Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-03-01
ADDRESS AND EXPOSITION
TO THE
Citizens Of New Orleans and State OF
Louisiana.

Louisiana.
Juauinouslu adopted BY u Mass Meeting ofthe
american Paytg. held at Odd Fators Halt,
Mondag, February, IS, 1875.
The principles and objectstof the American
Party in Louisiana were Proclaimed 10 the
people of the State by al; American ota'e
| Convention, and are familiar to every honor
able and candid citizen of Louisiana.
TO UNFOLD the Union-t' MAINTAIN the
| Constitution in all its purity, with equal JUS
tice and good faith to every portion o, the
| countrv-to inculcate respect Tor the laws
and a cheerful and steady compliance WIN
| their mandates-to protect every clttheh Ill
the full enjoyment of all his rights, cl'li, Po-
| litical and reiigious-to effect such a reform
in the naturalization laws as Will exclude
from the rights Of citizenship the uaeducatea
and IGNORANT hosts OF immigrants daily ar
irving on our shores from the desp0t1e couii-
tries Of the Old World, and as will preserve
our National integrity as the Amertc;sn feo-
n,e--the neople OF the United States--to
nurify our system of government, ana 10 e'e-
vate the American character by giving /"
lust and natural preference tor ONCE from
auoug those qualified for 1t, to the nltt'e
horn sons of Anerica-to adopt an American
roIicy with respect to our Ambassadors
| other public Ministers and Cousuls,' sending
none to represent the nation abroad nu'
Americans. These constitute the nam PFiii-
| cipIes and objects OF the Americal' party,
That demagocues and office huute.:s. seek
ing their own profit and personal fsfaHdi|e-
ment, should, during a struggle iof power
u1isre present these principles and ~oHjecIs'
was to be expected by every man "h' Knows
anything of human nature, and OF tAe chdi-
acter of the leaders OF the ~Nuie''|"H
party in this State. But that a Governor Oh
a State should so far loose SIGHT OF the "iSH!-
ty of the office, of his seil-Tespec'' anu ms
repard for the truth, as 10 l~i1iote !" wax
American Party of LOUISIANA FHneil'e9 anu
| objects different from, and al variance with
those they proiessed, will excite oo'n III
| dignation and contempt.
Governor Wicklife, notwithstanding 'he
| publication OF the platform OF the American
Party. deliberately ~denonnces the Pa''y as "
| secret society, and mlsrepresents me purpose
| Of its organization. He styles IT a secret
society. organized fort t.. purpose OF dep'I'l'4
| citizens OF their legal right. by the UNJUST u
not unconstitutional, perverson oil the leghi-
mate pnrnoses of the ballot box"
He also asserts in express terms, ana WIN
out the shadow of fact to support hihi, 'hal
In the late election, the American parry Hia"e
| religion a test for office. And not content
| with this and other Misrepresentation OF the
n,incinlas and objects OF the American party,
he sDeaks of the breaking OF the ballot boxes
and other violent and illegal acts committed
during and since the eleetion-giFing out by
wav nj inference or insinuation that those acts
are charseable to the American party and
adds
The recent political contest has lnausu-
rated an era OF crime in New Orleans, here
tolore DISTINGUISHED for her love OF peace and
order. There must be fault in the law or It's
administration there must be something rad
ically detective in the government OF the city.
and il SO it should be thoroughly remod-
deled."
The American party is an order-Ioving and
law-abiding party, and it is no more respon-
sible for the acts complained of than for the
mlsdeeds of the political friends OF Governor
Wicklitfe. 1t agrees with the Governor IN
this: There is a fault both with the law and
and Rle Administration OF the law Ill New
Orleans.
7he city of New Orleans had a good Gov
eminent that secured peace and safety to
life and property. The present Governor
Gen. Lewis the Mayor of the Clty-aiF.
Noise. the Attorney General of the State CO.
operating as members o. the Legislature IN
1853, overthrow thai government and there
by left the city exposed to tumult pillage,
popular disorder, violence and crime.
The criminal law has for months past al
most ceased to be administered in the city.
II is said there are now more than a thousand
criminal cases to be disposed OF. Let it be
remembered that this is a state of things ex-
Istins under an NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
ocratic Government.
The American party invites the attention
of their fellow citizens to the recent acts of
the Anti-American mongrel-DemocTacy of
the State Legislature.
The American Party view the removal of
Messrs. Burke, Michel and Burthe, from their
seats in the Senate. and the substitution of
Messrs. Hyans, st. Paul and Withers in their
places as a violation OF the Constitution and
laws Of the State, a clear audacious and I'M
principled overthrow OF the principle of pop
ular representation,
The removal of these men were effected
by the illegal admission Of dispositions taken
by the contestants ex-parte before Judge Rey-
nolds, without authority of law. Judges
Kennedy and Cotton had been applied to by
the contestants to take testimony in their
IdSE uiIltI Vic -tCt Vi 1oli ItsatItS 10 elHE-
tons. Those Judges declared severaIIy, that
the law had been expressly repealed by the
Act of 1866 relative to elections, and that the
testimony could not be legally taken. Judge
Augustin had made a similar decision upon
on application to him, and refused to give his
official sanction to a procedure substantially
forbidden by the repeating law. Judge Rey-
nolds was more pliant-he took the testimo-
nv, 1t was taken -parte-the returned
members not participating in it, but profess
ting against it,
The testimony consists of deposition pre-
pared in advance by Messrs. Hyams 4 Co,
aud printed. The facile witnesses had moth
ing to do but to put their names to the for
mula, and to swear up to the anti-American
staIaarl IF lEaaE l. L. 49, = -