New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1867-08-27
REPUBLICAN MEETING IN ST.
BERNARD PARISH.
ADDRESS OF JUDGE HIEsTAND.
Adoption o. Resolutions

A mass meeting of the citizens of st. Ber-
nard and Plaquemines parishes was held at
the courthouse of st. Bernard, at Terre-auX
Beufs, at II o'clock on Sunday. Consider
able preparation had been made by the lead
ing citizens of the two parishes to render
the meeting an occasion for the interchange
of views, and information for the people.
Judge Z. Hiestand, of New Orleans, had
been invited to go down and deliver an ad-
dress, to which he had promptly responded.
At the hour above named, about one thou
sand people had assembled at the court
house, comprising voters of both colors and
different shades of political sentiments.
The meeting was called to order by Mr.. F.
Morales, who nominated Judge P. H. Rous.
seau, of st. Bernard, for president, and Mr..
Warren Johnson for secretary, which nomi-
nations were unanimously approved. The
president, on taking the chair, made short
address, in which he stated the objects of
the meeting, and concluded by introducing
Judge Hiestand as the principal speaker for
the occasion.
The Judge then addressed the meeting in
a speech of some length and of great inter
est. He especially warned the Republicans
against those men who are striving to TO-
ment divisions in the party merely as a
means of gaining their own selfish ends.
Many of these men, although now claiming
to stand squarely on the Republican plat
form and to give a hearty support to the
plan of Reconstruction proposed by congress,
were recently quite active in the per
secution of Union men. They may be sin
Cere in their present convictions, but they
certainly have not been members of
the Republican party long enough to make
them discreet or safe advisers. The
true friend of our party is rather difiident
in urging his personal claims upon the
party, and those who wish either to rule or
ruin are not entitled to the appelation of
friends of any party. The judge also allu-
ded incidentally to an idea that had been
promulgated by the enemies of the colored
people that congress would confiscate the
property of rebels and give it to them. In
case congress should pass measure of con-
fiscation it would result in benefit to the
United States treasury, and not to that of
private individuals. The safest course for
all to pursue is one of industry and economy,
and these with the enlightenment to be de-
rived from education will make any people
happy and prosperous. This speech was
listened to with great attention, and seemed
At the close the following gentlemen were
appointed committee on resolutions;
Thomas 0ng and A. G. Thornton, of st.
Bernard, and S. w. Sawyer of Plaquemines.
The following resolutions were reported by
the committee, and unanimously adopted:
Resolced, That in the opinion of this
meeting convention of delegates of the
Radical Republican party of the parishes of
St. Bernard and Plaquemincs ought to be
held at an early day, for the purpose of
nominating two candidates for delegates to
the convention at the election to be held on
the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth of
September next; that the delegates of said
nominating convention should be chosen
by the different clubs of each parish or the
basis of one delegate for each fifty voters,
and one for each fraction over twenty-five
of the Republican voters in each of said
parish.
Resotued, That in our opinion, the longer
continuance in office of any person who is
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS cannot or will not take
the oath required by the reconstruction act
is inconsistent Herewith. and detrimental
to a proper reconstruction of the state,
and the longer continuance of any such
persons in office is an impediment which
ought to be at once removed