellow citizens; we come I'LL
ing high AID responsible positions
iptrusted to US by our countrymen
whereby VIC have been made watch
men, as it were, upon the walls
having in our keeping, and under
our care, the rights of cOnfding
people. We, thus situated and fill
| ing the offices confded to us, know
whence to expect danger-perhaps
an attack. We come to say to you,
"gird up your loins," be ready to
protect, defend, and perpetuate your
rights, no matter from whence at
| tackled or by whom endangered.
| We have a party numbering
10000 in Louisiana.-65, 900
colored and 5000 white-yet this
5000 rule the $1,000 with rod of
iron. We see our white friends
daily filing and being appointed
to nearly every Office and though
they claim and assert that there are
certain offices colored men ought not
to fill, and that white men will not
hold Office under colOred men, yet
we find that no sooner than colOred
men are elected to an Office having
patronage, these same men are eager
.or the patronage, even to the exclu'
sion and detriment of cOlOred men.
Again. while our Influential and in
telligent colored strive to assist and
! promote our white friends, We ob
serve and are panied to see every
effort being made frcm time TO time,
ave, necessarily, by cur white
friends to lessen and utterly destroy
the influence of intelligent and de-
serving colored mel. We say that
this must end.
: We say, in substance, that the
absence of colored men from the
, consultations held by our white
, friends as to the policy of the party
, in Louisiana is regarded by US as
, gratuitous insult to the colored ner
when we have elected to cooperate
with them in the management and
. maintenance of republican govern
: ment in Louisiana. We wish it dis
, tinctly understood that re are te
; be heard and respected in the coun
CHS of the State, whether judicial
! legislative or executive;
l We have again and again elected
men to the Congress of the nation
and we have waited patiently to SEE
: and hear of their great works, hop
! ing, believing and expecting fol
something to be done in the way o.
an appointment, recognizing ant
rewarding the colored voters o
; Louisiana. Our patience has beer
, rewarded by hearing of one of oul
number being. slated, a name on {
: slate being easier obliterated thar
when written with ink. Now this
: condition of affairs can not last; W.
are compelled to answer the non
2 action Of those men whom we have
1 elected to office time aud again, bJ
saving to them that we must enjO,
our full measure of the success o
the party, viz Office, for it isbeyont
1 question that we contributed every
: thing to the success of the party
l the party must contribute to us
, and tell you now, nay, in the earn
l est words OF one whose very sou
feels depressing weight of the ut
Q terance-I warn you this night tina
: they who work those results vii
r govern, will control, will command
: in Louisiana. If, then, the mel
: whom we have raised to power ant
g place, fail to work by day and nigh
: for the accomplishment OF these re
S suits, they will, they must, the.
shall go down, and universal SUI
D frage, welded by free people, Wi
: raise others up to govern, to con
}. troll and to command IN this com
$ monwealth. We want this under
s stood, because of the fact that ever,
s colored man whom we place in higl
position is advised By our ''whit
friends" not to go astray-not T.
|, hasten matters-to drive slow. s.
, we here tonight, catching up thei
/ cry, say to our white friends Dom
!. go astray; do not hasten; driy
| Glow for va intend to he heard