New Orleans Republican., 1868-12-12
bllsf-refsrsnce 70 ibis oft-pdblisbsd in

Dfiet reference TO this ott-pubitshed In
sinuation.
We are not going to make the defense
Of the man accused of assaulting another
withsa hickory stick who declared that The
charge was false, the stick was not of thai
kind of wood at all. But if the Times per
lsists Id Its threadbare story of the presen.
tation OF flag at Captain strong's coffee
house on st Charles street, we can prove
andlibl 4 And If the 1Imesis not more cor
rect in its other statements than in this, we
will use npon it the law maxim /" FhlSuS IL
unu,n fdlsuS in omnibus" We are not 60
ing torecant or repudiate anything We may
ormay othaye said, or may or may not be
reputed to have said in compliment OF the
lamented and gallant Captain Strong
or his men, or the fair and beau.
ful ladies who presented him with
Q banner. Everybody knows the modesty
Of our early oratorical efforts, how we de.
clined speaking, how we were called again
and again, notwithstanding our declension
and efforts to retire how at last, but not
voluntarily" /" we made ha a few remarks. ,,
We may have grown eloquent; the occa-
sion was inspiring, Captain Strong and bis
men we're fine looking and brave, and the
bright eyes of the gentler sex lent charm
to the occasion. Would even the lank old
sober sides Of the Times have failed to De
eloquent in compliment to the scene be-
fore us? Wedo not take back or reeant or
repent the tribute of admiration we in
voluntarily paid to the young men and
women before us. Even Mark F. Bigney
the author of "Keep Step to the Music of
the Union," fell victim to the seductive
appearance Of a colored regiment
on Common street, and delivered them
Confederate battle flag with "a
few remarks" Will he with the same in
genuity with which be has improvised a
speech for u.s. give us version of bis own
eloquence on that occasion? We shall re-
vert to this and others of his performances
again, but before we take leave of him for
the present tplead the ardor with which
colored regiment inspired him in our own
defense being more youthful and suscepti-
BILE than he. But the fact that at the time
alluded to, Captain Strong's company did
not propose to go to the war lat all, al
ihough it subsequently did, and the fact
hat neither on that occasion or .any other
lid we ever speak or write line in favor
'f secession or the cause of the rebellion,
We are proud to assert; although we do
Tot hypocritically animadvert against any
Who conscientiously did, just because they
iifer with us in political opinion. 1t Is
'nly those who set themselves up as cen
ors Of Others who deserve exposure; even
hose who signed the ordinance Of seces-
ion, like Alexander Walker, the senior |
ditor Of the Times, may keep the gold pens
iven them by the Convention of 1861 for
Ife and be ever so proud of them without
word of objection on our part.
The military enthusiasm of those times
vas contagious and very difficult to resist.
wen Rozier, Durant, Roselius, Randall |
iunt and other undoubted Union men, fell |
1clims to the military mania, and our
umhle self is accused as aforesaid of
eing tinged with it. But Fellows was
cold-blooded and calculating party, who
ept away from guhpowder and danger,
ut sought political distinction under the
onfederacy by registering himself as a
Ontederate elector, and indulglng in mid.
ght harangues to Masons, who, as an
rder should have nothing to do with a
'liticalwar. Far away from the influences
the ladies, in a place where neither the
dies nor soldiers can ever come, where
ere was no gunpowder, no danger, no
Illtary inspiration, no excuse or pressure
aking it involuntary" he spread the
neful influence of secession.
The Times can go on with the Captain
rong matter, and we will brush up our
collections concerning him. Just now it 6
mes to our mind that we were requested, :
I declined upon some excuse, addressing 1
. Bigneys colored regiment on the occa,
u alluded to. The idea of seriously ad- \
sssing a colored regiment in favor of :
hting for the CoDfederacy was a little :
comical for us, even In those times.