The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-07-10

AOYI q w., FFOp1AoooA
Address Of General G. I. BeaHregard 10 the
~ People Of Louisiana.
FELLOW. Citizens I have been made the
anb;ecf of nnrracious and slliberal observation
hare and. elsewhere, because of my support of
resolutions recommending closer union. OF all
she members of the permanent population OF
the State, to promote faithful administration
and wise and provident legislation. The ends
proposed are not only unobjectionab!e, but
patriotic and praise-worthy. The complaint is
of the means Those means consist In can
did and frank acknowledgment of constitution
nj and legal acts, which none car, deny, and
s the conforming of our conduct to those provis-
ions of the existing Constitution of the State
of Louisiana, which are o., follows: :,
aART. 1S. All PERSONS shall enjoy equal
rights and privileges upon any conveyance OF
public character; and all places of business
or public resort, or for which license is re-
ouired by either State, parish or municipal
authority, shall be deemed places of public
character, and shall be opened to the accommo-
dation and patronage of all persons, without
distinction or discrimination on account OF
color.
CART. 1876. All children of this State, between
the ages of six and twenty-one, shall be admit.
ted to the public schools or other places OF
lesrning. sustained or established by the State,
In common, without distinction OF race, Color
or previous condition"
These articles have been enforced by leglsla-
ton, which gives to any party whose rights
Hereunder have been denied, "a right of action
to recover any damages, exemplary as well as
actual, which he may sustain, before any court
of competent jurisdiction" 1t cannot, then,
be denied that all the citizens of the State
have been placed upon terms ofsequality in
their civil and political relations. No prefer
ence is given on account of complexion, tcapac-
ity, employment, pursuits or the holding OF
property to any Individual or class: The su-
peaiority that the possession of these may
attain, depends upon the voluntary recognition
by persons differing in. complexion and capaci-
ty. and of different employments and degrees
of education The suffrage of every man of
lawful age is to be counted at every election as
of the same value. My proposition is, It pos
sible, to unite these various conditions OF men
into o common effort to improve the condition
of the State; to remove, if it can be done, all
questions thai. are special to any of these con-
ditions from the contest, and to fix the hearts
of all upon higher and more important aims.
The strife, hostility, distrust and estrangement
that have followed from such questions, have
placed our State under the control of the de-
praved, dishonest, oxer-reaching and corrupt.
The rep, IL The State has suffered, Its
credit blasted, its finances dsordered, its honor
stained, and public and private prosperity re,
tarded under the influence of the strife and
the use made of it by the artfnl and selfish
adventures. who hare employed power to ac-
comnIisl, these disastrous results. In our dis
tracted condition, after the general elections
of last November, we appeal in vain TO Con-
syress for relief; the Administration has, more
over. thrown its powerful influence on the side
of our corrupt, usurping State Government
and we can evidently hope for no assistance
from our sister States. We must, therefore,
5ooF only to ourselves for salvation, which can
onlv he secured by making firm alliance with
all classes of our population, to rid us OF those
vampires who are sucking the very life-blood
of cur people, whites and blacks.
II Is manifest that nothing but the forbear-
ance of the colored people prevents them from
subiecting common carriers, ana all keepers OF
places of public resort, to such losses and an
noyances as would speedily compel the practi-
csi. acknowledgement of their rights or the
oSanJonment of business. A multiplicity of
sn;ts the resultof which (so far as our State
conrts are coneerued) could not be doubtful,
,vouIlI s,ou exhaust the endurance OF the most
violent prejudice. Meanwhile, duringa a series
Of wears. the obstinate denial of these claims
of onr colored fellow-citiEens by the whites has
heen the means of arraying whites and blacks,
almost solidly, in bitter political hostility
aro;nst each other. 1t has driven the blacks
;Sto an unnatural coalition with horde of un.
ecrunulous adventures, who have thus secured
the political power of the commonwealth. how
have they used it? To what sad condition
have they not reduced the State. 1t II an OH
told tale. which /, a SOD of Louisiana, holding
her honor dearer than 'the ruddy drops which
visit this sad heart" have no disposition 70
repeat. :. h,+ f.ont
,nd cordial concession Of absolute and practi-.
csl civil as we'll as political equality between
oil c;t;yens without discrimination on account
of race or color, as proposed in this movement.
would remove the last barrier which opposes
the political cooperation of good men, or
whatever color. for the regeneration OF the
Stafe. but am earnest in my conviction that
am not mistaken. Experience seems, at all
events. to have demonstrated two propositions
on;te conclusively, viz: l. That without such
co-operation the redemption of the State is I'M
nract;cable. 2. That such cooperation CANNOT
he secured on any other terms. Besides, am
nrofoundly convinced that no sound and lasting
system OF political philosophy can be con-
structed under existing facts In Louisiana. aF
least. which does not recognize such equality
Every such system must square itself 80 as No
consist in all its expressions and implications
with the fundamental act of impartial suftragei
when we are asked why we refuse to adml,
colored people to the enjoyment OF public pny!
Heres on a footing of equality with other cltl1
aens. it is not sufficient to say that in so doing
we we merely exercise a right for Or, which we aie l
compelled to give reason. There % mus! as aII Ge
some reason or motive at the foundation Of 3, az
human conduct. And if at the ts basis .ss OF .ns
s sendss 5sss a 5s s a srs ay ns do s
l rsason sa 30 powerful as to defy the provisions
" nf % the constitution and laws and the DEGREES pf
the courts, it certainly concerns the Golorsd
Iod