The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-10-21
COMMUNICATION.
ALEXANDRIA, I
Oct. II, l67z.(

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EDITOR DEMocRA7-
DEAR SIR Please allow me,
through the medium Of your col.
umns, to hail the dawn of tine com.
ing day. that is just about to rise on
Louisiana. How long the night has
been-how we have had to abide In
political darkness-how great have
been our struggles for liberty and re-
form-wbat troubles we have seen in
combating the ignorance with which
we have been surrounded and ruled,
and how terrible have been the con.
hicts we have passed in contending
for our rights cannot now be rehears-
ed, for time is on the wing, and We
must leave to History's impartial
pen the narration and description Of
the black, dark, Egyptian night
through which We have passed.
''The morning cometh." We must,
therefore, bestir ourselves to meet the
important issues Of the welcome
day!
We read with increasing interest
the movements that are being made
in New Orleans and other places to-
ward the redemption Of the State, and
have noted the unmistakable Ian
guage Of some of the most prominent
colored citizens of the Republican
party in Louisiana, against that "spe.
cies of mystery" in the politics that
have betrayed us into ruin and ex-
posed us to the contempt Of our
friends abroad. We join in the &C.
acknowledgement that we have made no
advancement whatever, but have "a
Their refrigerated, and find ourselves
in juxta position side by side with
the people Of New Orleans. Like
them we have been kept in supreme
Ignorance Of the designs of the ad-
ministration, and are prepared to say
that we cannot longer submit to the
humiliation of being blindly led, and
shall most Indignantly resent any at
tempt to suppress our claims to a
knowledge Of the administration We
support. A few men selfishly form
ing themselves into a ''ring" or
"clique" cannot longer control the
destiny of this Parish. We have
been led to the very brink of destruc-
ton, and nearly too late our eyes are
opened to the danger, and we will not
go step further.
The nominations made in the Con.
vention Of the Republican Party here,
two weeks ago, cannot, and does not,
meet with the approval of the mass
Of the people without whose suffrage
the candidates cannot be elected
The colored people of Rapides desire
information as regards their situa-
tion-they wish an opportunity of
expressing their Sentiments, and of
hearing the sentiments of the other
party. We have never been invited
to a Mass Meeting-we cannot tell
why our meetings are never held in
the Town Hall or some other decent
place for public use, but are always
held as it we're by stealth-we are not
acquainted with the secret designs of
the "ring''-nor are we prepared to
state the reason why there is such
anwillingness on it's part to compro-
mise with the white people-sll these
things are among the "mysteries,"
but the light of experience has a.
ready revealed unto US the fact that
the nominated Representatives arc
NOT ALL the choice of the people
NOBODY WANTS JOHN De LACY TO RE-
PRESENT THEM in the Legislature.
We are resolved not to support him,
and our objection is unanimous.
This gentlemen is the Sheriff Of this
Parish. The people gave him that
office two years ago, and when We re-
Prospect his cowardly unfaithfulness
and negligence in the discharge Of
his duties we are here to say he il
not the right man. A man that, a.
Sheriff is too timid to arrest muir
derer Except it happens to be an un.
fortunate negro although it be muir.
derer of his citizens, and quails
even though he is backed by the
strong arm of the law, will never
prove faithful Representative of his
constituents, nor protector Of their
rights. "He that is unfaithful in
that which is least, will be unfaith,
full also in much" We do not intend
that men shall represent us simply
because THEY WISH to do so. Oh no
we will choose our men this time our
selves, and although member Of
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