New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-25
RIGHTS OF SUFFRAGE AND OFFICE DE-
MED on ACCOUNT OF COLOR.

MED ON ACCOUNT OF COLOR.
The ground is openly taken by the
White League of Mississippi and Louisi-
ana, that men of color are ineligible for
office and should only be permitted to vote
under pass from the League.
1t is not, in our opinion, proper posi-
! ton that candidates should be nominated
| on the color basis and elected without
proper qualifications for office. This
would be as serious departure from the
principle of free choice as the White
League exclusion. The theory of the con-
stitution is that all men are equally en-
titled to hold Office, but that the candi-
date most tit for the performance of the
duties of office should be chosen, without
reference to race or religion.
The expulsion of official incumbents
from various parishes and counties, ac-
companied with the declaration that no
colored man shall be allowed to hold
office, is virtual violation of the State
constitution of Louisiana, and also of that
clause of the federal constitution which
extends the rights of citizenship to people
of color. 1t is also breach of faith to
have accepted the amendments ofthe con-
stitution granting these rights in the most
solemn form of constitutional acknowl-
edgment, and then to defeat The exercise
of these rights by political combinations
and social prescription. Perhaps we can
not expect that any power will assert and
guarantee these ri9hs. We can not hope
that either State or federal authorities will
guarantee the restoration and exercise of
these rights, against the influence of those
who have practically denied their exercise.
Were there, however, tribunal sufficient
ly powerful and sufficiently pure, it would
be proper to submit the consideration of
an inquiry which we will state.
The representation of the several States
in which slavery once existed has been
increased in right of those slaves eman-
cipated in the proportion of two ffths
above what it was previous to emancipa-
ton. Thus four thousand colored people
before the war would have counted as
twenty-four hundred representative in
tegers They now count their full arith-
metical force. The constitutional amend
ments have thus added to the representa-
tive strength of the Southern States since
twelve or thirteen members of Congress-
Does it seem just or honorable to accept
these twelve or thirteen seats in Congress
as consequence of the constitutional
amendments, and then deny the right of
this constituency to furnish single repre-
sentative of the emancipated class? Does
it seem to any impartial mind fair thing
to deny to this emancipated class the right
to exercise free suffrage? Suppose a
benevolence given to trustees with a cov-
enant that the descendants of the donor
shall be admitted to an annual dinuer.
The sumptuous feast is prepared, the
trustees close the doors and exclude the
very benefciaries in virtue Of whose rights
the entertainment has been provided.
The Legislatures of the States seem to
have foreseen that some ''paltering in a
double sense" might be practiced to de-
feat the object of the amended cons titu-
ton. They, therefore, first extended the
common constituency to the whole num-
Der of persons in the Union, except un-
taxed Indians, and then provided that
when the fight to vote for choice of rep
resentatives or officers; State or federal,
should be denied to any qualified voters
for any causes except those specified in
the constitution, the basis of representa-
ton in any State in which the right of
suffrage shall be thus denied shau be re-
duced in the proportion. which the num-
Der of such male citizens shall bear to the
whole number of male citizens twenty
one years of age in such State.
We are aware that Congress, in giving
statutory effect to the command of the
constitution has extended the offense to the
abridgment, as we'll as the denial of the
right, and has specified that such denial
or abridgment must be the act of the
State. The Interpretation of the letter of
the constitution must, we suppose, be
yet it will remain that those who
have accepted the amendments of the
constitution, and secured thereby twelve
or thirteen additional representatives, will
have excluded the constituency upon
which that representation is founded from
any participation in the rights they were
to exercise. 1t is very sharp
practice. 1t is very ungenerous practice,
but we suppose it bit of political
treachery against which there is no legal
remedy.
THE PORT OF NEW ORLEANs-ITs VALUE.
There is no port on the Gulf of Mexico