The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1876-08-05
NO /.

M. j
tablished honesty have mora
weight with us than tue mosf 4 Z 4
nished rhetoric or the most Dolish
ed defamation. -
There is something unmistaka.
bly, recognizable about the trsItS
When it is spoken from the heaff
we know it at once and respect ir
Those who heard. and those who
have read, Gen. Nicholls,s Baton
Rouge speech. for instance, have
without an exception been Inn.
pressed with a ceft;aiat 10 con
vlctlon that the speaker was alto
gether in earnest, and that in the
event OF his election he would
make h's words good. Moreover.
what he said Yas so much to- t1ka
point, so plainly expressed aud eo
evidently regardless of the small
er considerations of policy and
personal popularity, that every
DOdy must understand that the
head of the Democratic and Con.
servative ticket would rather be
right than Governor, that he re.
presents principle and neither
prejudice nor ambition, and that
he is going to use his party for q
good purpose, not to be used bv
it for any.
To the careful reader OF this re.
markable speech it is evident that
it Was nnprepared so far rs mere
construction and arrangement. ara
concerned. # bears all the marks
OF an extempOraneous effort: but.
at the same time,it clearly expres
ses the matured convictions of a
thoughtful, liberal-minded and
humane man. Perhaps its most
admirable trait is its indepeu-
dehe OF tone. Standing there in
the presence of the men who had
just paid him the highest posi-.
bic compliment, he told them he
had no friends to reward and no
enemies to punish that lie was
going to he no mans man. but
the peoples and that he would
cease to represent the Democratic
party from the moment of his elec
tion. Now, for the first time in
many long years, we have a pros.
pect of securing the services Of a
Governor whose range of vision
is something wider than the score
OF. party limits, IA leader who in
advance of his election forewarns
his followers that their personal
devotion to him will not be taken
Into consideration in the distribu
tiOn of patronage.
That portion Of the speech
which referred to the treatment
to be accorded to tue colorcd ppo
pie was equally emphatic, expli
CIT and frank. Gen. Nichols is
not going to draw the color line. /.
he Is not going to prove himself a
respecter Of cCmplexions, and he
Is not going to regard himself as
elected in the interest of one race
only. de accepts the constitution
OF the UaiOn and of the State with
all the amendments lie recogni.
zes the black man as a citizen in
every sense of the word, and he
will use the whole power of the
State to protect every citizen i'm
the enjoyment of al his civil
rights regardless of race, color or
previous condition. If there isanv
Democrat or Conservative in Io,Ii
siana who is unwilling to suscribe
to that line Of conduct, he is now
at liberty to Withdraw. There ia
law in Louisiana, law in the alb.
stract only but we are about TO
elect a Governor who will make it
a living reality, who will make it
a protecting 9gis for the weak
and the Innocent, and q terror for
evli.doers ofali parties and of all
races.
Very wisely. Gen. Nichols de,
clines to take into consideration
questions OF minor Importance. or
those which belong more properly
to the Federal Legislature.
One thing above all Others he
insists upon,and that is a fair elec
tion. Every man who Is eentitled
to a vote must have an opportn.
nifty to cast it without fear or hin
drance. The balIot-boxes must be
placed within conyenient reach OF.
all, and then the UOtes mast be fair.
y counted. Thst is to say if Gen.
Nichols il elected he intends to
take bis seat !; according fair play
to others he means to haze il for
himself. In this determination he
viii be supported by tiic great
body Of the people, and we have
only pity toexpress Tor those who
may undertake to Toll them. We
do not wonder that such q sDeech