, 1873-07-07
LOUISIANA,
Tho Unification Question.
Address Of Con. q, 7. Beauregard to
tho Peoplo of Louisiana.

Wla0 anti proV1upnt IeEtelatloh' Luz eHus Pio-
posed aro not only unobjccsionablo, but patriotic
and praisoworthy.
Tho complaint 10 Of tho mcaus. Those mcans
consist in n candid and frank acknowledgment
of constitutional and loyal facts which nouo can
.dony, aud the conforming Of Our conduct to
those provisions Of tho c1iattpg Constitution of
the State Of Louisiana, which arc as follows;
ART. 13. ALL persons shall enioy oqna1 rights md
privileges uron my conveyance of public eharnctor
ctnractcr aid alnil 10 opanod to tho accommodation
disorin,inatian On account Of color.
ART. 1as. All cllfllren Of tls ssatt, between tho
u other inatitntionn Of learning sustained Or esah:
ai4cd by the State In common, without dlss!nction OF
rnee, eo4or, OF previous condition.
tion, which giveB to any party wloso rights
thoreunder have boon denied, "a right of aetlon
to recover any damngos. exemplary as well as
actual, Which ho may sustain, boforo any court
OF compotont jurlHdcton.n
It cantot thon bo denied that al tho citizons
of the State havo boon placed upon terms or
equality III their civil and political rotations. No
preference In given on account OF complexion,
fsrSssy 81 srtg s OF or as osss h0 s
superiority that tho possession fthcaomay attain
depends upon the voluntary recognition by por--
sonB differing III complexion and capacity, and
OF tlifforont omp)oy1nents md dogresa OF educa-
zion. Tho suffrage Of every man Of lawful ago
liz to DO counted ut oyory election as OF the came
valuo. MY proposition Ii, 1t possible. to
unto theHo various conditions OF men into
n common effort to improve the condition Of tho
State; to romoyo If 1t can DO dono, At Quotations
tuat aro special to any Of these conditions from
the contest, and to tx tho loarta Of al1 upon
higher and moro important aims. The strife,
hostility, diatruet, and enlargement TINT hayo
followed cnch other havo placod our State under
tho control Of tho doprnved, dishonest. over
roucking, and currnpt. The reputation OF tho
B.ato has suffered, Its credit basted, its finances
diHordorel, its honor stainod, and public and
OF tie strife mud Tho uso mado Of it by tho artinl
nnd aolAHh ndyont,,rers, who havo cmployod
power to accomplish those disastrous results. In
our DISTRACTED condition, after the general eioc.
Gongesa Cong ea A'' for ree, liz Administraton
iuence ,e on tho side Of our bur corrupt,
nsurping State Government, and wo .eali
our % siator States. Wo must therefore look only
to ourselves for salvation, which can only be So
cured by making firm alliance with tho classoe
Of our population to rid na Of those Vampires
who are sucking the very lfo-blood OF our poo
7,e, whites and blacks.
It is msufeat that nothing but the forbcar-
nnce OF tho colored people preventa thom from
aubjectfng common carriers, and all Keepers Of
s,ubio roaort, to such losses aud annoyallces as
cugtnent Of their rights or tho abandonment Of
busineAs. A multiplicity Of suits, tho result Of
which (so far ns Our State courts arc concernod)
could not 10 doubtful, would soon exhaust tho
endurance Of tho most violent prejudice. Mean
while during series Of years. tho obstinate de-
nial Of thoso claims Of our oolored follow-cti-
zenB by tho whito8 has boon tho means Of array
ing Thites ana blseks amGst atir in btor
It has driven the blacks into an unnatural
condition with horde Of unsorupulous adycn-
Jurors, who hnVo thus secured the political powor
Of the Commonwealth. bow have they usea it II
the statol 1t Ia IN oft-told tale. which I. q son
of Louisihna holding lcr honor dearor than
s*tho ruddy drops which, visit this Sad henri"
a1avo no disposition to repeat.
may be miBtakon in suppoeinH that a frank
md cordial concession Of absolute and practical
civil, Us vol aa political, ,.oquality .betweon nil
ci.izons, without discrimination, on account Of
race or color, as proposed in this movement,
would remove tho last barrior which opposes the
political corporation Of good mon, Of whatover
color, for tho regeneration Of the State; but T
am in oarnost in my conviction TINT am not
mistaken.
Bonnd and lasting system Of political philosophy
cau be constructed under existing facts in Louis
ia,,a, Mt least which does not recognize such
olua1ity. Every auch system must square itsolf
cntions with the fundamental faot OF impartial
outrage. Whom We nro asked why We refuse to
admit colored people to tho enjoyment Of public
privileges OIL footing OF equality with other
we moroy exercise right for which We arc com
pclIod to give reason. Thoro must bo some
leaeon or motive st tue Foundation ot a}} h'aman
conduct. And If at tho basis of this course Of
slase'I Ste pdoo pf o soo 'au toro e does 81 lie %
ct tile Constitution--and laws and tho
decrccs Of courts, Il certainly concerns tho col
orod man to inquire whether carried to its
rightH, OF which l,e alrondy has tho full enjoy
1nant. Yet would ask any ono to atato willy "A
colored nlau should not participate in these pub
lie privileges, which would not bo bottor reason
why he should not sorve on jury, Why he should
not hold responsible of1ices, why he should not
posneBs tho right OF suffrage itaclfl
We aro bound to give this great experiment Of
republican Holf-goyernnlont, on tho baals Of i'm
partial suffrage, q fair trial; and as LONG ~ wo
assume position autagopistlo in principle to
his right8, md thereby drive tho colorod nnn
into opposition to us, If harm results, we must
lay tho blanc upon ourselves, rather tim on tho
system.
I am persuaded that the natural rotation be-
tweon tho white and colored people ia that Of
friendship. l am persuaded that their interosts
arc identical; that their deatniea in this State,
whore tho two races arc equally divided, aro link
cd together and that thoro Ii no prosperity for
Louiaiana which must not bo tho result Of their
cooperation.
am equally convinced TINT tho Owls hntci-
patod by Homo from tho practical enforcement OF
eqnnl rights nro mostly imaginary, and tint the
relation Of the races in the exercise Of those
rights will speedily adjust Themselves to the Eat.
iRfaction OF all.
tako It TINT nothing but malice or stupidity
could find anything eithor in tho loter or spirit
Of tho 1mi1cation resolutions which eontomplates
any interference OF dctation in tho private socia
rotations Of tho peop,o. Those lio entirely out
aie tho domain Of legislation md poll,
tics, II would not 10 denied that, in
travelling, and at placeg Of public 70,
sort, we often share thoao privileges in
common with thieves, prostitutes, gamblers
aud others who lave worse sins to auBwor fol
than tho accident Of color but no one over sup.
posed that We thereby aHHontod to tho socia
equality Of thoeo people with oursolvoa. | there
foro any that participation III these public priyi
lcges involves ITO question OF social equality. By
tho enjoyment in common OF such rriyilogos
noithcr whites nor blacks assert, or assent TO-
aocial equality, either with each other, or oven
1ol yco,l iTIirit1un1H nf tl,n anmo rnne