The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-24

were free to exercise their Just constitutional
rights, that not q single electoral vote would any
of them cast for the Radical candidate. Yet, in
the face Of this well known fact, the only hope
for the election Of the candidate Of this party s
on the votes of these same Southern States This
is called an election. which means free choice
for an election without freedom Of choice
is simply 0 farce. To what q sad condition
are we reduced, and without dwelling on this sub.
ject, which to the thinking mind Is so pregnant
with thought, will ask what can we hope for the
future Of country where so fragrant an outrage
can be perpetrated! Can free institutions be
maintained where this 10 allowed to exist Can
it be possible that this people, yet 30 young in
years, will voluntarily take the pllnge into the
abyss of despotsm, Has history no warning
voice for us! Every page is filed with the sad
and melancholy lesson of the fatal termination
of al previous free governments. Are we ready
to admit that man is not capable OF preserving his
own freedom? Shall the warning voice of de-
parted Gfeecian freedom, of Roman freedom, Of
the freedom Of the later republics, be lost upon
that the signs of the times indicate to me the
same fate for rs which befel them.
There is a moral Of all human tales,
,Iis the same rehearsal CT he pa Z:
ss @ cslno 5nsa sVs rnsa ias' -
And hbtory in all iss voiuninous past
Hath but one page"
Kingdoms, empires and nations have been sub.
jugated before, and the foot of the mailed warrior
has trsmpled upon them without mercy. But in
our case we subjugate ourselves. Despotsm is
NJ new thing in the world and ages gone by.
Despotsm and despots appeared TO be the nor
nal product Of eyes. But in those times
Pagan as well as Christian despotism, was re-
deemed by an Elevated personal ambition. by an
inordinate love o. glory il may be that the me-
teor of conquest sllured them too far. but the
ges of their story were filed with their ia ne.
Such is not the character Of the present system Of
despoti m; tits not even redeemed by high pc Al
ambitiC u; il has neither courage nor manhood.
IL Isl system Of fraud and deception, character
lied by the audacy Of one lost to all sense Of virtue
as well as of shame. Had Congress whea arrogat-
ing 20 itself all power TO deal with you a
corqutrsd people, sent to you prO-cons al, as
Rome was wont 10 do when governing its dis
tsnt provinces, and inves ted him with un'im.
tied power, the act would have been redeemed by
its manly bOldness, and under such ruler you
might have found domestic and social protection,
and enjoyed a certain degree Of happiness aud
your material prosperity might have been much
promoted. But the system of oppression which
has been adopted towards the Southern States
lie without parallel in the history of the world,
and is destructive of all social and domestic hap
piness, as well as all material prosperity. IL is
intended to crush the manhood Of the people by
placing the intelligence, the education aud
the manhood of itheir own race under the
power Of an inferior race, devoid Of all the
qualities, the virtue and intelligence necessa.
~ TO the exercise OF civil rule. To this race
thus inferior, uneducated and but half civilized,
anu TeCeUly IN tu6 COuuluOu Oh SlaNeIl-lS dll
political power given. And, while you are thus
shackled, the party which forces this state of
things on you has the audacity TO claim that if
their candidate for the high Office Of president of
the United States is elected, it will be by your
section of the country. When these terrible
truths ale written down so that we can ponder
over them, it appears to be impossible that the
intelligence of the North or will submit to IL
IL does seem as if the great tribunal of public
opinion in the entire country, and the world over,
uffh
anathema, anathems.
But, my friends, on an occasion like the present
il may be in bad taste to indulge too far on this
theme. IL Is TO you tale often heard before, aud
from lips much more eloquent than mine. | have
only this to say before | conclude. Now suppose
that the people of the Northern States, by clear
and fair mai GRITTY, given in accordance with the
law of the land and the federal Constitution elect
Seymour and Blair president and vice.president
of this country, yet by counting the votes of the
Southern States, given by the negroes. while the
white race Il in great measure excluded, the
election of the Radical candidate is accomplished
what will the people nay the whole American
people-do? II is tremendous question, but it
His mercy to you and 20 Us all, grant that it
may not be presented! | am not for war, for
IL is scourge with which God now and then
chsstses nations. II is calamity so great that
language is inadequate to speak Of it. But. on
the other hand, when we think of this great
Union of Amtrcsn states, with its boundless flu
ture career OF prosperity, Of greatness aud glory
which is before it, and of the great principles Of
human liberty which have had their birth in the
system and can only exist by its maintenance the
temptation. Nothing approaching it has hereto
fore ever been presented TO the human mind. Il
is a question affecting millions now aud millions
to be born hereafter. leave this question to be
decided by you and the entire American people
of this country. To the judgment of that high
tribunal / will submit, whatever it may be.
On this banner you behold the features of our
candidate for the vice-presidency, Gen. f. z.
Blair. citizen of my city. Your company has
taken his name as symbolizing the object of its
rganization-courage, manhood, devotion to the
whole country, and stern honesty man of
whom very distinguished gentleman lately
sad that in the army he wore two uniforms, one
military and the other the uniform of gentleman.
This is not the occasion to speak at any great
length of the personal traits of Gen. Blair. II is
sufficient TO say that while he was a true aud
valiant soldier in the late war, fighting for the
preservation of the Union, as soon as the war
was over he, in manly aud bold manner. broke
the shackles Of party and threw his great in1u
ence on the side of the restoration of a union of
all the States, as equal members of the confed-
eracy.
And to you, ladies', mothers and sisters, maids
and matrOns, what can / say? Who has not read
of your suferings, of your devotion, of your mis-
fortunes, and also of that high courage in aiver-
sty which God, in His divine mercy has given
10 your sex, when that of stern man quails My
admiration for you has no limits. but my theme
to-day is too serious to indulge in anything like
defamation or wordy oratory. Your hearts are
with Us, and our destiny, be 1t gloomy or bril-
liant that of freemen slaves, will be yours and
on you will devolve the high mission of cheering
us If we are unfortunate, and Of making our joy
more sweet II we again are blessed vito the free
dom bequeathed to US by Washington and his
immortal associates.
The company then left the dining room, and the
remainder of the night until the "wee short
hours" was spent in happy converse and other
pleasant amusements.
A more delightful evening it has never been our
fortune to pass.