The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1877-11-16

only emitting him to bear the Illus
trious name OF Governor. Perhaps no
person has ever enjoyed the honor OF
being Governor for so short time RS
Mr.. Sims.-N. o. Democrat.
.''- -i''tt ~ .7
- LET US HAVE A CONVENTION.
T. ~ 80: New Orleans Picayune.1
The time is at hand when the rep
resentatives of the people of this State,
convened in General Assembly, will be
called upon to consider the necessity or
proprfety of authorizing and providing
for constitutional convention or other
wise amending the existing fundamen-
tai law. ~. :'r
The last constitution made by the
people of Louisiana was nullified by
the results of the war of secession.
since the close of the war, except a
orief interval In the latter part of 1866
and the early part of 1867, the real peo-
pie Of the State have had no constitu-
ton and no government which could
be called their own. The instrument
under which our present legislative,
executive and judicial machinery is
carried on is in spirit and truth no CON-
stitution at all. It is not the act and
| deed of the people it was not made
by men who can claim to have been
representatives of the people the body
which compiled it was not authorized
ny the peoples Legislature !; the. inter-
ests of the people were not consulted
in its construction when 1t was order
ed at Washington Louisiana had no
friend in the House, the Senate, or
any branch Of the General Govern
,nent when the bayonet election for
delegates was held white men were
practically excluded from voting, be-
cause Of the humiliating and revolving
regulations which they were obliged
to observe. The orders for holding
the convention had no warrant under
the constitution of the United States.
The people of the State were in the
hands of an Overpowering tyranny
and were in no humOr to exercise the
mockery of citizenship at the point of
the bayonet. They felt that the con-
| vention aud all the orders and pro-
ceedings preliminary to it were null
lities in law. They did not try to vote
! because they did not wish to indorse
the acts of reconstruction under which
their votes had to be given, if given
| at all. They were in a waiting attitude,
hoping that the war would at last be
over and the ruthless hand of the tyr
ant would be unclasped from their
necks. They were under a duress that
took away freedom of action; they
either refused to act, believing that
such unauthorized voting could result
in nothing valid or obligatory, or else
| voted with the hope of some good out.
come from an illegal procedure.
Yet this illegal and voidable con-
| stitution, instead of being transient
instrument of oppression, has served
as the warrant for a wicked dynasty
4 - R~ne, lad 1~<l
slandered, Knocked, defied and plum
dered the white men and women OF
| this State for eight tedious and dismal
years. During all that black aud hate
full era there has been no peace, no
| liberty, no security, no justice for the
| honest white men of louisiana. In Il
lhideously farcical travestie of State
government, they have been obliged
| to see once honored stations occupied
by foul brood of vagabonds, better
| worthy of cells in jails and penitentia-
| ries !; to see men making laws who
| had no right to look u gentleman in
the face to see men growing wealthy
by the sale Of their decisions from the
bench; to see adventures, incapable
| of earning an honest livelihood, be-
coming suddenly rich on official plum
der; to see the credit of the State
broken down and IL debt piled upon
her and her metropolis that must Grip
pie both for half a century to see men
assuming to be representatives of Lou
| isiana pompously strutting in the halls
Of Congress, while busy in devising
schemes for our further oppression,
and to be witnesses of incessant and
linnumerable acts of official malversa-
ton all over the commonwealth.
Our present Legislators and our ex-
ecutive and judicial officers have been
compelled by circumstances to act I'M
der this mock constitution, having no
alternative. The House and Senate
must act under it still, regardless of
it's spurious and villainous origin. The
strength of the new and true Govern
ment was all needed in the work of
self-preservation, and during the re-
gular and special sessions of this year
there was no time when it would have
been altogether expedient to call a con-
vention. In January and February
next there will be no such attendant
hindrances. The way will be clear for
such action as the occasion demands,
and the people of the State may be
permitted mt last to be heard through
their delegates in Il constitutional con-
ventiOn. .-...
The reasons for convention are
l ~ ~.,.Nv .NN