Year: 1868

Whatever action may be taken by the DEM
ocratic party of this city with reference to the
recommendations of candidates by the Demo
cratic State Central Committee, it must be
conceded that the committee were guided by
the purest motives, and by what seemed to
them to be the dictates of judicious policy.
They presumed naturally enough, that there
was no disposition to compete for nomina-
tions among the white voters, at moment
defeat of the radical programme in this State.
Their desire, and their design, were to
strengthen the opposition to the Constitu-
ton, and, if possible, to compass the rejec-
ton of that infamous instrument, by placing
before the public complete anti-Constitu-
ton ticket-a ticket, every man on which is
pledged to labor for this object but so con-
stituted as to assure some mitigation of the
great evils which would flow from the adop-
ton of the Constitution, in case opposition
on that point should prove Intellectual 1t
must be considered, too, that these nomina-
tons purport to be only recommendations or
suggestions; and, regarded from this point of
view, there is no ground for accusing the
committee of usurpation of authority. 1t
is intimated as an objection to these nomina-
tions, by the Commercial Bulletin, that many
Of the gentlemen nominated are ineligible
in other words, that they cannot take the
necessary oath. This is a mistake. The
committee not only maturely considered the
propriety of making nominations but thor
oughly canvassed the eligibility of every
name proposed, after the principle was
adopted. 1t may be stated that every gentle
man named on the ticket is eligible under the
Constitution, and hence this objection is
entirely invalidated.


We repeat that the main object of the COM
mittee, as well as of the white people of
Louisiana, is to defeat the Dryades street
Constitution. The committee was formed
for that purpose and its members would be
derelict to their duties, and false to the trust
reposed in them, if they should surrender
this position to the enemy. We regret ex-
tremely that the Bulletin has thought proper
to argue the question from other premises,
and to weaken the opposition to the Constitu-
ton by assuming its success to be a foregone
conclusion. 1t is true that the work is difficult,
but it is by no means impracticable. The
figures of the existing registry show that very
much is to be done, but they do not prove
that nothing should be attempted. Nor do
those figures establish the proportions which
the two classes of voters will hold towards
each other when the polls are opened. We
know that the white people are in majority
in the State, and in a very large majority in New
Orleans. We know that much of the negro
registration is fictitious and fraudulent Take,
for instance, the example of Alabama. The
negro registration was 93,000 The election
was held for five days. The registrars and
commissioners of election were radical carpet
baggers who cheated ad Ibitun; and yet, with
all these advantages, the vote polled for the
Constitution, white and black together, barely
reached 10000. In other words, it was
twenty-five per cent short of the negro regis
tration. There is reason to believe that
in this State, the reduction will be even
greater; whilst the increase of the white vote
by the revision, if proper exertion be made,
should be at least 10000. 1t is true that
Congress may, notwithstanding its rejection,
declare the Constitution adopted; but bare
faced lie like this must react with fearful
effect against the Republican party, at the
coming elections. We maintain, therefore,
that the committee were right in declaring
opposition to the Constitution to be their fun
damental object; and we believe that reflect
ing men generally will give them credit for
having been Influenced by pure motives, and
by arguments which must have appeared to
them conclusive at the time. If those argu-
ments are not equally effective with the pub
lie, there is, at least, no reason for division
between the party and the committee. We
cannot afford such division. We need all
our energy for opposition to the common
enemy, and we are satisfied that no material
dissension viii be permitted to lessen the eff
cheney of the committee, or impair the zeal
of the people.