The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-07-10
The Louisiana Movement.
Address OF Gen G.. III. BenureSard
30 Ghe people Of Louisiana

nomination of the State, TO promote faithful
administration and wise and provdent leg
islation The ends proposed are not only
unohjectionable, but patriotic and praise
worthy.
The complaint is Of the means. Those
means consist of candid and frank
acknowledgement of a constitutional and legal
facts which none can deny, and the con-
forming of our conduct to those provisions
of the visiting constitution of the State OF
Louisiana, which are follows:
(" Article -. All persons shall enjoy equal
rights and privileges upon any conveyance
Of public character; and all places of
business public resort, or for which Ii
cense is required by either State, parish or
municipal authority, shall be deemed places
OF public character, and shall be opened
to the accommodation and patronage of all
persons, with distinction or discrimination
on account of color.
Article 1876. All children of this State
between the ages Of six and twenty-one,
shall be admitted to the public schools or
other in-ttqtious Of learning, sustained or
established by the State, in common, with
ont distinction OF race, color or previous
condition.
These articles have been enforced BY leg
isl4tiOn, which gives TO any party whose
rights thereUnder have been denied, "a
right OF action TO recover any damages, ex-
4mplary as well as actual, which he may
sustain, before any court OF competent ju-
Tis,!ictou-"
Gems OF tile State have been placed upon
terms OF equality in their civil and political
relations No preference Is given OH ac-
count ot com pieXion, capacity, employ
IA, ut. pursuits or the holding of property to
amy Individual OF class. The superiority
that the possession OF these may attain de-
ponds upon the voluntary recognition by
persons differing ia complexion and Ca
pIcity, and OF different cmployments and
degrees OF education. The suffrage of ey-
q law fIII to Dt. counted
every election as OF the same value. My
proposition is, If possible, to unite these |
yarIOu, conditions OF men into a common |
effort To improve the condition of the state: |
TO rem vr, II it can be done, all questions
that are special TO any of these conditions
from tile contest, and To Tx the hearts of all |
upon higher aims. The strife, hostility, dis |
trust and arrangement that have followed |
from sucH questions have placed our State |
under the control OF the depraved, dishon- /
est and corrupt The reputation OF the |
State has suffered, its credit blasted, its |
finances di>ordered, its honor stained and |
public and private prosperity retarded I'M
der the lutlut nee of the sJrife aud the use
made OF 1t by the artiul and selfish adven-
tuTerS who have employed power to accom-
plish these disastrous results. In our dis
lracted condition, after the general election
OF last November, we appealed in vain to
Congress for relief; the administration has, |
moreover thrown its powerful influence on
the side OF our corrupt usurping State gov !
assistancc from our sister States. We must, |
therefore, look only to ourselves Tor saliva |
ton, which can only be secured by making |
firm alliance with all classes OF our popu-
ulation To rid us OF those vampires who are |
sucking the very life blood OF our people,
whites and blacks.
It is manifest that nothing but the for
bearance OF the cOlored people prevents
them from subjecting common carriers, and
all keepers OF places of public resort, To
such annoy ances as would speedily compel
the ackuow ledgment of their rights the
abandonment of business A multiplicity
of suits. the result OF which $50 far as our
State courts are concerned) could not be
dou Dtful, would suon exhaust the endur- |
ance of the most violent prejudice. Mean
while, during series OF years, the Obsti- |
nate denial Of these claims OF our cOIored
fellow-citiZe.i by the whites, has been the
means OF arrayng whites and blacks, al |
most solidIy, in bitter political hostility
against each other.
IL has driven the blacks into an unnatu
raj coalition with the horde OF unscrupu- |
lous adventures who have secured the po-
ltical power OF the commonwealth. How |
have they used it? To what a sad condition |
have they not reduced the STATED It is an |
oft JOlG Tale, which L, a son OF Louisiana, |
holding her honor dearer than 1.-The ruddy
drops which visit this sad heart" have no
dis poSition To repeat.
may be mistaken in suppOsing that a
frank and cordial concession of absolute |
and practical civil As well as political equal |
ity between ali citizens, without discrImi- |
nation on account OF race or color. as pro-
posed in this movement, would rem owe the |
last barrier which opposes the political CO. |
operation 81 good men, OF whatever color, |
for the rcge ncratiOu Ct the State; but 1 am |
earnest in my conviction that am not mis-
taken.
Experience seems, ut all events, to have
demonstrated two propositions quite con-
ClusiVCly, viz: first, that without such CO. |
operation the redemption OF the State is i'm
practic able; second, that such cooperation
cannot be secured OH any other terms.
Besides, | am profoundly convinced that
no sound and lasting system of political
Gan be constructed under exist |
ing facts in Louisiana, at least which does
not recognize such equality. Every such l
system must square itself so as to consist in :
all its expressions and i'm plications with the
fundamental tact of impartial suffrage. |
When we asked why we refuse to admit
colored people TO the enjoyment OF public
privileges on Il footing OF equality with I
other citizens, it is not sufficient to say that |
in so doing we merely exercise right for :
winch we are compelled to give reason.
There must be some reason or motive at the {
foundation OF all human conduct And III at {
the basis OF this course of conduct partici-
pateI in by the mass OF the white people OF {
the State, there does lie a reason power :
fui To defy the provisions OF the constitu- {
ton and laws and the DEGREES OF courts, it {
certainly concerns the colored man to in
quire whether, carried to its logical cOnse- c
quenCes 1t does not threaten o her rights q
OF which he already has the full enjoy ;
ct would ask any one 10 state why u col 5
ored man should not participate in these /
public privileges, which would not be a
better Reason why he should not serve on t
jury, why he should not hold responsible | [
offices, nay, why lie should not possess the :
right OF suffrage itself.
We are bound To give this great expert {
meut OF republican self government on the | {
basis OF impartial suffrage, fair trial and
rs long as We assume position antagonis-
tic in principle TO his rights, and thereby | '
drive the coIored man into opposition TO US,
ii harm results, we must lay the blame upon
ourselves, rather than On the system.
1 am persuaded that the natural relation |
between the white and colOred people is
that OF friendship. l am persuaded that {
their interests are identical; that their des-
TIMES in this State, where the two races
are equally divided, are linked together; :
and that there is no prosperity for LouiSi- [
ana which must not be the result OF their
cooperation.
am equally convinced that the evils an
ticipated by some men from the practical
enforcement OF equal rights are mostly inn |
aginary, and that the relation of the races
in the exercises of these rights will speedily |
adjust themselves To the satisfaction of ali |
/ take il That nothing but malice or stu
pidty could fluid anything either in the LET
Ter or spirit OI the unitication resolutions
which contemplateS any interference or |
dictation IN the private social relations ri
the people. These lie entirely outside tba |
domain of legislation and politics. Ii wonI5 |
not be denied that, IN travelling, and at
places OF public resort, We often share these |
privileges in common with thieves, proSti-
tutes. Gamblers and others who have worse
sins 10 answer for than the accidant 81
color: but no one ever supposed that we |
thereby asseuted TO the social eanoIitv 81
these people with ourselves. 1 therefore