The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-06
THE NEW ORLEANS DEMOCRAT SATURDAY. July 6. 1878

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amendments In part or as whole; that they
shall excuse the Legislature for their treason
| in having attempted to usurp an undispu6ed
prerogative OF the sovereign people In SUD
hitting these amendments when they de-
manded constitutional convention, on the
plea OF their being retormatofy IN Ineii
character and better than the original.
That is not the question at issue at all what
is to be decided at the Baton Rouge conyen-
ton is, shall the sovereign. people OF this
| commonwealth surrender their sacred pre-
negative OF framing their own organic law
into the hands Of q Legislature or not. On
this test hangs the loyalty OF every man IN
our party, and we for one will never yield to
| the perniGious doctrine which the manner OF
the adoption Of these amendments attempts to
| inculcate.
The matter contained in the constitution of
| 1868 which is constant menace to liberty, O.
reproach TO our civilization and an insult to
orr principles, the amendments dodge in O
most abiect and cOwardly manner. The
omissions not contained in that bayonet abor-
| ton, which are alike demanded by every
principle OF honor, virtue and democratic lib
erty, the amendments, with equal abjectness,
| fail to supply.
The mere question of sordid gain to the
people, poverty stricken as they are, in the
way OF reduction of taxation, Is very small
| item in the contest The reform we demand
is the return to Jeffersonan principles, to
| Democratic doctrine, which, strictly adhered
| to, will lead of themselves to pecuniary bene-
critics from the assaults of those who would
assail them. Then the question at issue Is
not now whether we shall have q constitu-
| tional convention, alone; but whether we
shall have constitutional convention or
adopt the amendments? Stubbs, of Ouachita,
has made that the issue when he has the
effrontery to declare that an honest assertion
of the prerogatives of the soveregns Of this
commonwealth "would be fatal to good gov
eminent" The people accept the
issue, and in accepting it they declare
there can be no common ground
between the eontending parties. This
must be q commonwealth of people sovereign
in the fullest extent of the word, and the Demo-
cratic party must be an organized aggression
in defence of that sovereignty, or else 1t must
go to pieces. It is perfectly futile and idiOtic
my" of ''electing good and true men, Those
men who insist that the amendments should
be adopted; who resist the people in the as
sertion Of their right to frame their own or
ganic law, are as mortal foes to republican
liberty as any that can befound in the Radical
party. We say this knowing full well the re-
sponsbility we incur, and we propose to hew
out future conduct to that line, come what
may.
A democratic constitution for Louisiana.
Let that be the slogan, and down with the
amendments, born OF the same horrible and
vicious principles as the Infamous constitu-
ton of 1863
Lafayette Adyertiser.l
convention of Democrats in Ouachita par
ish lately decided to oppose constitutional
convention, and the principal reason given Tor
that action was, that it would disturb Gov.
Nichols term of office. Itmay be the modern
rule, that Office-hOlders consider their private
interests paramount to the general welfare,
, but, unless we are much mistaken in the char
acter of Gov. Nichols, he, at least, is an
honorable exception to such O rule. Selfish
!, of1ice-holders and their friends should
advance more solid and reasonable argu-
ments for opposing the public interests
. But Judging from accounts received, the
history of the primary or ward elections
/ in Ouachita shows that the question OF a
constitutional convention was not agitated In
several wards, that the total vote was small
and a compilation of the ward elections de.
veloped the fact that majority Of the voters
who participated were in favor OF conven'
ton Therefore we fail to see the Importance
. claimed for such O victory. And even upon a
fair test, II Ouachita should oppose q conven'
; tion, it would be but one parish among many
others around 1t that will very likely favor
the measure.
We think a convention is of vital import.
ance to the State, and that the people will SO
determine. AS to Otfice-hoders being dis
turbed or not Is q matter Of very small i'm
portance, but we favor, and we believe such
to be the general desire, the retention Of al
officers not affected by the necessary changes
In the new constitution, The people want al
organic law framed by them and for them, to
, replace the present disgraceful and Infamous
u instrument, conceived by carpet-baggers anC
, forced upon the State by bayonets. The
. amendments proposed cannot redeem sucf
. rotten affair. In past times, 1t was no
considered q hardship or unreasonable fol-
- ofiice-hoders to submit gracefully and witt
. alacrity to the demands of the people Tht
. constitutions of 1916 and 1852 vacated thu
. offices, and they were occupied by worth!
men, who were not influenced by selfish con
/ sideratlons. In 1s45 our venerable and distin
;, guished parishioner, Alexander Mouton, wal
. Governor of the State. In his active days tn
- wishes OF the people were respected, but tina
V does not seem fashionable In the present da.
and generation. Ii the modern style consist
in office-holders arraying themselves In op
position to and disregarding the wishes ant
interests Of the people, we have surely drifte'
into evil times.
"a [Opelousas Courierl
The last Legislature resolved itself into
constitutional convention, and now asks tn
people to ratify its work. What authority ha
a that body to do this thing2 None whatever
e except what it derived from the Radical con
d stitution of 1868. A Democratic Legislator
n fell into and adopted the Radical scheme c
+ dmendment-a scheme, the design Of whic
was to prevent the people from overturnin
y theinfamous bayonet instrument under whic
1t we now live. We never believed that this deI
l. ilish piece Of machinery would be used by
9 Democratic Legislature against Its own cor
: stituents.
Mass Meeting In COncOrdIa.