New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1867-05-17
oFFICE---Eo. ST ST. CHARLES STREET.

ten states lately jn rebellion; and as hear
tie sad stories, as witness what do, fee.
that no man with a generous heart in his
bosom can desire any more punishment lor
this portion of our country. (ApplNT-o.)
Yes. the war has taken away from these
states at least twotAiris of their pro-
perty. II has borne heavily upon your
families. ] was told by the Governor Of
Alabama, a day or two ago, that that State
pat 1856 00o men into the Confederate army
that ~, 600 Of them are in their graves that
10000 more were manned and wounded
that there were 10, 900 soldiers widows and
orphans in the State and that the CHARITY
Of the government, aye, and the charity Of
! the men OF the country, was invoked to aid
these suffering widows and children. | do
not want your blood, your liberties, your
| lands, nor anything that is yours. Gap.
plaUse) want only tAis-that yOd shall
turn your backs upon the lost past, which
| you cannot recall, let it go forever, turn
| your faces TO the future, and unite with
us in lifting up your States, developing their
! resources, healing the wounds OF war, and
making your fields bloom again. (Applause)
| And what / express as my own feeling, as
| tho convictions of my judgment, the senti-
ments of my heart, and the dictates OF my
| conscience, believe to be the sentiments
| and feelings of the people of Massachusetts,
and of the loyal States.
! The Congress of the United States has laid
| down for your acceptance or rejection the
! terms and conditions of final adjustment.
| Some Of you tell me that they are dishonor-
| able. Let me tell you, gentlemen, they dis
| honor you not they were not intended to
| disAonOr you and they cannot Gishonor
/ YOU. You threw aside the Constitution OF
| your country: you did not appeal to that.
| but to the sword and the sword settled the
controversy ;and the governmental the coun.
! try which in its generosity has tried no man,
/ convicted no man, taken the life of nc man
! for raising his hand against the country,
/ has simply laid down the terms and con
| ditiou5 of settlement, for your good, our
| good and for the good Of the whole
to register your names 1t is a
trihiug thing to do, and hope every
man will do it, white and black. (Applause).
| What want to see is the real sentiment and
opinion Of the people of your state. want
to know whether you are in reality for set
tling these difficulties between us, or keeping
them open; whether you are In favor Of
| going back into congress, and taking you
part in the government of the country.
| whether you are in favor OF maintaining a
position Of isolation, standing by yourselves
| with folded arms, mourning over cause
lest forever, and eating your hearts away
in aimless grief (Applause.) When YOU
have registered, we have provided that you
elect convention TO conform your state
ustitution to the constitution OF the Uni
ted States. and the law of Congress
Congress in order that the people should
settle this themselves, put the ballot into
the hands OF the black man of the South
and put the ballot into his hands to enable
him to do what Congress cannot dO-Change
the constitution of Louisiana, so that the
black men of Louisiana, in regard to HE
liberty property, rights, privileges, every
! thing, shall stand in law the equals and the
peers OF the white men Of Louisiana. CAP
7 -. v-4.F,4S Srzra ! "a,
modify your constitution according TO the
law Of Congress, if you adopt the con
stitutional amendment, if you elect sena
tors and representatives to Congress who
can take what We call the iron
; clad oath"-the oath of loyalty TO the gov
ernment OF the country-Congress has sale
land believe Congress means Just what !
says) that you shall be entitled to represent
alton, and that your senators and represent
: atiyes shall be admitted. (Applause.)
7 trust all men who love their country
I the great united republic of the Uuite'
5 States-all who are for equal, universal an
impartial liberty; all who are for justice
c humanity, education, development in
: rroyement. progress-L trust all such me
+ will register their names, elect
: convention 10 modify the constituto
0 ! of Louisiana, elect governor, l.
t gislature, and members of Congress:
J ! adopt the constitutional amendment, au'
I
q | with her sister States; so that the water
,. of the mighty Mississippi, as they hoa
I'll on fromitheir sources away up in the Rock
c Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico, may b
d represented in the Congress of the Unite
y States. Sitting here on the banks {
this mighty river, with the teemlng MI
o lions OF the northwest behind yol
II your city must ever be great con
y mercial city of our country. 1t become
d then, the merchants of New Orleans, abov
d all other men, in this trial hour of ii
d country, to step forth with practical vi
IF dom, "lct the dead past bury its dead
h "act in the living present, and put Ne
Ii Orleans in harmony with Philadelphia, Ne
S York, Chicago, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Bo
Is ton-all the great commercial centres OF II
l. Union. (Cheers)
y The merchants of New Orleans, who hay
r a deeper interest in the settlement of tn
n question than perhaps any equal numb,
II of men in any portion of the country, shou
J. seize the present occasion, consult with eaC
d other and give their influence, and all the
e. have and all they hope to have of intluenc
ie to bring about a final settlement of all OF
N difficulties and the complete restoration
It Louisiana to her practical relations Wi
lc the government of the country. (Applause
c. Millions of acres of your great State a
e overlooked this very night by the waters
in the Mississippi. You know and | kno'
Y, that the States bordering on Ii
10 mighty river, below Memphis, have II
II. the means to rescue these oyerilOw(
lie lands. You cannot expect the governme
b. of the United States, while you occul
of pour present position, to take any lot
st part in preserving your lands from the ra
Sc ages OF this mighty river.
le There is another class of men who,
O. trust, will wake up now, ard see it TO be
IN their interest to take part in restoring L0'
nc slana to the Union. | mean the white N
| chanics and working men of the Stat
r. (Applause.) ! say to the working, toill
as men OF this State aud of this great city, slaN
ry ry has been, in all your history, great
er enemy TO you than even to the black mi
ne himself. CHEERS Slavery dishonored labo
re caused laboring men to be despised.
le has done il the wide world over, in ali cou
&c tries and in all ages. Write dishonoT upC
IS, the brow of labor and you degrade toilii
I'd men everywhere, Slavery made labor di
ey reputable, and these ten States with the
IS magnificent territory, their fertile, uud
IN yoloped lands, have sent hundreds Of tho
sands of their young men into the nigh
re West and into other States where labor
IN houored and respected. Slavery, outsi
g. of New Orleans, aud a few of the lar
IS, cities, pre- ven ted the establishment OF schoC
Y, | for the education of the children of q
ly people, and the poor white men OF Loui
d, ana are suffering to-day because tn
ct were not educated well in pu
We lie schools. Laboring men of LOU
OF ana-mechanics-you who must earn yo
ty bread by the sweat of faces, say TO you
he highland | pray you TO remember it
he | that slavery has ever been your mortal fo
ie your deadly enemy {Cheers) II is gon
er and you ought, daily, 'at the rising of I
sun and the going down of the same"
! - IL. ~ al Nl. Aav.