Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1863-09-19

Elk POINT, Sept. 9th, 1863.

conditional Union League men" Of this
county, held grand Convention ut the
IA Mile House, for the purpose Of nomi.
mating candidates for the Legislative As.
semb'y, and county officers. This League
has its headquarters at Brule Creek it
was represented ut the Convention by
bakers dozen, and a few more who have
lately come under their colors. This
League is composed principally Of those
men who conducted the fraudulent night
election at Brule Creek last year at leas,
the judges of that election are the most
prominent members in the present League,
and they have ,doue all they could to in.
duce men to vote unlawfully this year
After the organization of the Convention
was completed they proceeded to nominate
an entire ticket, mostly Of their own stripe
with here and there an outsider, through
whose influence they thought. they could
gain few votes. After the nominations
were made speech was made by the
Hon. Mr.. Brockiogs, Of Yankton, whom
they had imported into this county for the
purpose of informing US how we ought to
vote. After his speech Mr.. Hill, a nomi.
nee Of this Convention, proceeded to ad.
dress the Convention in a very eloquent
and patriotic strain. After the League
orators had closed a Frenchman requested
that the Hon. Joseph La Barge should
make speech in the French language,
as there were quite number Of French
men present, Who did not understand the
English language. Mr.. La Barge request.
ed the privilege Of speaking to bis coun.
trymen in their own tongue, but the Con.
vention denied him the privilege, but al.
lowed him to proceed in English. After
making some pointed and pertinent re
marks in his peculiar style, deuounciug
political night organizations as dangerous
to our liberties, and claiming that poi,-
ical party bound By an oath, ana holding
their meetings in secre, a. night, was one
which every one should view with dis,rus,.
He then proceeded to address his country.
men in his own language; at this the
League men arose to their feet, aud great
disorder prevailed in their ranks; some
took up their hats aud were about to leave
the house others said they thought there
were enough presrn. to prevent him from
speaking, aud came forward as If to pat
the threat in execution. At this jancture
Mr.. La Barge asked the owner Of the
house, i" which he was speaking, if he
should proceed, and being granted that
privilege, he shortly closed his speech
without further interruption. Thus, Mr..
Editor, this League, claiming to be the
only true supporters Of our government,
have deliberately attempted to Suppress
the right OF free speech in our county-to
deny to men born on foreign soil the
privilege OF listening to one of their own
nation in public Convention held in the
house Of one Of their own people. Has i,
come to this in . tree land, under the best
government ever formed on Garth, that
Frenchman is denied the RICH, in public
Convention Of explaining to his country
men, in their own language, the points at
issue in a political contest, one in which
they have deep interest, but the nature
of which they do not understand? Is
this the gratitude we return to the descen.
dents of that nation, without whose aid i,
is doubtful whether we should have gained
our Independence Let Us remember
France, aud her glorious son, Lafayette
who led our fathers on to victory, aud
through whose timely assistance we gained
our freedom. Let US extend u hand of
welcome to those speaking tae French
language, bearing in grateful remem-
brance the aid OF France in our Revolu-
ton, aud let Us do all we can to aid all
foreigners in the selection Of good loca-
tons for farms, and try to do away by our
actions the feeling that exists in their
breasts, that the American born people
icok down upon those born On foreign
soil as their interiors. We trust that Cole
county will never again DE disgraced by
such an attempt to suppress the right Of
freedom of speech. JUSTICE.
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