New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-02-27
ADDRESS AND EXPOSITION
Citizens Of New Orleans and state of Louisiana,

! ADDRESS AND EXPOSITION
f. TO THE s-
Citizens Of New Orleans and State of Louisiana,
l., UNANIMOUSLY ADopTED VI
~ Mass Meeting Of the Annerfean Party, held at
'+ odd Fsloecs' Hall, Monday, Feb. Is, 1856.
5&is.-s5=s
The PRINCIPLES and objects Of the american Party
in Louisiana, were proclaimed TO the peopeoR the
State by American State Conventl9n, and are
familiar to every honorable and candid citizen Of
Louisiana.
To uphold the Union-to maintain ths constitu,
ton in all ita purity, with equal Justice and good
faith to every portion Of the country-to Ihcqicate
and enforce respect for the laws land cheerful and
steady compliance with their mandatesIto protect
every citizen in the full enjoyment Of all his nights
civil political and religioust0 effect such reform
in the naturalization laws as will exclude from the
rights Of citizenship the uneducated and ignorant
| hosts of immigrants daily arriving on our shores
from the despotic countries Of the Old World and as
will preserve our National integrity the American
/ People-the People of the United 5tates-to pnrlfy
our system of government and to elevate the Aneri
character by giving just and natural preference
for Office from among those qualified for it, to the
natyeborn sons Of America-to adopt an American
policy with respect to our Ambassadors, other public
Ministers and Consuls, sending none % representthe
Nation abroad but Americans. These constitute the
main PRINCIPLES and objects of the American Party
That deIna goeues and office hunters ms the9r
own profit and personal aggrandlsement, shoald,
during struggle for power, nisrepresent these prln
ciples and objects was to be expected by every man
who knows anything of human nature and OF the
character of the leaders Of the party IN
this State. But that Governor of the State should
50 far lose sight of tie dignity Of bis ofce-of his
serespect and Of his regard for the truth as to m
pute to the American Party Of Louisiana principles
and objects different FROM and atyaIiance with, those
they professed, will excite both indignation and sur
, prise. "! q
Il ton of the Platform Of the American party deber-
atey denounces the Party as secret society, and
misrepresents the purposes Of its organization lie
STYLES it secret society, organized forthe purpose
ofdeprving citizens of their legal right by the un
lust, if not unconstitutional peryeTsion OF the iegti
mate purposes Of the ba1l0boX- IL, -: -
He also asserts in express terms, and without the
shadow of fact to support him, that nthe late cleo
ton the American Party made rehgon .ess ,or o.
sentaons Of the principles and objects OF the Amer
can Party, he speaks of the breaking o. the bano
n boxes and other violent and illegal acts commltte'
inference Or that those acts are chargeabl
d. to the American Party and adds S4r * g., :
"The recent political contest has inaugurated, al
era Of crime in New Orleans heretofore dtinguishe
for her love of peace and order There must be fau
j. in the law or its administration there must be some
thing radically defective in the government of tn
city and if so it should be thoroughly remodeled
The American Party is an orderloving and Law
abiding party, and it is no responsible for t
acts complained of than for the misdeeds of the pol
teal trends of Governor Wicllife. 1t agrees wit
p the Governor in tis There is fault both with th
If law and the administration OF the law IL New y
leans.
e. The City of New Orleans had good governrer
that secured peace and safety to life and prospet
The present Governor-Gen. Lewis the Mayor OF th
iii, City-r Noise, the Attorney General of the stat
Id cooperating as members of the Legislature in ls?s
overthrew that government, and thereby left the Cit
It's exposed to tumut, plaSe, popular disorder, Tloenc
ut and crime.
The Criminal law has for months past almost cease
h to be administered in the City. 1t is said there ar
now more than a thousand criminal cases to be dis
posed of. Let be remembered that this is state
K, things existing under an Anti Amerlcan-pseudo
Democratic government.
n, The American Party invite the attention Of their
ellowcitizens to the recent acts of the Anti American
d. mongrel-democracy of the State Legislature.
