New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-11
violence, and outside force conpels respect
for right. To this condition we are rap
idly drifting.
EXAMINATION OF TIE SECOND SECTION
OP THE WHITE PEOPLES PLATFORM.

EXAMINATION OF TIE SECOND SECTION
OP THE WHITE PEOPLES PLATFORM.
The second section Of the Peoples
platform declares
That tho dominant faction Of the Radical
party in this State has, by false and fraud
ulenr representations. intamed the pas
sions and prejudices of the negroes as
race against the whites, and has thereby
made it necessary for the white people to
unite and act together in self-defense. and
for the preservation of white civilization.
This is the excuse for making race a
fundamental! principle of the Peoples"
party. Has the reason assigned one par.
ticie Of foundation to rest on? Have the
passions or preiudices Of the negroes as a
race been infamed against the white
people? Such an assertion is utterly
groundless. If the passions and prejudices
Of the negroes as race have been in.
famed against the whites, which is utterly
denied. it is not the dominant faction of
the Radical party that did it; i. is the
action of the white people themselves
which did it.
The social aud business relations be.
tween the colosed people and the whites
is OF as peaceable, quiet and satisfactory
a basis now as any one can wish. Nearly
the entire sugar. cotton. rice and corn
crop Of the Southern States is produced
by colored labor. and we have the evil
dence Of the Cotton Exchange that the
labor Of the States is on a most satisfac.
tory basis; better than a. any time since
the war. Any man. without regard to his
politics. can employ this labor. either on
the shares OF otherwise, when reasonable
assurance is given tina. he will pay. No
effort has been made by white or colored
Republicans 20 interfere with this relation
between capital and labor: in fact, there
is no such complaint.
But as to politics. the colored men are
not disposed to &C. with those who have.
from the beginning. shown urremitting
hostility to their rights.
For what was the rebellion undertaken
but to perpetuate the slavery Of the col.
ored man: And who did this: The very
men who. in State convention. adopted
the resolution at the head CT this article!
Being defeated in this they next unani.
mously opposed the thirteenth amend
ment to the constitution Of the United
States. which gave the colored man free
dom. Being defeated in this they next
unanimously opposed the fourteenth
amendment to the constitution Of the
United States. which made the colored
man citizen and gave him the same civil
rights as white man. Being defeated in
this they next unanimously opposed re-
construction and the fifteenth amendment
to the constitution, which gave the col.
ored man the right to vote and hold Office.
Being defeated in this they are now
unanimously opposing the civi! rights
bill which inforces the observance of the
rights given to the colored man by the
above amendments to the constitution:
and besides all this, the Legislature of
this State in December. 1865. composed
almost unanimously Of Democrats. and
many Of the very men who composed
the convention which passed the re-
lusiono a. the head OF this article
passed laws substantially RENTING the
colored man into the condition not much
short Of Mexican peonage. slavery more
CALLING than tina: which formerly existed
in this State.
No right Of freet;om--c political or
other-has ever been acquired by the
colored man that was not almost, if not
quite. unanimously opposed by the men
who passed this resolution.
The Republican party las given the
colored man his freedom and all his civil
political and other rights. and has Oh all
occasions stood BY his equal rights as q
citizen. as unanimously as the Democrats
have opposed them.
Is it, then. IN view Of these circur..
stances. in any way astonishing that the
coiored man is a Republican: Any other
course would show tina. he was unfit for
the enjoyment Of the rights conferred on
him. and if he did not act Sc as to protect
those rights by acting with the party that
conferred them Oh him against the party
who opposed them he would certainly be
wanting in common sense and devoid of
gratitude or patriotism.
There is no necessity Of raising the
issue Of race in this State. The colored
man has never done SO, and does not de.
sire to do SO. When was there a resolution
ever passed at one Of their meetings that
does SO: They have always disciaimed it
when charged against them.
But because, from all tie feelings of
sympathy and interest which can actuate
free man they are Republicans and vote
with that party. they are denounced as
having inaamed passions and prejudices
against the white people. II they were
in minority in the State. but little
notice would be taken OF them. but as
they are in ) majority, and exercise
their rights as free men to vote 70, the
candidates Of their choice. this is the
head and front of their offending. Was
ever such political intolerance heard of
before?
Because the co1ored man votes the Re.
publican ticket, those opposed to the Re-