New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-01

electors, &C. as to avoid the expense Of a
two dave election. The reason assigned
for this course was that they did not desire
to recognize the legality of the Legislature
which had passed these measures; but when
a question Of Office became subsequently,
involved, no such conscientious scruples
preyAiled. The same convention which ad-
vised the people to reject the constitutional
amendments SO as not to recognize the
Legislature which passed them nominated
candidate for a congressional district
which only exists by.virtue Of an act passed
bv this same Legislature. at the same time
a. the constitutional amendments.
The records OF the State show that every
lob nut through the Legislature during the
administration of my predecessor was voted
for by the educated Democrats as we'll as
by the ignorant colored men. Some of the
most oppressive monopolies now on the
statute books we're lObbied through in the
interests of prominent members of the Op-
position. Nearly one-fifth of the existing
bonded debt of the State was created in two
wears by the Democratic Legislature of
1866; nearly all the present oppressive city
debt has been created under Democratic
administration, Divided upon all other
questions, split up into five or six different
factions. each with distinctive title, the
Democracy of Louisiana are united on two
points-a desire to get control OF all the
offices of the State, and wish TO exclude
the colored people from the rights conferred
upon them by the constitution OF the coun-
try. Upon theae two points they are a
terrible unit.
The second charge brought against me
nv INV opponents is that was not elected
TO the position hold. Mr.. Marr's commit
tee. in their recent address attempt to for
tifv that assertion BY extracts from the CEN
sus of 1870, showing . small excess of white
over colored males over the age of twenty
one. The whole force of the argument is
DESTROYED at once by the fact. which
Mr.. Mari designedly or accidentally
fails to mention, that the same cen,
sus shows that there are nearly $4,000
alien males over the age of twenty-one in
this State, who are of course disqualified
from voting. Deduct these $4,000 aliens
from the total of white citizens claimed for
the Democracy, deduct also the 5000 or
10 900 known white Republicans and add
that number to the colored male adults-all
made citizens by the war-and the cenaus
argument establishes larger excess Of Re-
publican over Democratic voters in this
State than even the Republican party claim.
There are two other points that may be
mentioned in this connection. First. that
there are large number of colOred men in
this State so nearly white as to pass for
| white, and who were doubtless 80 classed
by the census enumerators; and, secondly,
| that there has been for years past, and still
continues, steady immigration of col
ored people to the fertile. alluvial lands
Of this State from other Southern
| States. The assertion that the Republican
party was divided at the last election may
he passed by with the single comment, that
/ - E. ~ WorO,Oth opI
Messrs McMillen and company may have
| carried over their own votes to the Fusion
! camp, and probably did so, but they took
nothing else: and for every vote they car
ried, at least q corresponding number OF
| honest Democrats refrained from voting the
Fusion ticket, disgusted with the unhOly
alliance on which it was based. Governor
| Warmoth was wanted by the Fusionists
| not because it was believed he could
! number of Republicans, but because il
! was believed he could 80 use the the1
! existing registration and election laws as te
| prevent the Republicans carrying the State
| or, failing in that, could so disguise anG
| change the result through the manipulation
| OF tIe returns as to make it appear tina
the Fusion candidates were elected.
Mr.. McEnery and myself were the only
candidates for the Governorship. We both
stumped the State: especially went int
nearly every parish, making the first thor
| Ough Republican canvass ever made II
Louisiana. 1t was we'll known throughOu
the State that represented the Republican
| party and the national administration, ant
that all my antecedents had been Republic
an. In my canvass l advocated Republica,
principles, pure and simple, defending the
reconstruction acts of Congress, the four
teenth and fifteenth amendments and thei
legitimate results. On the other hand Mr.
McEnery was well known as the intiexibi'
opponent of the colored man. 1t was wei
known that as a member of the Legislature
vagrant laws so obnoxious to the coloret
people; that he had opposed the fourteenth
amendment and had supported the several
acts passed by that Legislature rdiscrimi
mating against the colored people. In short
that his official record had shown him capa
Bile of depressing the colored man when
ever opportunity offered, and OF reducing
him again to virtual slavery. This disposi
tion, kept somewhat subdued while th
Louisiana case was pending before Congress
in 1873. has since cropped out in every speecl
Mr.. McEnery has made, and he has beel
and is one of the most consistent advocates
and defenders of the White Mans party
and of all the acts OF violence which tina
organization has perpetrated. Is it likely
that the colored people voted for Dir. Nc
Emery? Notwithstanding that the Who'll
strength Of the opposition was thrown int
the fight against Ine, even the Fusion re
turns show that l ran tar ahead of m
ticket in this State When l was nomi
rated for Governor the conservative paper
in many instances spoke apprOvingly OF NJ.
nomination. and warmly commended til
course l had pursued in tie Senate in ad
vanciDg the material interests OF the State
The New Orleans Pcayune editOrially SAT-
that ''the nomination of Senator kellogg
was a source Of qualification to all goo
citizens
The question as to whether Mr. McEner
OF myself was elected Governor OF thl
State is one that have several times pre-
posed to submit to arbitration4 When tn
suit brought in the United States Circul
Court was still pending, 1 offered throug
my counsel, Mr.. William H. Hunt, a South
ern man and one of the foremost lawyers a
the bar of this State, that the return
should be submitted to five prominent an
disinterested citizens, two to be chosen 3.
each side and the fifth by the four, and
proposed to abide by the result OF thel
decision; but this proposition was declined
| am prepared to show before any compe
tent tribunal that portion of the return
upon which MI. .McEnery bases his claims ar
f0rgerles manufactured in this city. l an
able now to produce the judicial officer be
fore whom q portion of the blank tally list
| aud returns were swOrn-tO be subsequent
filled up here in this city, and palmed o
upon the public as the genuine returns Q
an election held in strong Republican pal
ishes far distant from this city. Even Sent
| tor CARPENTER. in his snapch in the Senat