New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-04-12
SPEECH
Of Colonel Hugh j. Campbell at
the Great Mass Meeting at
Congo Square on Friday
Evening, April 8, 1868.

time or place for an elaborate speech
or argument. Neither am prepared,
through the unexpectedness of your
aattering call upon me, to respond in
fitting terms to the distinguished
honor you have thus conferred upon
me.
As plain, practical man, however,
in response to the call from this vast
assemblage, l viii present to you in a
plain way a few practical suggestions.
The distinguished speakers who
have preceded me, General j. II. Sy-
pher, your illustrious candidate for
Congress, who is carrying his district
by storm, Hon. T. w. Conway. whose
eloquent and foroible appeals have
been of such signal service in arous-
ing our people, and the war-horse of
our parish canvass, Colonel Charles
Fox, have completely exhausted the
argument and left little to be said.
The presence of this vast multitude,
which completely fills every nook and
corner of this immense square, your
enthusiasm, your banners and notices,
show that your minds are all awake to
the transcendent Importance, the over
shadowing magnitude the far-reach-
ing consequences of victory or defeat
to all your interests and those of your
children's children in the coming cleo
ton.
We feel joyful tonight over this
grand demonstration of the union and
zeal of all true Republicans in this
city. My friends, a greater trust is
reposed in you than has ever yet been
confded to any people.
The great free party of the North,
who have steadfastly held up your
cause for eight years of bitter con-
test against formidable rebellion,
against a bitter opposition at home,
and lastly against all the power and
patronage of the president, has at
length succeeded in bringing to a
practical test the grand and sublime
plan of reconstruction by the Con-
gress. 1t consists simply in this in
giving to the whole people of the rebel
states, white and black, the right TO
reconstruct the government of these
states, and to make secure forever the
rights and liberties of all the people,
without regard to race, color, or pre-
vious condition. Congress now puts
the question in your hands, and the
civilized world looks on with bated
breath to see whether you are capable
of exercising properly the new rights
now offered to you. The enemies of
equal rights have proclaimed it all
over the world that you are not. They
say you are unfit to be freemen; that
it is unchristian and barbarous to put
the ballot in your hands. Your aetio n
is now to give the lie to these
charges or to prove them true. If
with a majority of eighty thousand in
this state, you suffer yourselves to be
divided, give the state government
into the hands of the rebels, and fail
to secure the ratincation and accept
ance Of your constitution, will it not
go far to prove that what your enemies
say is true ,
What will you say then of the Re-
publican, of the colored man, who at
this grave juncture tries to divide youl
who forgets the danger to his own
people, who forgets the high trust re-
posed in him by the great free party
of the North, and think only of per-
sOnal ambition and spells of office
| My friends, mark what say, every
vote given against the regular ticket
Of the Republican party is a vote
against the constitution. win show
you why:
Division in our ranks on the head Of
the ticket begets hard feeling and dis
sensions which extend clear down to
the lowest Office on the ticket. Sup
pose by means Of these discussions the
rebels elect their legislative ticket
That is their game. If they obtain q
sufficient number in the general assem-
bly,, to prevent by delay or mistakes,
or in any Of thousand ways, the rat
ification of the proposed amendment
to the constitution Of the United
States, or the performance d
any other of the conditions
prescribed by Congress for readmis-
sion, the acceptance Of your constitu-
ton is postponed perhaps till after the
next general elections, your majority
in Congress is gone, and with It all thu
| precious rights now almost within you
grasp.
Our only safety is in union. 0ul
greatest enemies are those who woult
encourage any division among our
selves. Let us fight this battle out OF
this line, the lime chosen by our repre-
sentatives in convention.
i Let us win this victory. After that
when our liberties are secure, oui
rights guaranteed, our beautiful stat
again invested with the purple and thl
diadem Of sovereignty, and her desti
mics in the hands Of her own people
that people being the whole people, 0
whateveF class, race or condition VIII
dwell within her borders, we can tar
Ito n1inor questions, and divide upoI
ether issues. TIL then let our watch
word be Che constitation and the rsgu
Ter tiekmt; the election Of the one
nseessary to the satisfy Of the other.
III -------s---ls-.l' s-sa--s---------s=-
II sEyERE On THE CoFPEaan1Ds.- Th
|, Natchltoehea Spectator aayss
Il We are surprised 70 zee she names Of
lev rather prominsnt citizens Of Rev O.
leans affixed to 3 oard Il the papers, Il
qHesting Mr.. Aallaly. Of he MaT0poliia
Record qad Aes York. Riadtoalor. 10 a
.liveE an address on the g State 81 The CouH
ify.H He needed no snFItaHon, hut can
Eonth-i like his prototypes d he La Gross
. \ Il "a \. a Is s,,sf.iae ~, ii