New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-16

Carthy, Carey, Tracy, Bourges, Masicot an
Ingraham.
After the president stated the object {
the meeting, Mr.. Pinchback rose to a uuei
ton of privilege, and delivered the follow
ing remarks:
Approaching the value of time and dis
iking to Introduce personal matters int
the deliberations of the board. it ls with r.
gret that / feel constrained to rise at thi
Iuncture to Il question of privilege.
Inc annual election of teachers in tn
public schools by this board, has been mad
the occasion OF malicious and slanderou
attack upon the cOlOred members In gen
eral and of myself in particular, by tn
New Orleans Times. In its issue of yester
day, under the caption of 1.-The Schoo
outrage appears an editorial in which il
distinctly charged that mine negroes ant
three more degraded white men have pre-
sented to the youth of this city the alterna
1--WE OF submitting to humiliation or relin
gushing an inalienabe right" The osten
slole cause OF this attack is the appoint
nent as professor OF mathematics, of Mr.
y. Edmunds, gentleman born in this
city OF respectable and worthy parentage
and without superior in this branch. in
the city, or State; a graduate of the Poly.
technlc institute at Paris, and late a lieuten
ant in the French army.
/ 1t further charges that "the election OF
MT. Edmunds, if street gossip can be cred
lted, found its origin in my fertile brain, for
the purpose OF creating sensation" Now,
| what are the facts in the case relative To
| thls matter! l assert, and l challenge con.
tradictlon, that the election of Mr.. Ed
munds did not originate with me, nor with
any other colored member of this board:
and further, that the colored members an.
preciatng the delicacy of the question,
hesltated long after the merits of this gen.
tleman had been brought to their attention
and iully discussed, to pledge themselves
| TO his election. After being thoroughly con-
vineed OF his competency, as to qualifcs-
| TONS and fitness, owing to his high personal
character and integrity, and with mo inten-
tion TO create sensation but believing
that 1t wonld furnish an excellent opportu-
hlty TO test the sincerity of the Southern
people in their oft repeated assertions from
tne pulpit, the rostrum and through the
press, that they accepted the civil and pol-
itlcal equality of all men before the
law, they agreed to, and did vote his
election which was unanimous. If this
man worthy ard well qualified" is to he
driven from his post by the incendiary har-
langnes of an irresponsible press, whose
power for mischief / admit. for it has
Drought dire calamities upon this COM
nunlty, we can not escape the conclusion
that this profession of friendship and ac.
ceptance OF the new order of things by our
white fellow citizens is but sounding brass
and tinking cymbals"
Another and a still more important rea-
son actuated me to support this gentleman,
! desired, SIT, in this crisis of our nations
history, to ascertain whether the laws were
only to be enforced where the rights and
privileges of white men are concerned.
with the government national and State.
IN the hands of the Republican party, if
they are powerless to protect the citizen, it
ls high time that the coiored man should
know it. If We are to be mere ''hewers of
wood and drawers of water" no matter
Wnat proficiency we may have attained, the
sooner we understand this fact the better.
The fourteenth amendment of the consri
tuition of the United States declares:
SECTION l. All persons born or natura l.
lzed in the United States, and subject TO
The jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the
United States and OF the State wherein they
may reside. No State shall make or en-.
iorce any law which shall abridge the privi.
leges or immunities Of citizens of the United
States, nor shall any State deprive any per-
son OF life, liberty or property without due
process OF law, nor deny to auy person
within its Jurisdiction the equal protection
of its laws
What higher privilege or immunity can a
citizen possess than the right to hold offce}
- 10 tuis lNGudHeu lhl pTluc1ple unaL under
lies the appointment OF Mr.. Edmuuds and
which must be some day finally settled in
this country, that induced me to favor his
election, and that impels me to stand by 1t |
now, and it should make every member of |
this board resOlute in his determination to |
do the same.
| have no fear Of the popular Judgment |
relative to the conduct of the colored mem |
bers, II an impartial review of their action |
is laid before the people. Constituting half |
of the members of the board and invariably |
the majority of those present at it's sessions, |
what have we donel Ia a corps of teachers
numbering four hundred and forty odd, we
have elected only forty eight colored teach
ere.
Article 1876 of the constitution makes it
1dr imperative duty to mix the schools, and
n our oath OF office (article 1907 we are
'olemnly iniOined to enforce the constitu-
lon and laws; but in Difference to what /
'egard as an unhealthy and vicious public
natural OutgrOwth of the |
orner condition of society here-we have,
n violation of our solemn obligation, re-
rained to large extent from forcibly at
empting to mix the schools, the result of
chools are unmixed.
So much, Mr.. President, for our general
l said in the opening of
ny remarks that the ostensible cause of
his TRADE OF the Times was the appoint
nent of Mr.. Edmunds. l propose now to
ell you the real cause. 1t is well known
hat Mr.. Clinton is the brother-in law of
ne OF the imported editors OF that journal,
nd that for the past two years. believing
I'm unworthy of the Office he fills, have
ctlvely and zealously worked for his i'm
eactment. This paper being friendly to
nd supposed to be owned by him seizes
pom this opportunity to slanderously and
laliciously attack me, with the view, no
oubt, OF melting the populsce to scenes
I riot and blOodshed, in the hope that
may fall victim during the strife. 1t
gratifying, however, to observe that ,
3 partisan and intiammatory appeal has
lllen stillborn upon the community, and in
lls is to be found the harbinger of better
nd brighter future. 1t is the highest evi-
ence that the people of this city are at last
eglnnlng to think for themselves, that the
over OF few penny-a-liners to throw the
into feverish excitement and 6
squiet on the slightest provocation has s
assed away.
This cowardly adventurer takes advan-
ge OF his position as an editor to assail me, |
ell knowing that l can not intlct upon
m personal chastisement in this preiu- \
ced community, for if should attempt it,
though the provOcatiOn is great, the | >
ances are that it would be at once re.
irded as another negro insurrection, and | I
e signal, perhaps, for another scene such d
was witnessed on Canal street IN 1868, n
hen 1 repelled an assault made upon me
what was supposed to be white man.
Another reason why this hypocritical pa
r-owned and edited by men foreign to
is community, and without single dol a
: of interest in it-made this attack and
attacks leading co'ored men is q
avert attention from its o wn question. |