The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-12-27
GEN. NICHOLAS SPEECH.

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coming here tonight, is to ascertain
whether the gentlemen recently cleo
ted in Louisiana will take their seats
and carry on the functions of their
various Offices.
These are strange questions for a
free people to ask, but they are peril
nent under existing circumstances.
Thrice already has the will of the
people of Louisiana been made to
Weld to the frauds ola State cabal,
which, emboldened by success, is by
like means again striving to retain
power.
Do those who have been honored
with your confidence propose to sub
NIT in the present contingency, to
glaring wrong and acquiesce in the
destruction Of your rights and liber-
ties, or do they intend to vindicate
and sustain those rights?
l think that I can safely say that
all those whom you have selected as
your representatives, will be found
true and faithful to their trust; that
they will act with frmness and dis
cretion, keeping steadily in view
their own honor, and the interests OF
the people whose servants they are,
think this occasion, fellow-citi
zens, sfordt me an appropriate op.
portunity to refer to the late canvass
and its incidents. The Democratic
and Conservative party of Louisiana
thought proper at its Convention a,
Baton Rouge to nominate me as its
candidate for Governor. | then an
nonnced platform of principles by
which l should be guided both in the
campaign and in the administration
of that office, if elected.
1t Was platform of peace, fairness
and Cancellation, it inculcated an i'm.
partial enforcement of the law with.
out regard to color or condition, and
expressly stated that the Governor
of State should be Governor of the
whole people, and not of party or
race. 1t deprecated class legislation,
denounced fraud and looked to the
general welfare aad protection of all
citizens alike.
To that platform I adhered
throughout the whole canvass, and
the premises aud pledges therein
made | intend to redeem.
l have no hesitation in stating
from personal observation during nv
canvass of the State. that 80 far from
the existence of feeling of hostility
toward the black race, calculated to
engender strife and to interfere with
the free exercise of the elective fran
chise, there was everywhere nantes
ted a feeling of sympathy and kind
ness, and an evident desire, fully re
ciprocated by large numbers of col
ored people by a nnion of forces to
bring about restoration of prosper
ity and happiness in this unfortunate
commonwealth.
The result Of the votes cast, as
shown by the actual returns of Re
publican officials, giving the Demo.
atic-Conservstive party clear ma
ority of over eight thousand votes,
was less than one had reason to ex
pect from the evident change which
nadtaken place among the colored
people Of the State, and yet in the
face of this large majority, given and
evidenced under circumstances where
al the election machinery was in the
hands Of our adversaries, in the face
If complete failure to elect their
ticket at the polls, the Republican
party has deliberately attempted to
1ullify the will Of the people and to
place in office men who were notori-
ously defeated.
In the midst of the grave events
low transporting, it would be inexpe-
lient and unwise for me, fellow-ci
zens, to fix and define the exact
course to be pursued. This mvch l
must, however, say to you: Let eve
y individual citizen yield his own
opinion as to the best mode and the
best time of reaching the final result,
which we all have equally in view, to
The decision of those who, accepting
positions of honor and trust rendered
Them by their citizens, should
Justly assume tile responsibility flow.
ing from those positions.
Peacefully, fairly, legally elected
your Governor by over eight thou
sand majority of the votes of both
races in the State, I announce to you
my fixed determination to assert and