New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-07-12

do or stand convicted Of having no prin.
ciples and still less patriotism.
LABOR WITHOUT PAY REPRESENTA-
TON WITHOUT SUFFRAGE.
An error of the types has enabled US to
state exactly the value Of the colored
vote. Applying the ratio of 1870 to the
population of that date, the number of
representatives to which the colored pop
| ulation is entitled in the House of Repre-
| sentatives is thirty-four, with q small
fraction. While the colored people have
no exclusive right to nominate Senators,
they have q direct and incidental influ-
| ence in the election of Senators from
eleven States. On any question Of gen.
eral policy, whether of peace or war, this
| vote must have such influence as is
| awarded the numbers upon which it is
based. These representatives of mis-
cellaneous numbers are by no means
controlled by the colored people, but
| they represent their opinions to the same
extent with an equal number of any other
constituents. Before emancipation three
ifths of the colored persons were repre-
| scented, as women and other on-suffragans
are now. At present the colored people
have the right to vote for this or that
man or measure, so that they have now
right of political choice which they did
not formerly possess. The Southern
States have gained by the principle of
equal political right twelve members of
Congress, chat being the difference be-
tween representation of three-ffths and
the whole colored population. 1t is
very funny fact that the Democracy at the
North would owe any political success in
the present Presidential campaign to the
colored representative members, which
constitute about one-third of the South
ern electoral vote.
It should not be forgotten that if, under
the law as it now stands, these colored
people should be deprived of their right
| of suffrage for cause of color by exclusion
| of State law, such State would forfeit the
representation based upon such popula-
ton so excluded. Louisiana is especially
interested in this view. Three or four of
the six representatives in Congress to
which she is entitled are due to colored
numbers. Were these people disfran-
ch;sed of the right Of representation, the
State of Louisiana would be cut down to
a vote equal to that Of Oregon.
| The value of colored services can not
be concealed. We have adverted to the
fact that small credit is assigned in the
| crop statements to the colored laborers
who make so much cotton, sugar and
rice, while no credit at all is awarded
| those who render Indispensable domestic
services. There is an evident perplexity
in employing the productive field and
mental services of these people, and keep
ing them out of their political Inheritance
by terror or other devices. Mr.. Aurel
Arnauld, in announcing himself an indie
pendent candidate for the Legislature
from the parish Of st. Landry, speaks Of
the alleged danger Of african SUI
premacy," be admits the political danger,
but adds:
Still, notwithstanding this We need more:
| We need tens, hundreds, thousands, hun
| dreds Of thousands. millions more 1t is use
less for me to enlarge on the causes; by look.
| ing to the number of our vacant, rich and
productive acres and desolate farms. any one
| will understand. Whom shall we get to till
them! Frenchmen, Germans, Irishmen!
Never as long as we call them here to treat
them as we do negroes. Then whom can
| we look to-! Freedmen. because they like
the soil and climate of Louisiana, and be-
cause they are used to coarse treatment.
| being just out of slavery, and for other
| causes useless to state here, but which
many besides myself know.
So, colored labor is indispensable in
St. Landry. The excess Of arabic acres
beyond the labor supply demands more
toilers, and the colored people can be
| alone relied on. He then states the po-
litical conundrum thus: Chow can we
increase their number without increasing
their political power" Mr.. Arnauld
thinks
This question can be solved by modifca.
ton of the law regulating representation to
| the lower house of the General Assembly,
providing that no parish or representative
| district be entitled to less than two nor
more than four Representatives.
When Mr.. Arnauld shall have read the
| constitutional amendments and the laws
passed Hereunder, with the judicial ex-
| position of those authorities, he will find
the impediments to his plan to be as We
have stated them.
But why should not these people be
| allowed to vote? Would it be considered
just to accept thirty-four votes in Con-
gress or in the electoral college and deny
to those who gave them all right to par
| ticipate in designating the manner in
| which those votes shall be cast?
It will be seen that either as political
influence or productive force the colored
population is of much value. 1t was shown
in the admirable speech of Mr.. Packard
that this political force is Of great value.
| It has tended to arrest the free trade De-