The People's vindicator., 1878-01-19

O?l men VINO WneTe never elected
damned with dis elimination. again>
intelligence and property, the & ~
stitution Of 1868 met with rehuk.
from prominent Republicans at the
start, and was fastened npon the pen
pie of Louisiana without even tn.
forms of an honest expression Of pop
n|ar preference, 1t haS not, nor ha>
it ever had any vital force, and il
now claims our respect only because
it IS so "dious in form and substance
that it has kept alive the spirit OF rr
>ista"ce t" Radical oppression and
by its i"iqni'y has ht'nrd to over.
throw its ma'evolent builders.
We turn with loathing from this
bad instrument. I! lies before ns a>
we write, just as it cam~ from til,
hands Of the builders, and turn ii
what Article we may we a:r remind
rd of the iron hand of Radical task
masters VIII" ruled Louisiana as they
saw fit and grew rich by theft and
oppression. We call to miHd the
or'lly carprt-ha"ycr and srAlAway>
who framed this instrument aud
vaultcd into hi yh places most OF
them beygars or convicted frlons now
and hy that Sa'nc token, the sou
rrnir ofAhe ?corlr'S svic; and povtr-
ty, we can easily corjuAr upa second
visitation of these samc dcvouriry
locuSts.
But we a1e'told that the Legislature
is soon to assemble, and HE ConS'i-
tuition will be amended. So it is, the
Legislature is about to meet. 70
meet for what , To stiile the voice
of the people :? TO say that the pro-
| pie who Sracions|y sent them to the
Legislature, little thinking they
would be permitted to enact Il single
law, shall not exercise their sovcr.
eighty in the making OF an organic
|aw suited to their wants and to the
changed cnndltio" Of affairs in this
Stat. since New Ycars'S day OF last
year i? Who and wIa; is he Lpsis.
laIure tllatit should absorb all the
rights and rreroyativcs of Il sover-
eign people
To amend the Constitution of lSGS
would be an endless task. 1t cannot
he amended it must be o6Ii'c,utrA
There is no nlaniiupSS in devices. or
Subtrrtngts. rhe people want no
connecting link with Radical jnlamy.
The spirit which made Nichols the
Chief Executive would end it's reign
in tizzle were those who gave it eX.
preston to submit to the patchwork
Of legislative amendments. The
members of the Legislature lad best
leave this tinkcrinE alone. Not one
Of them was elected for sncIl a pur-
pose, but the promise was expressed
or implied by them in a canvass to
Eberutc Louisiana once and for all :
They dare not, without Justification
of this pledge, refuse to call Il conven-
ton of the peoples delegates, no
matter what this or that leading pol
it,cian may say. Let them bear in
mind, pcrpetua|lY, first, last and all
the time, that Louisiana is not re.
redeemed, and thai their duty is not
discharged until the people a'e con-
vokrd in convention. If new aud
better Constitution is not made and
adopted, the members Of the Legis-
|atu,c will at least have done what
plain duty required. 1t is morally
certain that the State cannot br
worsted.
And tho administration of Gov.
Nichols is not without its share of
responsibility in this matter. The
election of Gov. Nichols was not the
sudden gush of popular zeal, or
frenzied favor for the man. 1t was
rather deep seated longing for ac-
tual retorm-for q wholesome, per
manent change from bad to good
government. In some sense this cx-
pectatiop has been realized, but not
to the extent anticipated. The
present State government has not
done in twelve mouths, with all Its
resources. what the lamented Allen
dld in three months without any re.
sources at all. There has been
conspicuous lack Of viyor and vim, to
which we have been no willing wit
ness, in the management of our State
affairs. The auspicious beginning of
January last has been allowed slowly
to gather the dust and cobwebs Of
lethavgy, and the buoynncy and en-.
thusiasm of a year ago are well nigh
smothered with a deadning stupor
all over the State. No battle ever
bore fruits which was not followed up
And thus we shall 6ud
that the Radicals Of this State, by not
being utterly crushed whcnt they were
defeated and down, are now quietly
aud confidently preparing for d Sc
cond lease Of the State at the next
election. Then, is not the folly of
delay in the formation of a whole
some Constitution plain to every
man? Will not GOV. Mich.
plls set forward to complete his VIC
tory Or will he content to leave
the high Office he fills to successor
who will be required to swear allie.
glance to a Constitution I've cannot
possibly respect?
Bnt we have tho objection of cx.
pense of impecuniosity to answer
The full redemption ofLouisiana--tle
liberty of the people and their assured
'alvation-js for sale! We, who have
felt the Radical yoke; and staked hon.
'r life and everything to be freemen
>nce more, are to be jewed down into
,cquiesence, and, for the sake of dol.
ars and cents, surrender our man.
'ood and birthright! Why! arc
Louisianians 90 base as thisi Our
wealth is not in dollars and cents-for
We are all Impoverished; but it is our
Institutions, our government and onr
"N0 such miserable in