The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-10
a STATE WITHOUT A CONSTITUTION.

Early last summer we printed an ex-
tract from letter OF Gen. Toombs, OF
Georgia, advocating call for coDsti-
tutional convention for that State. We
took occasion at the same time to sug-
gest that such convention In Lou
isiana was necessary to the establish
ment Of our government upon sound
and economical baei4. A few weeks
subsequently, we again required to the
subject In q brief article. Since then
the country papers Of the State have
taken up the question and discussed it..
in nearly all It's bearings, with tenn.
perance and sound Judgment; and pub
Tic opinion In the State seems now to be
strongly In favor OF new organic law
What Is now styled the constitution
OF Louisiana, is simply a bayonet ediet
The convention which framed 1t was
called by military ORDER the men who
composed it were not legitimate citizens
Of the State, aud the instrument they
framed was enforced upon ua at the
point of the bayonet against the in
dignant protest Of the people. "The
constitution Of 1868" is no more the
constitution Of Louisiana than II it were
a ukase of the Gar Of Russia.
The history OF the manner In which
that instrument was framed, and the
manner In which 1t was ratified or
adopted. should be at this time rewritten
and made as familiar to the people as
it was when the gang OF shoulder
strapped blaokguards, Northern thieves
and adventures and ignorant and be-
sotted negroes first imposed it by
lawless force upon the Stats. It's
creation violated every principle of
free government, and was designed
to subject the white man and Chris
tian civilization here to the dominance
OF the half civilized negro, inspired by
the worst class of alien adventurous.
II 1t has not in the last eight or nine
years worked out that horrible result, 1t
is simply because the whites Of the
State have opposed, to the full and sue
cessful operation Of its Ubiquitous prin-
ciples, constant and almost fierce war
fare; and If under its authority we now
have peace and any degree Of prosperi-
ty, 1t is because wise and good men have
o. ntrol Of the machinery of the gov
and ignore the existence of its
worst and mostrevolutionary provisions.
But those provisions remain there as q
living threat against the peace of the
State, liable at any time, in the muta-
tations OF parties, to be called, by bad
Or ambitious, or selfish men, into ag-
gressive action. Indeed, only a few days
ago the community was startled by an
appeal Of few ambitious and turbu-
lent mulattoes of the city to the courts |
10 enforce the provision of this constitu.
ion forbiddipg the reorganization Of
separate schools. Thus, even with the
of the government and of |
The courts In the hands of upright and |
patriotic citizens. 1t is not out of the |
power Of INSCRIPTIONS agitators under |
This "bayonet edict" to disturb society
Ind keep the community in turmoil and
excitement.
We do not believe, as we have said
lbove, that the so-called constitution Of
louisiana has any binding authority
,pon the courts of the State; and we
eel sure that. In that era Of the repub-
ic, when the judiciary had q profounder
everence for the great fundamental
Of our government, no court
would have enforced an obnoxious and
,ernicious provision of a law 80 devoid
II real authority as 'the bayonet edict Of
$685." What would be the course of one
t our latter day courts, we do not pre-.
end to say, but we are very sure that
he present ubiquitous and dangerous
o-called constitution should be done
way with, and a convention assembled
0 frame one 10 accordance with Ameri-
an principles Of government and Ia the
reat interest Of an enlightened Chris
ian and free people.
We have not attempted in this article
0 do more than open the question of a
invention. All obj sctioDs to it, we are
ure, can be fully met, aud 1t will re-
uire number of articles to discuss all
he vicious features Of the existing law
nd the provisions which should be in
orporated In the new one. We expect,
therefore,, very frequently, in the next
ew months, to recur to the subject.
The proposition referred to in the
DEMOCRAT Of many Of our leading mer-