New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-22
Sle,r Orleans 8spasblifa''.
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW ONLY
ON PAPER.
Speeeh of Hon. w. Jasper Blackburn in
the Louisiana state SENATE, January
90. 1873.
Reported for the New Orleans Republican.

TReported for the New Orleans Republican,
The following resolution of Mr.. Black,
burn, of Claiborne, was called up for final
action:
Res0Lced. That the committee on Peni-
Tertiary, in addition to the special Instruc-
tons already given by resolutions hereto
fore passed. be also directed 10 inquire as
to whether or not there are certain cOnYlcts
now in the State Prison who have been
sent there mainly, if not solely, on account
of race. color or previous cOndltlon-that
is, for political reasons: 49,, NJ
Pending the adoption OF when, MI
Blackburn spoke as follows:
Mr.. President have offered this reSolu.
ton in all sincerity, and with view,
possible, of reaching practical emo IN me 70
Yindication of law and justice, In benaH OF
all men in our land, regardless OF race,
color or previous condition OF serVltude,
and REGARDLESS, too, of past or present po-
Iitical sentiments; but | am not sure put
that in doing so make myself a ut SUBJECT
of laughter in one sense, because IL may
seem so clear that | am aiming at SOME
thing which is wholly and palpa6iy IN
practicable Be this as II may, snail en-
deavor to do my duty.
Before the late war of the rebellion
Aoualitv before the law to all men was un'
known. if not unthought Of in the southern
or slave States of the American Union
Since that time we have had such theory
ON paper-the shadow OF such pressing
bas ihdp. n cast over our land-but the sub
stance has never yet been reallzed I'D any
thing like a general or practical sense. The
subs.once is what we still pray Tor, and is
sybat we must have; or else all the promises
sye have had on paper become, ike the
moor. common words of courtesy on oc-
casions of deep grief, "a very mOckefy.
Indeed, we are already becoming sore UNI
:.
ises TO the ear which are constantly broken
90 the heart and the hope. We, as Repub-
1icans, and the friends and defenders OF
1his great government, are becoming weary
and heavy laden" under prosecutions ana
prescriptions on account OF our polltlcal
opinions and sentiments; and the more so
since we receive but little if any notice or
sympathy, and literally no practical safety
and protection at the hands OF the govern
ment in whose defense we suffer so much
and SO interchangeable and unrequited.
Look abroad over our section of country,
and see who it is that labors without just
reward. What father is it who labors hike
a quarry slave from season to season and
from year to year, as renter OF land or lot
81 share of the crop, or for monthly wages,
and who at the end of one year after
another, is brought out in debt, without
any rendering of accounts, or any proper
posting of books, and often without any
formal settlement or reckoning at allt In
every single case you will find that he Is
coIored man-once a slave, but now called
a freeman or treedman-whO now has,
on paper, perfect equality before
thc law, but who as a practlcal
realization Of this equality, receives from
month to month and from year to year an
enpty purse, an empty crib, an empty
smoke-house and a make back; with a tull
house. perhaps, of wife and children, to go
half starved and half clad-lucky If they
do not quite famish and go naked. But he
is Republican and friend and defender
of this great and magnanlmous govern,
spent and of course is well enough pald
in being permitted to be so-and being so,
mas therefore for that reason no rights
which the so-called better class OF citizens,
the remnants of played-Out and lazy arls-
$ocracy, are at all bound to respect
And do YOU see Il white man hunted
down and prescribed i'll his business Tor
opinions sake, his wife and children per,
haps insulted and tortured by being told
chat all such white men should be run out
Of the country or shot! Of course II you
do. that white man is a Republican, and
never thought it right to destroy the gov
eminent of his fathers. or to murder or mis-
sreat men for their political opinions. And
do YOU want a living eXemplitication OF
such persecution and prescription for
opinions sake! Look at the honorable ana
aonored Senator at my lett-the honorable
gentleman from jackson, the ADJOINING
Sarish to my own. He Is an old citizen
like myself, his only crime being that he is
a loyal man, was always Union man, and
since the war has been an active, consistent,
influential Republican. He is known as the
mOst energetic and useful citizen IN all
ais section Look at his temple. You will
find there the fresh scar of pistol shot
shot like a wild beast about the time OF the
late election: and for what! Because he is
the friend and defender of the national
government, and a patriot. Such Is Allen
Greene. and such his fate. And go to the
other House of this Legislature, and you
will find there the noble son of the tortured
and mangled Senator who sits at my left
Suung Charles j. Greene, member Of the
lower house, the noble son of a noble sire
.-also with a fresh pistol scar on the head,
received at the same time and for the same
reason. And so the story goes, and so we
make history in this Southern land of a
dearly bought and newly hedged liberty.
But have not all such men equality be-
fore the law Alas only on paper, as pa
tent and practical facts but too sorely
prove. For tell you, Mr. President and
Senators, if one of this class of men is shot
or otherwise maltreated, no jury of the So
called better class of this people, will ever
convict his assailant. But mind you, if
one of them otfends his retributiOn Is
sure, swift and heavy. Aud this part of it,
too, is equality before the law'-On paper,
and only on paper.
But it were useless TO enumerate OutragPs
for opinions sake in this Southern land-in
this conquered province where the con-
Quered are the masters over the conQuerors;
the land is full of it, and it falls solely to
the lot of Republicans to bear it, for no
man can point TO single instance in all our
broad land where personal evil or hurt has
been inflicted upon any other class of citi
Zens on account of tAeig political senti-
ments.
But how is il on the other hands
charge il now in my place in the State Sen
ate; | charge ii upon our Democratic
judges and upon our Democratic jnries.
that there are Today prisoners in the Pcni-
Tertiary at Baton Rouge, sent there mainly
if not solely on account of race, color or
previous .condition-hecause they are Re
publicans: if not solely for such reason con-
ViCted, their terms of sentence at least uu-
reasonably extended on such account
And | charge it to-day upon the Demo
cratic element of this State-upon the So
called better class making up the
great bulk of the opposition TO the Repub-
lican party in louisiana charge 1t upon
them that they prosecute 10 the death their
i''A'i''r opponents Az Ni'ttii'ii S'At' a.
IN. many instances hunt them Down in the
courts 10 unjust conviction aud unreason-
able sentence; while on the other hand
they shield and protect and defend most
unreasonably and unjustly their assailants
and murderers. l boldly and defiantly
charge This upon the opponents of the Re,
publican party in this State: and l brand
as aiders and abettors of these outrages all
who are aiding and abetting in the strife
breeding effort to SuDnlant and overt hrOW
the State government of Louisiana, of
which this Senate is a part of the legisla-
tive bTanch-whether such aiders and
ahettnrs rnside ut the South nr Of the North