The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-04-30


the electoral franchise, maintain the
barriers which separate the severa
departments, uphold free speech aut
IL free press, and forbid the imposition
of burdens upon prosperity; a govern.
ment that will promote fair trials
maintain the supremacy of law, pre-
vent and punish crime, protect the un.
fortunate against the rapacity of credi.
tors, preserve inviolable the obliga.
ton of contracts, and prevent en-.
cr0aCliment upon the rights ofth State
from external violence; IL government
in short, worthy of a free, honest and
intelligent people, who love aud obey
the law, aud who respect authority
but wh2 love honor and liberty above
all other temporal gifts that come from
the hand of the Eternal Ruler among
the nations.
In your deliberations upon the ways
and means by which the State Gov
ernment is to be carried on, and in
fixing just and necessary limit to the
rate of taxation, it must always he
first considered that the people of the
State must support three distinct gov
ernmeCts-the home government of
the Parishes, cities and municipalities,
the government Of the State proper,
and the more expensive government
of the United States. In fixing the
maximum limit it must be determined,
not whether property will bear that
rate, but whether it will bear three or
more times that rate.
For the reason that the duties of the
chair will preclude me from participa-
ton i'm general debate, now ask your
Indulgence while present few brief
suggestions for which may find no
either suitable opportunity. Let me
admonish you Mt the outset that it will
he wholly impossible for this Conveu-
ton to fn'fiil the too sangnine expecta-
tons of large portion of the people
whom you have undertaken to repre-
sent. II the instrument of govern
ment which you are empowered to
frame should prove to be as nearly
perfect as ever came from the hands OF
assembled patriots, there are thousands
who will believe or pretend that it has
conspicuous defects. If all the provls-
ions of your new constitution are
wholesome and wise, if a just harmony
and consistency is preserved in all its
parts, if its declarations emb0dy all
the cherished maxims and principles
of political science, if it is wisely con-
trived to secure safe and sufficient
government at the lowest possible cost
to taxpayers, If it Confines legislation
to it's proper sphere, if it surrounds
executive and judicial trusts with am
pie and appropriate guards aud restric-
ti0ns, If it eaab0dies all the excellence
Of modern institutions without their
defects, still it will not escape the CEN
sure and criticism of chronic fault find
ers, nor satisfy tho unreasonable de-
mands of agitators, nor meet the vain
hopes Of that numerous class of citi-
zens who habitually look to legislation
for remedy for oil that 10 defective
in the social system. IL is vain 60 re-
mind them that State constitutions
cannot heal the wounds or war neg re
pair the ravages of pestilence, nor
make good the Losses by fires and
aoads, nor nproot the prrjudires of Gu
emies, nor stop the progress of com
mercial revulsions, nor create q spirit
Of thrift aud enterprise, nor change
the rooted habits aud hereditary Gus
toms of the people. They will still
lobk tn che f,amers Of constitutions
and the makers of lava for the trn.ts
which chn come only from temperance,
iaias ry, enterprises, frasali,y, fofe-
thought and economy.
But, while you are liable to ccnsures
from the prejndiced aud Ignorant, the
more rational classes viii expect no
miracles at yDnr hands, nor look to
law makers for magical cure f,r the
evils whicl, inhere il all communities
and pervade every commonwealth. -
Yaa may be assured that such CLASSES
will approve, appreciate anu applaud
all that you may see fit To do in IL spir
it Of devotion to the welfare of the
State.
We, as representatives with plenary
authority and with power delegated
directly from the people, who are the
fountain head Of all law and govern
ment, must take good care that we
impart to the new agency of the peo-
pie no powers not strictly needed to
constitute an efficient government
To this end it becomes us to revert to
the action Of former conventions in
this State and in other States, and es
pecially to those conventions which
rose up from the bosom Of the revolu-
tionary commemorative whose liber.
ties were then newly won by bloody
sacrifice. Let us note what safeguards
they raised in defense of political lib
erty, how jesiously they defended the
sovereignty of the people, and how
deeply and dearly they cherished the
independence of the State. Let us
turn to the present constitution of
New Hampshire, now almost eighty
seven years old, snd over its bill of
rights, in which it is asserted that the
people of New Hampshire "have the
sole and exclusive right of governing
themselves as free, sovereign and in
dependent State, and do aud forever
hereafter shall exercise and enjoy eve-
ry power, jurisdiction and right per-
tanning thereto, which is not or may
not hereafter be by them expressly
delegated to the United States of
America in Congress assemblen." Let
US learn anew from that venerable and
still vital instrument that all power
resides originally in the people, aud is
derived only from them; "that all
magistrates and officers of govern
ment are their substitutes and agents,
and at all times accountable to them,"
that "the doctrine OF non-resistance
against arbitrary power and oppression
is absurd, slavish and destructive of