Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-07-26
The Marks Letter.

The following is the letter to the
New Orleans Times, written by /. N.
Marks, Esq, the leader of the white
Unifcation party in New Orleans
The politicians look with disfavor upon
the movement for the reconciliation of the
races, and the unifcatiou of the people of
Louisiana.
This was to be expected, and should be
taken as an encouraging sigh.
The movement did not originate with
them, nor have they been permitted to en-
gineer it. This with them) is an unpar-
dOnable sin.
The old Bourbon writer's of the defunct
Democratic party the extreme negrO-hat-
ing graduates of the ante bellum State
Rights schOol-those, whose religion it Is
to believe that the negro can neither be ed
ucated nor elevated-a portion OF the car
pet-bag element in the Republican party,
all unite in denouncing the movement and
declaring it failure.
Because the wonderful spectacle is pre-
sented of movement of the people, separa-
ted from and without the aid of political
hacks of corrupt party organizations, the
people are to be punished for their contu-
macy, and rebellion, and the attempt is to
be made once more to bring them under the
party lash.
Forgetful of the lesson taught by the Fu-
sion movement Of November-the fraud
and violence connected with 1.-THE bar
gain and sale-the leadership of men who
had contributed 80 much to ruin the State;
the same evil ambition prompts them again
to renew their efforts in the future.
Our PROSTATE and bleeding State excites
no sympathy in their bosOms with them,
it is "rule or ruin" They oppose the move
ment for reconciliation, because they be-
lieve it contains the elements of success /;
and, yet, while they hypocritically pro-
nOunced it failure, they propose no other
plan. This is the extent of heirpatriOtism.
But mistake the signs of the times il
the people consent any longer to be led by
INSCRIPTIONS political leaders. They have
not yet forgotten the manner in which the
Reform movement of last year was manip-
ulated, and its disastrous results.
Despite the declarations and predictions
of the opponents of Unification, it is not a
failure and can not fail, unless madness has
taken possession of our people, and they
| are determined, rather than sacrifice their
| absurd and inhuman prejudices, that the
State shall become the prey of anarchy and
ruin.
1t can not fail, unless charity and justice
have ceased to exist among our people. and
| we are determined to continue to blindly
battle against accomplished facts, as we have
done SO suicidally since the close of the
war.
What are we practically to dot Simply
to accord to each citizen ofthe United Stat ~
residing in our State, the full and free excr-
else Of every right guaranteed to him by
| the Constitution!
| As Just and honorable men, swearing to
support this constitution (and each citizen
has done SO who has registered himself as
a voter), can we do less and have our con-
sciences unstained by perjury Will we
be permitted to do lessi Will the govern
ment permit any citizen to be deprived of
the rights and attributes of citizenship
without interfering to protect himf Have
the lessons of the past been lost upon usf
Are we still looking forward (vain hope)
for the repeal of the thirteenth, fourteenth
and fifteenth aInendments-the recOnstruc-
ton laws of Congress-the adapting of our
own State Constitution to modern Demo-
cratic theoriesi The child is not yet born
who will live to see any of these changes
Then, why not come forward gracefully
generously and cheerfully, as true lovers OF
justice, equal rights and human liberty
join hands with the colOred citizen of Lon.
isiana and form an organization on the ba.
sis of the plan for unifcation, aud thus be
ready to treat NTH the Government at Wdsh.
ington for the redemptiea of the Statef
Until this is done, in vain will we knock
at the halls of Congress for and redress
Futile will he our efforts to obtain the real
sympathy of the Northern people.
We may appoint committees of one hun
dred, two hundred or three hundred; We
may raise hundreds Of Thousands of dollars
and we may employ politicians even more
crafty and flexible than those who have al
ready tried their hands; until we can prove
to Congress and the people of the country
that we have ceased to deprive oRe-haf o
the roting populations of the State of theil
just rights as citizens, we will continue te
sacrifice our time, our labor and our money
1t requires noprophet to pertlict this result
shall return to this subject.
| ]. N. MARKS.
New Orleans, July 10, 1873.