New Orleans Republican., 1873-07-16

meuber of the body polite.
Congress found this mass Of people IN the
South who needed something tor tnel7 de
| fense. Believing that, as subject, the ne
gro would yield his allegiance to his gov
ernmenr. in proportion as that government
| . or led him rot c:ior, j: sa 20 tLen:
| president Lincoln mas emancipated you
and you are no longer slaves. We viii
clothe you with the ballot; we will confer
upon you the exalted p-erogative OF citizen
| slip. You have done your duty IN the
struggle just finished: YOU have been Loyal
to your country; you Lave fought and
prayed for it, and your future hopes are
bound up in the Union. Now, we will give
you The means of protecting. yourselves;
| and Of assisting in governing the country,
| Clothed with full political equality. which
is conceded by all parties AM: classes alike,
he now stands, asking for an acknow!edg-
| ment OF those civil rights guaranteed to
him by the constitution and organic laws OF
his Slate: and this Mr.. President. brings
me to one of the divisions Of my subject.
l remarked in the opening part Of my
| speech that it was our duty 10 inquire first
! into the motives which have actEated the
movers IN this, what may term. new de
parture, from the usages and customs OF
! this State. ! need not refer you to the
| resolutions adopted at the meeting OF the
committee of white and colored men OF this
State and city, on the evening Of the seven
teenth of June.
By them We observe a move! and startling 9
| innovation on the usages and customs of
| Louisiana. The question naturally arises,
| wha. are the motives which have induced
| the leading representatives Of the white
| men Of this State TO come boldly forth and
| adopt the extended and ULmIstakabIe Ian
| guage Of these resolutions!
Cromwell said to his painter, Paint me
| as am. Ii you leave out one scar or wrin-
kle will not pay YOU shilling" Now,
fellow citizens, think it best that we
should paint this picture just as j. is. do
no. desire to go over the scars and wrin-
kles for the purpose Of making them bleed
afresh, or appear hideous, but only to pre-
sent the picture in all Of its different phases.
Let US, therefore. for briet period. refer
10 the past history of Louisiana.
1t appears almost impossible from nat
ural causes, to convey to one no: a citizen
of this State a correct idea of the condition
of your society, your customs, your tradi-
tiOus and usages, especially in reference TO
the white and cOlored race. Generations
schooled in the poisons of slavery predomi-
mated in the very fountain O: your beings.
and caused you to exercise an unjust and
unreasonable prejudice against wronged,
unprotected. unoffending. and by you. .
hated race.
Tears OK stEl1e against Tue "A ADCIlllOO party
and its increasing strength intensified this
prejudice against ue, and It received a
quickening impetus by the great il terneeine
struggle, through which the nation has
passed.
This great struggle eliminated in the
overthrow of slavery and the securing to
this wronged and hated race his political
rights, through and by the legislative en-
actments Of our national Congress.
7 how hat orrx y rnA
these unparalleled triumphs! l think it
needless; but a great party had struggled.
and struggled successfully, with unreason-
ing prejudice and passion. and the
consequence is that race Of bonds
men have been elevated to the proud
position OF American citizens. Their
bonds have been broken and their fetters
destroyed, and from the degradation of
chattels they have passed TO the lofty level
Of manhood and American citizenship.
Nearly 100000 slaves have been made
free, and to-day they stand forth redeemed,
regenerated and disenthralled. L: is in
deed theme Of qualification and gloriica-
ti0n to know that SO much has been accom-
plished for impartial liberty and equal
rights: but there is yet. and has been, ever
since our recognition as citizens. an opposi-
ton to our civil rights.
Not alone is the Democratic party fespon-
sible for the elowness of their recognition
of this essential privilege, but, sirs, the
great party whose boast and glory it is that
It broke the letters Of American slaves and
ushered them inside the living circle of
manhood and citizenship, and made the
American nation free one indeed, has not
been, and is not to-day, wholly free from
the cruel and wicked prejudice engendered
and fostered years ago by the enslavement
Of the negro.
No, sirs, there has been, and there ie now.
small portion of the Republican party
who have doubted, heeitated and even fall
tered, and not only stunned these measures,
but have actually joined their political enc
mics in their wicked attempt TO defeat the
passage OF civil rights measures. 1t has
taken. and it will continue to take time,
education and necessity. to educate all Re
right. before we will find even them willing
to Internationally recognize the civil rights
of colored men.
If this is true Of that party who have done
tor us all enumerated above, is it to be
wondered al that those who combatted this
party from first to last, and on this very ac-
count, should be found refusing to acknowi-
edge our civil rights Is it to be wondered
at that the Southerners. who from the very
foundations Of his being. as before re-.
marked, were filled with unreasoning pre-
IuulCe anu WlchcN UdLC ASs ndNO
still put forth all their great powers to rem
der imperative the laws passed for the ben
fit of his former slaves! No. The greater
wonder is that today he is found in his ma
tive State, standing side by side with his
former slaves, extending to them his hand.
and saying: "Let bygones be bygones. For
us is the future. HencefOrth, hand in hand,
we 90 together in the race of life. We. as
white men. cast to the. ground the
of fafy md nf
ourselves. Recognizing in your de.
liverance the inscrutable disposition OF
Almighty God, and the irrevocable decree
Of destiny, we will no longer throw obstacles
in your pathway, but, by our influence, aid
and cOuntenance help to light up your fu-
ture pathway, which has hitherto been so
dark. Even as the fetters Of slavery have
been stricken from your limbs and dashed
to the ground, SO have the fetters of prejudice
and hate been torn from our minds and
dashed to the winds, to be known no more
forever"
Instead of shrinking from your bounden
duty, you would approach it hopeful of sue
cess. Instead Of wantOnly snppressirg the
dictates of an unquieted conscience you
would manfully accept the issue, and cher
ishing sound convictions, based on justice,
humanity and truth, appeal to the hearts,
minds and consciences of your people, to
past, and to do unto US wha: You would
have us do unto you.
And now, secondly, wha. would he the
effect Of such an action on your part! Why,
sire, this vexed question would be easily
solved 1t would lead to full and uncou.
ditioral recognition of the civil rights of
the co1ored man as a member Of the great
human family and as part Of the body
polite.
In acknowledgment of their just claims
for services rendered in days gone by, and
full ronarafinn for iniuriea done them