The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-12

stolid seif-complacency intrench themselves |
behind those feeble and untenable barricades. |
II sentiment Of insecurity has been awak-
ened; If there Is less Of sef-eomplacency be-
hind those barricades, my object is achieved,
and the way is paved for an earnest, we'll
considered appeal for female suffrage, consid-
cred not as question OF swomen's rights"
(though they haze rights, clearly defined by
the greatest apostle Of human liberty In the
following explicit statement: 1--WE hold these
truths to be self-evident: that all men are
created equal that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain inalienabIe rights; that
am ong these are life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness; that to secure these rights. gov
ernments are instituted among men, deriving
their just powers from me c9nsent at,o ol tne
question which vitality concerns the COM
monwealth.
/ am not d dreaming enthusiast nor kite
flying sentimentalst, but there are, such
weghty considerations hanging upon the dis
position OF the questions OF suffrage by the
| Convention as induce me to invoke for this
branch dispasslonate, unprejudtced hearing.
| I lay it down as sound premise or apothegm
| that the worth OF all human laws and arrange
ments should be determined by candid con-
| sideration OF the given conditions surround.
| ing them, instead of by abstract principles OF
political or social science. From the premise
stated, a candid consideration OF the given
conditions would seem to follow first in order.
The given conditions are ballot under the
degrading domination OF Ignorance and
debauchery, a State bankrupt. society de-
moralized, a community paralyzed, one-hay
conditions appalling to contemplate, some
! traceable to home laundering, more % alien
intrusion and trespass, most to Federal
tyranny.
gests brief review, historical and philoso-
phical. Since the good ship the Great Re-
public was fitted out in 1887, and supplied
with the best chart ever laid down for q long
spirits enlisted from among the grand old
families OF the Saxon, the Teuton and the
Celt which had hived around Jamestown,
Plymouth Rock and Manhattan Island, and
lated from each Of those prolific nurseries OF
civilization. We have been carrying alto.
gether too much sail. Under the pilotage OF
imprudent, inefficient seamanshlp we nave
blurred and tatooed the original chart
and we have perpetrated that nonsensical
solecism In seamanship, OF packing on more
sail while the ballast has been diminishing by
friction and evaporation, as any seaman with
half an eye may see by looking aloft At the
bran new bunting OF our African skysall and
Chinese moonsail. Evidently our top hamper
is proving perilous considering the diminished
gravity OF the ballast 30 carefully collated by
those cautious old stevedores OF 1887. II this
!, is the condition OF the ship, the condition OF
of recruiting among our kindred, we nave
opened our recruiting offices in every pOpu-
lous centre Of the intidel world and the result
Is a mixed aggregation OF Lascars and o.1
undisciplined and insubordinate, and equally
ready for raid upon the purser's strong-boS
or dash upon the spirit-room. In such an
emergency the most natural remedy would be
, to shorten SAIL. but the amendments forbid
that, and there Is nothing left but to increase
; the ballast and improve the quality OF the
I crew. Where are to be found the richest veins
of that composite rock with which the old shiI
was originally ballasted? Where the kindred
J forces from which to recruit the diminished
, strength Of the original crew? Though 1t may
, clash with the antiquated coneeits oil oM'
: "Bumbles," still my experience Is that th'
: equivalents for the lost quantities are only t.
be found In the ranks OF the educated, rehnee
/ Is there no statesman In the Convention who
, with loyal reverence for the teachings o
Plato, Condorcet and Jefferson, will reacf
: out with firm, unfaltering hand to restoT
there none to clutch with ready expedient al
equivalent for the fast receding political forces
! now migrating to Kansas? In fine, Is the sou
: of chiyalry so dead in Louisiana that Its SOY
Q eregnty can furnish no Ivanhoe, with lane
in rest, to run one gallant tilt for the freedom
= of his captive countrywomen?
s Manfestly the body polite Is enervated
: and what Is requisite to restore 1t to v1go
. and health is a fresh infusion OF the old Saxon
a Teutonic and Celtic blood and brains as a.
antidote to the intidel poisons with which
| has been, OF late years, somewhat rashl
:, overdosed. The antidote abounds in ever
e city, village hamlet and cottage In Louisiana
t What little remains to be said can be con
!. densed in small compass. Although the ex
+ punglng from the rule OF suffrage the Wor
! male is not suggested as a universal prophy
e tactic, it is gravely insisted on as sovereig
. panacea for at least three OF the given CO. Gond
: will rescue the ballot from the degrading
!. domination Of ignorance and debauchery
< that, in that particular at least 1t will purll
= a society seriously demoralized, ana Ina
r it will supply the body polite Win ~ ~
e equivalent. for the forces subtracted by %
Kansas emigration. have hltnerto alRue 1s,5
s this question: not as a vague sentimentailslL au
but as question Of State policy NOT oecaus a.ie
the women as body bi dese thev 1hd dol 9 but Be
9 f1' Of culture, M So refinement and piety
= now excluded from participation IN q the Pre- 9
1T cesses of government by IN mi riobt
d ward movement in the cause OF human rlghii
{ the Convention can place the statesmahsn3il
Of Louisiana in full and loyal sympathy WI w
the doctrines OF the most suollIn9 aeclaIasio
Of human rights. and u envlaiae ~ ff
ir Mrs Jellabys sof other sections, who Wnll
s. phanthropicaly lIa engrossed IN making e. laI a.
shirts tGe EFT the he oss aassy Of ofao fher own chi
- drep lpp'en nnWashed, their heads unconbed an
ae ther m free souls in shaekIes Strike of I
q ehacLias from the daughters OF Loulslan
9 the Scnne the e reser
sSereafter. at the close Of some hard-fougf
day, when you have been worsted In an e