New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-06
THE SITUATION.
ACTION OF THE COLORED PEOPLE
An Appeal to the People of the
Nation.

At meeting of prominent oolcred citi-
zens of Louisiana, held yesterday at the SEN
ate Chamber, Lieutenant Governor Antoine
was called to tie chair, and l.. Lamaniere,
Jr, appoi. ted secretary. The following
address was read and adopted:
| To the People of the United State:
In view OF the extraordinary condition of
| political fairs in this State ut the present
| time, and the still more extraordinary
| methods for their solution which have been
| presented by some OF the public men in the
| Republican party in the North, the under
| signed, colOred men, deem it proper to give
expression TO their views upon the subject
In this expression we believe that we have
the concurrence of ninety nine one hun
| dreths of the coiOred people of The State of
Louisiana and especially of the n, 900 voters
| who, according to Democratic authority
voted for the Republican national and State
| tickets at the last election.
We assume that there is no question
among the Republicans of the United States
| that MIR. Hayes was TightjltLy as we'll as
ldlCfuHy accorded the electoral vote of
Louisiana, and that the tribunal having the
matter in charge acted in strict conformity
with law and justice in rejecting the votes
from certain polls in the neigh bOrhood of
which violence and murder had been re-
sorted to in order to prevent cOlOred men
who know what crimes have been commit
ted upon people of our race for political
purposes, Rficm it to have heen a most
righteous and just decision. While the ma.
tiOnal Republican ticket WAS accorded a
majority 10 this State, Governor s b Pack
ard received over 600 more votes than the
third lowest Republican elector. Mr.. Pack
srd's title, therefore, to the office of execu-
tive of Louisiana i5 removed beyOnd all
question, at least from Republican sources,
General Nichols, the defeated Democratic
candidate for Governor, has, however, an
organized military force, composed of the
White League, which Overthrew the State
government in September, 1874, and has
taken fOreible possession of the Supreme
Court building and police stations in New
Orleans, and has assumed to exercise the
duties of the Office for which he was can
didate. tbs now proposed by certain men
who profess to have influence in the Repub-
liean party, to allow the defeated Demo-
cratic gubernatOrlal candidate to take pos
session OF the State government of Louisi-
ana by refusing the legal Governor the
military aid which it is his constitutional
right to demand of the national executive
under article 4, section 4, of the constitu.
ton of the country
As Republicans, it s difficult for us to be-
lieve that such BjustiGe to the Colored peo-
pie of Louisiana could be conceived in the
Republican party. 1t is in no bOastful spirit
that we say that to the cOlored vOters, the
Republican party is indebted fer the cleo
tiOn of its candidate for President. We
believe that there we're no equal number of
voters. in the United States who better un-
derstood what they were doing than did
| the seventy odd thousand cOlored men who
voted for Governor Packard last November,
in the election of the Governor of their
choice, or who had more al sta ke than they,
He had been chosen as the representative
I q ha nv ha had
been tried, and had proved faithful
among the fRithless;" because he was a
man of sterling integrity, against whose
record calumny has never bTeathed q
charge; aud because he was eminenty
fitted by his executive ability and personal
courage for the honorable and responsible
, position of Governor of Louisiana.
To the proposition that General Nichols
is a iair.minded man, and that the interests
of the oOlOred people can be safely intrusted
to his care, we reply that our opinion was
expressed upon that sutjsct at the last
election. Without denying or affirming
that General Nichols is a fair-minded man,
he has stated it as his belief that one edu-
C eAted man should count as ten uneducated
men in governments principle which, if
carried out, would work greatly TO the
, prejudice of our race; further, that his ad-
Visers are mainly the most bitter partisans
III Inc W nll6 MAN . any III Gtl5 ObAlos
Under General Nichols we should expect
just that measure of justice to our race
which has been meted out by Governor
Coke in Texas, Governor Smith in G G9orgia,
Governor Stone in Mississippi, and the
other Democratic Governors in Republican
States in the South, and we know how
scanty that Justice is.
That the administration of Republican
State governments in the South in the past
has not been all that could be desired we
will not deny, but we do affirm that their
faults have been grossly exaggerated by
our political enemies. These governments
have made it possible for the poor man to
obtain greater measure of Justice than he
could expect previous to the war, and
especially have they afforded educational
facilities to our children, 80 that There are
now, at least In the State of Louisiana, very
few colored children who can not read and
: write.
The financial policy of Governor Kellogg's
administration was eminentlV suocesstulj
the State debt actual and COL tingent beiog
reduced during his term from $40 900 900 to
SIS 600 900, and the taxes frem twenty-One
mills to fourteen and half mills on the dol
lar.
As to the State government having been
physically weak, it is not because Repub-
licans did not believe in their government,
and were not willing to defend it, but be
cause, as the Majority of those who placed
the government IN power were cOlOred men,
and any organization of q cOlOred militia
was always heralded as the Inauguration
| of q war of races, it has been deemed
| preferable, as less likely to produce blood
shed, to depend upon the national govern
ment to put down insurreotiOn and dOmes
tic violence in the State.
The cOlOred people have always stopd
ready, and stand ready now, to take up
arms in defense of their chosen State gov
ernment, if that course would meet the
ssnotiOn of the majority of the peOplein 10 the
United States. They have always, how
ever, desired to keep within the law, and to
do 40 sct which would have the t feet OF
further aggravating the difficulties of the
Southern question.
In conclusion, we desire to enter our most
solemn protest against the proposition OF
| certain half-hearted and trimming Repub-
licans to trade of the Republican State OF
Louisiana and the lnterests and rights OF
the cOlOred people to the Democratic party
for any confederation whatever. We deny
the legal and moral right Of any small
cabal of politicians to do anything OF the
kind.
We are perfectly aware Of the immense
debt of gratitude which the ool0red people
rest under to the Republican party. We
have given abundant evidence of that
| gratitude since our enfranohisement by a
steady and undertaking support of the par
| ". aud not few of our race have sealed
with their blood their devotion to Rspub-
lican principles.
We do not believe that the great Repub-
lical party In the North will sanction any
such trade of our rights as is now sought 10
be made, and for our part We Indignantly
deny that any man OF Onr race has been