The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-07-06
Address Of Gen. @. T. Beauregard 70 tho People Of
LouiIana.

Address Of Cen. @. T. Beauregard to the People Of
Louisiana.
Estlo.o Cisisens-I have been made the cub
ject of ungracious and illiberal obser walton
hero and elsewhere because of my support Of
resolutions recommending closer union Of oil
tho State, to promote faithful administrator
| and wise and provident legislation. Tho ends
proposed are not only unobjectionable, but pa
triotic and praiseworthy.
The complaint is of the means Those means
consist in O candid and frank acknowledge
ment Of constitutional and legal facts which
duct to those provisions of the existing Com
| stitutiOn of the State Of Louisiana, which are
as follows:
"ARr. IS. All persons shall enjoy equal
rights and privileges upon any conveyance of
public character: and all places of business
or Of public resort, or for which license 10 ro-
CURED by either State, parish, or municipal
authority, shall be doomed places of q public
character, and shall be opened to tho accom-
| mediation and patronage of all persons, with
out distinction or discrimination on account of
CART. 1876. All children of this State, be-
tween the ages Of six and twenty-one, shall be
| admitted to the public schools or other institu-
tons of learning, sustained or established by
| the State, in common, without distinction of
| race, color, or previous condition"
These articles have been enforced by legisls-
Hereunder have been denied, " o right, of ac-
ton to recover any damages, exemplary
we'll as actual. which he may sustain, before
| any court of competent jurisdction."
| 1t cannot then be denied that all the citizens
| of the State have been placed upon terms of
equality in their civil and political relations.
ion, capacity, employment, pursuits or the
holding of property to an individual or class.
The superiority that the possession of these
may attain depends upon the voluntary recog-
milton by persons differing in complexion and
capacity, 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, if possible, to unite these various condi-
tions of men into q common effort TO improve
the condition of the State; to remove, if it can
be done, all questions that are special to any
of these conditions from the contest, and to fix
the hearts of all upon b higher and moro import
ant aims. The strife hostility, distrust and
arrangement that have followed from such
questions have placed our State under the con-
troll of the depraved, dishonest. oyer.reaching
and corrupt. The reputation of tho State hassuf
fered its credit blasted, it's finances disordered,
its honor stained and public and private pros
perity retarded under the influence of the strife
and the made of it by the artful end sell
fish adventurers, who have employed power to
accomplish these disastrous results. In our
distracted condition, after the general cleo
tions of last November, we appealed in vain
moreover, thrown its powerful influence on
tho side of our corrupt, usurping State govern
, ment, and we can evidently hope for NO as
therefore look only to ourselves for salvation,
which can only be secured by making firm
alliance with all classes of our population te
rid us of those vampires who are sucking thu
, very likelihood of our people, whites and
blacks.
1t is manifest that nothing but the forbear
ance of the colored people prevents them from
subjecting common carriers, and all keepers
4 of places of pnblic resort, to such losses AND
( annoyances as would speedily compel the
practisal acknowledgment of their rights o.
the abandonment of business. multiplicity
of suits, the result of which $50 fer as ou
!. State courts are concerned) could not be doubt
= full, would soon exhaust the endurance OF the
i series of years, the obstinate denial of these
4 claims of our coloyed fellow citizens by thu
whites has been the means of arraying whites
, and blacks, almost solidly, in bitter politica
hostility against each other.
1t has driven the blacks into an Immature
n coalition with a horde of interruptions adven
turers, who have thus secured the politica
power of the commonwealth. How have the
used it To what Bad condition have the
10 not reduced the stated 1t is an oft told tale
q | which l. a sou of Louisiana, holding her homo
=, dearer than " the ruddy drops which visit thi
III sad heart" have no disposition to repeat.
" / may be mistaken 10 suppOSing that fran
Of and cordial concession of absolute and pract
-, cal civil, as well as political equality betwee
," all citizens, without discrimination on accouI
of race or color, as proposed in this movemen
would remove the last barrier which oppos,
the political cooperation of good men,
C. whatever color, for the regeneration of ii
- State; bot am earnest in my conviction tn
' l am not mistaken.
ne Experience seems, at all events, to have d
M monstrated two propositions quite conclusiv
ho ly, viz: LIST, that without such cooperation I
~ redemption of the State is impracticable; "a
in that such cooperation cannot be secured
alf any other terms.
rs Besides, am profoundly convinced that
sound and lasting system OF political philo;
ne ply can DO constructed under existing fac
he in Louisiana, at least which does not reco
n nize such equality. Every such system mt
square itself so as to consist ia all it's exprt
ie- sIOns and implications with the fundamen'
fact Of impartial suffrage When We are AK