The American Party view the removal OF Messrs
So Burke Michel and Bnrthe, from thersseats in thu
and tiie' substitution of Messrs Hyams, St
Paul and Wthers in their places violation of th
h Constitution and laws of the State clear audacou
and unprincpled overthrow Of the principal of pop
ular representation.
~ The removal of these gentlemen was effected b
u the illegal admission of depostons taken by the
testants exparte before Judge Reynolds, without al
mi thority of law. Judges Kennedy and Cotton ha
n' been applied to by the contestants to take esmon
in their under the Act of lSl4 relative to ele
lis tons Those Judges declared severy that that la
had been expressly repealed by the Act of 1856 rel
the tive elections and that the testimony could not
legally taken. Judge Augustn had made sim,
ny decision upon application to him, and refused
tee give his official sanction to procedure substantial
forbidden by the repeating law. Judge Reynolds W;
rd more piant-he took the testimony. 1t was take
eX-parte-the returned members not participating
ap- it, but protesting against 1t.
I lr The testimony consists of dispositions prepared
advance by Messrs. Hyams 4 Co, and printed. IT
tacile witnesses had nothing to do but to put the
m names to the printed formula and up to IT,
IN. ant-American standard of proof In the absence
the usual safeguards for the truth of testimony, tw
f dozen persons might, by the fraudulent use Of tn
of names of others have subscribed all the dispositions
without much danger of detection. But any numbe
i'll Of witnesses no doubt at the command of tn
party contestants. Under similar circumstances, a
in army of witnesses can always be had by the part
Ing after election, to effect by fraud Or management
er. as it is called, what cannot be carried by law.
er This testimony thus taken under repealed lay
900 was admitted by majority OF the committee OF tt
uy Senate to whom the case Of the election reterre
rk and reported to the Senate. The Senate receive
the the partial report and refused to allow the stn
my members the right to send for persons and papers,
eat rebut the testimony of the contestants
nd The repealed act of 1914, which was illegally a
mitted give life to the printed depositions provide
net that the sitting members Should be confirmed i'll the
ny seats that the election should be sent back to Il
ol people, This the only alternative under the law
lsl4 But the idea of sending the parties to the
the pie, although suggested by the repealed act was
ad permitted to influence the minds of the maorit
co Predetermined and reckless they removed the stil
ng members and placed the contestants III their stei
"'' The will fthe people, as expressed at the polls
cts set aside for not the WILL but the paper manufacture
rrE votes of sefdeclared intimdated host Of men, n
on onefourth of whom could probably be now found
ring New Orleans.
49,. The fraud on the popular will of New Orleans w
fha
greater audacity and contempt for the Constitute
ESQ and the law.
, No evidence was taken in relation to the conteste
last seats The erpayte testimony taken under repeale
in law in between parties before the Senate, vi
o by an easy disregard tolaw and justice applied to Il
the cases before the House. The right to be heard,
offer evidence and to defend theiro own claims and IL
for for rights of the people, practically refused the s.
ddi ting members. a pretence of violence in the cl
the was made Justification of the denial of all right al
RE- re- Justice in the Legislature and tyrannca Democr
'"( ic Anti-Amercan majority disposed of seats as
ac their own property. The American Representativ
,r elected and returned to the House, deprived
Z Of their seats Gnd Democratic favores substituted
vote them.
a gh In keeping with the outnges constitutional s.
&c., enmen and public liberty, above described is
-, action Of the Legislature in the removal of She
vnt Vla | Hufty.
tre. The election of Mr.. Hufty was contested by
:. Bell. The jury of the country. to whom the C
ma m tested case was submitted according to law, render
il in a verdict in favor of Mr.. Huy after unsuccesS
red motion the part of Mr. Bell for trial, Fl
MGS nSe Judgment rendered by the Court, declaring
to ufty the Sheriff elect and entitled to hold the of
refer for the term of two years. He duly commission
l,rol,,. .@Pl.