The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-12

our State. i, my own section, believe 1 have
the fa go9 &c viii af the e9ored pege; But this
two races. / believe no man, in his senses
p dos @ this sres from to sonsts
tion, o source Of so much bad feeling and blood
shed in the past. or which may be In the future.
Gle? I believe that 1t would only bring the courts
OF our country into contempt, because. as long
as that ARTICLE stands as o part Of the constltu-
absolutely. compelled, to permit the Introduce
ton into the white schools of colored children.
Gould such a mandate Big enforced in the State
SAT etnplf atfe;aiiiiy HAT as lefi H. HI, present
feeling exists--and IT will be years before the
prejudice between the former slaves 10y, and their
to permit this kind Of association between the
gsces,i say there, Is not army enough in the
g,sa se sha 9 fo rca The tp people 9be
upon US trouble and GO conflicts at almost st
eon Ct & aad beesnR
party lines. as between the white and colored
races. demagogues can appeal to the colbred
unite them In solid ptlalanx. by attempting to
force into white schools nembers of the colored
race prior to every election. This, SIR would
Of New Orleans, when. ' short It time ,0 a Hs
knowing when the two races woald engage
right of eolored children to enter the white
schools, say in the interest of the colored
people themselves that 1t Is impossible that that
reconciliation. which iS 30 much to be desired
can be perfectly restored unless this objection
able article should be expunged Now. then, it
onal anne anendmens The ' party a' to y whieh
abolition = the censts'lPn1 q i sRS9 a. dee
clared to the people that the constitution OF
1868 was Objectionable in many particulars ..
aud especially in the one to which have re-
ferred. and that upon their accession to power
tion. Mr.. Speaker. charged as we are with
general Legislation. | consider that 1t would be
impossible for US to fully MIXTURE plan for the
the committee saw the di fflculty under which we
labored having but few hours of each night
or two to deliberate over this matter and hay
and constituents In the country.
We came to legslate for the people, not to
construct q constitution for them. or to remedy
manner. We have no authority to do any such
work, Our. constituents expected that we would
carry out their requests aye, / light say their
unap,1Imity, desire that this General AS,
ssm9y a shena ps call and rasnso onysn9 nsz
people Ia the city Of New Orleans. and many
good men outside Of the city may differ upon
this point but It Is almost nnan In senti
have taken pains TO ascertain the feelings of the
people of the section to which belong and
a IT e h Is na Red eDr bs
opposes O constitutional convention, and yet,
Mr.. speaker. there are members upon this floor
obey a
few days sgo, in conversation wi h members
upon this subject was told that whilst this was
selves were capable OF Judging. and that there
fore they would not BIS. bound by their instruc-
tions; The same good fortune which led the
on this floor should attend these gentlemen In a
desire for convention. believe it to be the
duty Of q repres entative to reflect The senti-
ments Of his constituents. II his conscience will
not allow him to carry ont their views, / think
that in honor and good faith he should resign
Whilst may not fully subscribe to the pro
OF God. do say that there is no safe rule other
than that OF abiding by the will OF the majority
that convention should be- held. In the cam
paign of 1876 the Democratic and Conservative
speakers declared that the, constitution should
be changed Immediately by a convention. and
the people believed that those promises would
be carried out.
We ~s defer and this s Assemble may e
made In the next campaign. II any man were
to at empt to stem this great tidal wave. this
sWe Of the ne would BE- ust
to sweep back the waves of thu sea. Iappeal to
the members OF the Democratic party TO- carry
Mr. Wse said he wod
the course of trying to defeat the amendments.
and take the chances OF the General Assembly
calling convention.
Mr. Leonard then rose and addressed the
House as follows:
The question under consideration, said Mr.
attracted the attention of the people more than
any other which could possibly be presented to
the General Assembly. He WAS in favor Of the
yeution. The history OF politics g a history Of
blunder after blunder and politicians. as a
class, are rarely In sympathy with the age In
OF al the blunders in the last ten years the
passage Of. the reconstruction act was the
greatest. The Republican party. animated by
with the, hope OF perpetuatiDg their power.
enacted this measure which has caused incalcu-
liable injuryto the people OF the South. and in
party with annihilation. The people of Iouisi-
ana demand the Immediate abfoga.on of the
No man who was citizen Of Louisiana in the
days when it was an honor to be such, should
need to ask the reason. They cannot breathe
pinned upon the State by bayones. 1t suggests
to the people deprivation, of their, rights. and
liberties, and 1t becomes brave and intelligent
people to, assert their rights when the force
which controlled them temporarily liz removed.
There are defects in the constitution both OF
omission and commission. and it is. o. barrier in
the way of those who sincerely wish to relieve
the State Of some OF the burdens under which
she has so long groaned. This constitution,
supposed by some to have been tho production
Of ignorant and inexperieneedmen, was intend:
ed as an instrument of sDoliation. and is we'll
adapted to the purpose-oan be used by any
party which may be in power. The people do
not desire to be injured by their friends any
more than by their enemies.
The pervadipg spirit of this constitution is
that of centraliza ion. There is tendency ON
the part Of those whom the people place i'm
power TO make themselves independent Of their
constituencies.
Under the form Of government Of the United
States. which the people must regard rs the
bnlwark of their liberties. any constitution
which incnlcates the idea Of Capitalization
must be abrogated.
The speaker read the clause of the State con-
stitutions which says the people OF the State
owe allegiance to the United States, and this
allegiance is paramount to that which thsv owe
to the S ate. He proceeded TO argue at length
that the people owed no allegiance to the State.
and for a stronger reason none 10 the Uni ed
of the government. He did Anot believe in a
pure and simple, democracy for the reason that
1t must lead to despotism, the worst OF all gov
ernments.
He insisted that the rights of the States
should be recognized. or the government would
lapse into de-potism. Referring to the defects
in the con- titution. Mr.. Leonard read the mi
morty report which he had prepared, but
which was ot.reesived by the House. The re-
port opposed the majority on the grounds that