Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1878-07-20

1t Is arguments just SUCH as II. IL. IN.
pr escnts against Il constitutional con-
vention which excite the wrath of the
people and tend to ARA them against
the administration and the state debt.
This is q free country; this is a free pco-
Pile. The people must be trusted or they
must be suppressed, and the form and
character of the government changed. Is
this latter alternative nesessary? We be-
licvc cot. Then lot the people be heard
and obeyed. All that the convention
advocates asked in the last session was,
that the question as to whether n con-
stitutional convention should be held or
not be submitted to tho people at the
coming election. Il. II. II. and his anti
convention ASSOCIATES voted down AT
proposition. Why: The present consti-
tuition was formed by convention as
sembled by military order, and it was
accepted after nearly every decent man
in the state had been disfranchsed. Did
not the people of Louisiana have at least
tho right to say. through the ballot-boN,
whether or not it was their purpose to
acuuiesco in that most damnable imposi-
zion? 1t would seem so; and yet a fac
ton of tho Democrats in the Legislature
united with the Radicals, black and
white, declared that the bayonet edict of
1868 was a good enough constitution for
louisiana, and that the people of this
state should not have an opportunity to
officially say whe. her Or not they want
ed to frame a constitution Of their own.
This was perhaps the most extraordina-
ry proceeding of any Legislative body in
a free country on record. Did the mon
opolies, the office holders and the stock
gamblers have nothing to do with it
The business interests of this city new
cr committed Il greater error than in Civ
ing aid and comfort to this combination
against the people. They cannot do a
wiser thing than to abandon it, and JOIN
with the convention advocates and
give their influence to tho good men who
are in the movement to control it i'll the
interest OF the CONNIE: ce and agriculture
of the State. We do not accept the prop
osition that tho continuance of Gov.
Nichols or OF any other man III office is
of paramount Importance to this State.
But we do say, and we know that we
represent tho views of three-fourths OF
the conventionists OF the State, that we
believe it would hc unjust, impolitic and
unwise to disturb the present State gov
ernment. We honor and respect the Gov
ernor of Louisiana as mrch as any anti
convcntionist in the State, and we desire
that he should serve out the full term OF
his office, convention or no convention.
Upon somc questions Of public and party
policy we have differed with him, but, as
we have said before, we regard him as a
prudent, wise and patriotic Chief Magis-
rate who has done all for t:'c people that
D man could do under the circumstances
which surrounded him. These are the
| views Of the convention men of the State
| and the idle story that they are actuatcd
| by hostility to Gov. Nichols, and by &
| purpose to abridge his tenure of office
! ought not to be again lusgcd into this
discussion
| AS to the State debt, we will speak rs
fully and candilly. The people of Louis
lana voted for the amendments of lS1-
| scaling the debt 40 per cent and they ac
ccptcd tn. remaining 60 per cent rs ;
binding obligation. They thus entered
into a specific contract with the Nnbll'
| TO pay the debt upon its present basis
and they cannot now, in honor or justice
rcpudiate one cent of it, or in any way
modify or change it's status. Under an,
| va )p,DDpvnf vii
maintain tho integrity of the State debt
and we sincerely believe that we repre-
sent the views of the rational men VIII
favor u constitutional convention. AL
the Wild and visionary factions in TIN
State will, of course, go into this move
mc,,t and cn,lc;tvor to engraft their pc
culiar views and hobbies upon it. Bli
the movement for = convention is in tn
hands of men who will control it wisely
and now that it has gathered such hea
that it is alb ;olutely certain of success, l
becomes the good men of the state-mcl
chants, professional men, planters, bank
ers. mechanics and bond. holders to joi
in it and uphold the hands Of those VIII
arc seeking in their efforts to carry on
only the good of tho city and State.
>~--W-->>>~>~~>>-~
~ Miss Bradley, NJ. d., died in Phil'
delphia last Tuesday 1T the age OF fort
years. Twenty years ago she applied fc
admission to several medical colleges an
was refused admittance on account of he
sex. But she was determined to be
physician, so she cut. off her hair an
donned male apparel and thus secure
admission to tho Philadelphia College {
| r,,,;,,us and Surrrous whence Sll