New Orleans Republican., 1868-11-16
SPEECH OF j NJ. G. PARKER.


The following remarks were made by
N. G. Parker, ESQ, President of the Pioneer
Grant Club Of this city on calling that body
to order on Friday evening last:
Members Of the Pioneer Grant Club and Fellow
The contest is over and we have met
together to congratulate each other upon
the glorious result to our country. ! have
no doubt that the election of General u S.
Grant and the Hon Schuyler Colfax 70 the
two highest Offices in the gift of the Ameri-
can people will bring to the country peace
and prosperity to that portion which has
suffered most severely from the calamities
/ Of a war inaugurated by men belonging
thereto. While the South has been made to
suffer for the acts Of men who led her into re-
! be-lOni other portions Of our country have
! continued to flourish, the people not having
felt the calamilies Of war in other sections
by having II brought 10 their own homes
and fresides. It is true, the North, East
ana West lost largely in men and wealth,
but then those sections of our country have
/ continued 70 grow and flourish while the
south has suffered devastation of property
as well as great loss Of life. Peace will re-
store her deSolated fields and farm houses
and encourage the people to again cultivate
the soil that wealth may flow therefrom.
The election through which we have iust
passed has 10 my mind settled many of the
I questions which for years have yeyed and
l
! question whether the principles fought for
! so co1rageously by the contending armies
on battle-delds, and finally resulted in the
overthrow OF the rebellion, would be sus-
tanned by the people at the ballot.box The
people have decided that what was won by
the bayonet and bullet through the bravery
OF our soldiers will be sustained by them at
the ballot-boy. I say that the verdict of the
nation, given by the representatives Of our
SoyeTnment IL every sphere of life, has de-
ont bvr4 h.
veNed at AppomattCx Court House in April.
la5j shall be sustained. Another and Yery
important question to my mind has been
settled by the election of General
Grant, Aud that is whether any one race
or class of citizens shall have the power or
the right TO ostracise another class or have
exclusive privileges over them. That right
is most emphatically denied by the American
people. 1t is anti-American and against the
spirit of our institutions for one class
OF people to band themselves
together as class to obtain privi-
leges and power that are not to be en-
ioyed BY all. Glass prejudice in Louisiana
has always been an obstacle to the general
prosperity of the State, and is of more con-
sequence to US as citizens interested in the
cultivation Of its fertile soil and the devel-
opment of its commercial advantages than
almost any other evil we have to contend
with. Let us in the future be more humane
ly disposed, and treat men according TO
their merits.
Let men of all nations and of whatever
color, who have become citizens of our
country, be tested by this standard, and
let them enjoy all of the rights that their
citizenship endoW them with, and depend
upon It much good will result therefrom.
Let us encourage immigration to our State
from all sections of this country and Eu-
rope. aud let our conduct be Just toward
those who settle among us that others NAV
be encouraged to DO the same. In this way
we will increase our population, enrich the
$ ate and add to the wealth of the nation
The proscriptive feeling OF the Knownoth-
ing party il years past was disgraceful to
our country, and so viii be the action OF
any party that attempts to rule on the basis
Of race or class. Our population is COM
posed Of almost every variety of the human
| family, and it should be our study to embue
them with a pride of their American citi-
zenship. and this can be done best by Sc
curing to them all of the rights and privi-
leges of true Republicanism.
Before introducing other speakers, l de-
sire to refer for moment to what has hap
| pened here in Louisiana. We have been
| beaten; and while | shall not take occasion
| to complain of the action of one party or
the inaction Of the other, l do claim that If
\ the same zeal had been manifested by our
leaders that was exercised by the leaders OF
| the Democracy, and the like amount of ju-
| dicious work been accomplished by you,
! the Republican party could have carried
| this State by q handsome majority for its
| standard bearers. Let US lock out in The
| future and see that whenever we have occa-
| sion to place persons in offices of trust or
| emolument we fnd those that are honest
| aud capable, and who will do their duty,
rather than fall into the wake Of some ring
of willy politicians.
The Pioneers, 'the first in the field and
the last out of it." l trust will continue to
harmonize as they have in the past, and
whenever theV are called together rallY
from their various vocations, determined to
battle for the principles of truth, justice
aud the maintenance Of the laws.
Permit me to return you my sincere
thanks for the courtesies you have inyaria-
bly, extended to me since the formation of
this club; and l desire, also, to extend my
thanks to the members of the Irish Repub-
lican Club, and to the Pioneer Grant
Club junior, all old members of this club.