The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-03-14
THE SOUTH AND THE STATUS OF
THE NEGRO.

to the condition of the negro should
the Southern States be left to man
age their internal affairs as New
York, Massachusetts, and Illinois
manage theirs, free from Federal in,
reference. There is not the slight
est ground for uneasiness on their
part. The Democrats of the South
are as honorably bound and firmly
pledged to the acceptance in good
faith of the Constitutional Amend
ments defining the status of the re-
Gently enfranchised citizens as 1t is
possible to bind a great political par
ty or to commit and pledge the inii
viduals composing that party. The
St. Louis Platform, Tilden's letter of
acceptance and the State Conventions
have spoken in unmistakable terms
the unanimous sentiment of the
Southern people in relation to guar
anteeing to the negro all his rights
under the Constitution and the Laws
as they at present stand. Notably
was this the case in Louisiana, and
no man was ever or could ever be
more honorably or sacredly bound
than is Governor Nichols on this
point. His speech to the Convention
at Baton Rouge on the night he was
nominated and all his speeches dur
ing the campaign went so far upon
this point as to leave no room for
doubts or conjectures rs to what his
policy would be in protecting the ne
gro in all his rights. That he will
keep his pledges no man who knows
him can for a moment doubt; and it
is equally certain that he will be sus-
tanned by the people of this State
Governor Hayes can let US alone with
the confident assurance that the ne
gro will suffer no violence as to his
person, no interference with his right
of franchise and no disturbance as to
his property at the hands of any sup
porter of the Nichols Government in
this State.
But right here we wish to be per-
fectly honest with Mr.. Hayes and we
want him to be honest with us. Il
the bargain is made, it must be in
good faith. There must be no back
ing down when the result of the bar
gain is known. We must have no
more Returning Boards, either State
or National, to falsify and change the
result Of the next or any succeeding
election at the ballot box. We give
him fair warning that without tina,
continuance his party can never hope
TO carry Louisiana again as they have
not carried it for the past six years
With the carpet Dagger and Return
ing Board eliminated as factors il
our political problem, there is anC
there can be but one solution anc
that must necessarily be the contin
ued success of the Democratic party
in the State. There are some Par
ishes so largely Republican that they
will 60 that way again, but the State
as whole will be largely Democrat
ic. And this result will be achieved
again as it has been twice done al
ready after allowing the fullest ant
most unrestricted liberty of register
ing and voting to the negro. There
will be no intimidation, no BULLDOG
ing nor anything to deprive the ne
gro of his free choice. If he then OIL
his own voition, unswayed by other
than legitimate political argument
such as is addressed to the whites
either stays away from the polls, as
three hundred white registered voters
did in Rapides this time, or votes the
Democratic ticket Of his own free
will and choice, as thousands Of them
will do and would have done this
time if they had not been in terror o.
their lives from their own color, i
their wives had not quit them and i
they had not been turned out O
church for voting the Democratic
ticket; then there must be no at
tempt to change the result. There
must be no more after claps, no more
second elections after the voting i.
done. If this is the bargain in goot
faith, we can wait with some show o
patience; if it is not, if his promises
are contingent upon Republican sue
cess alone hereafter, if we are t.
have perpetual color line in poll
tics, we want to know it. We wan
no more snares and decisions calle'
compromises. We want to be lie
alone or we want to fight it out RICH
now with Packard and his crew eveI
supported by Hayes, Morton, Blain
and their followers. Trusting as W