The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1877-12-15
Town of Donaldsonville.
The Convention Question.

To the Editor of the Picayune:
The power of the press to mould
public opinion is very great. A man
whose opinion on any given subject,
il spoken in convention, would not
weigh a feather, has at his disposal
the column of q newspaper, in which
he writes with the magisterial "we, F"
and instantly the utterance rouses at
tention. The use of name or pseu-
donym destroys the illusion.
1t is in this way that the country
press, with some exceptions, have
produced the impression that con-
vention to revise the present cOnsti-
tuition is Of universal desire. 1t is not
true. have recently travelled through
the whole northern, central and
northwestern portion of the State,
and l confidently affirm that the
people are not thinking, and have
not thought of the subject. So far
from being infamed with al intense
desire to elect delegates TO change
the organic law, they are wholly in
different TO but two subjects. One is
tightening taxation. The other is an
absorbing desire to improve their
material condition. A country editor,
or writer of the city newspaper
staff, may fnd a desire to figure in an
election predominant in his own
breast, but no person can mingle
with the people and interrogate them
concerning that subject who will not
find them quite Indifferent about it.
An yet it is undeniably true that
most thoughtful men desire changes
of the present constitution. If the
instrument were as perfect as the con-
yentions Of the old time made them,
and not patchwork such as it is, our
people would still be FESTIVE under it,
for the simple reason that it was made
for us, and not by us-that it is the
work of aliens, and not of our own
hands.
There are two questions, upon both
aides of which there are many advo-
Gates:
l.Shall the constitution he amended
by legislative enactment, or wholly
made new by a convention ~
2. ia new constitution by conven-
ton is the better plan, is this u propi-
tious time for calling it 2
Upon the last, l wish to suggest to
those who are trying to force one phase
of this question on the public mind
some reasons for postponement for at
least year or two. 1t is of the last
importance that c6lored voters who
have been attracted to the COnserva-
tives should not be driven away by
apprehensions of the ultimate pur-
poses of those who clamor for con-
Sention.
The colored voter, not less than the
white voter, needs repose. The great
victory of right over wrong, of free
government over oligarchy, of liberty
over oppression, has been won, and
the people OF Louisiana are satisfied
TO wait until the fruits of that victory
are assured, until the disturbed waters
of the political sea have had time to
settle, to become calm. Does one
suppose that the Radical party of this
State, now split in twain or dissolved
into nothingness, is defunct The
instant convention to revise the
constitution is called, the elements
that are now slumbering viii awaken
to new life, and it is by no means GER
tain that the material of the conven-
ton will be sHell as its advocates ex-
pect. The election of 1873 will show
us the attitude of parties. After that
ave can take our bearings and tell
with more certainty where we are.
In the matter of calling convention,
it viii be wise to make haste slowly.
TRAVELLER.