New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-02-23

the people-Who is to-day the theme 8
prelse on every loyal LIP, and who Is dis
tasteful only TO the friends OF the les
cause he destroyed, is our choice for presi
dent OF the United States, and we therefore
urge for that high Office the name Of Ulyssel
g. Grant. -il - = -
A platform and speakers' stand was
erected on Dryades street, in front Of the
Institute, from which speeches were made
BY hessrs. Solomon Moses, j. W. Menard,
Simon Jones, J, P. Newsham, Charles
Hughes, Sandy Parker. and others. We
publish Mr.. Newsham'a speech 10 full.
and shall endeavcr to make room for the
remainder Of the speeches at another time
SPEECH oFHoN. y. P. NEwsHAM.
Mr.. President and my fellow-citizens
Making no pretentions to oratorical ability
being only plain, unassuming gentleman
who loves his country and his friends, and
being advertised to address you tonight,
without any previous preparation, ! hope 5on
VIII overlook any dieconnection Of argument
which may arise during any thing which
may attempt to say. Ash0rt time ago, so
recently that the memory remains in every
mind, the Southern people in q fit Of mad
ness seeded from the general government
without publishing the cause thereof to the
world; and the first overt act of treason re.
verberated over the country as the guns at
Oharleston played hot shot into Fort Sum.
ter. Then men turned pale and mothers,
with aching hearts, pressed the youngest
born to ther agonized breasts. For the FIRST
time the flag of our country was dragEedin
the dust, as the smoking ruins of Sumter
fells Then old men and young. descendants
Of those who had fought at Bunker's Hill.
Lexington, Monmouth, and Brandywine,
and the Cowpens, and who had nailed yon-
der flag to the masthead of the old frieate
Constitution, upon their knees prayed God
to remove the stain from the escutcheon Of
the republic. Their prayers were answered,
and seyenty-hVe thousand men, all that
could constitutionally be called out,
marched to wipe out the stain.
When the South seeded she was in DOS
session Of all the arms, and money, and of
every national office; for one year or.more
her sons had been drilling. The first battle
of the war took place at Bull Run; the vic
tory was claimed on both sides; but neither
won the battle-the balance was even, for
there was nothing left in either Of the
scales. This battle shook up the dormant
elements of the North; war was declared,
and Abraham Lincoln was vested with un-
limited powers to conduct the war by the
congress- Of the United States. Five hnnd.
red thousand men, from every field, and
hill, and valley in the North, f1oeked to
Washington to offer their lives as bleeding
sacrifices upon the altar Of their country.
For eighteen months the nation acted upon
the defensive; and thrice Mr.. Lincoln offer
ed the South terms Of peace, and three
times 1t was indignantly refused and
TIC South was fortified from ocean to
ocean; and the smoke of steamers on the
lower Mississippi was a novelty. The
Southern people were driven into this
thing by their leaders, after they lthe peo-
! ple) had three times voted to remain in the
Union. 0Ree launched into this fearful
v0rtex Of secession, madness seemed to
| possess them. Argument WAS unaYailing,
and expostulation vein.
At this time the two grand armies of the
nation lay like an immense serpent, extend.
ing between the two seas, and parallel
to each other, waiting, adorned like the
Roman OK, with the garlands of sacrifice,
for the word onward, to march to their
eternal doom. The word, after prayers had
proved abortive, was finally given; and
they lashed each other like the waves of
an angry ocean. Slavery was abolished.
The fiat of fate hung over the Southern
| army; no army could accomplish good
against the will Of God. believe that the
shadows of Gods right hand rested like a
funeral pail upon the Southern army and
navy.
IOur long years VI WdI anu uA0Ou5HtQJ al4tL
every hill and valley in the South--evefy
sluggish bayou and river every mansion
house and little hamlet, and the very noun
| tains to their pine clad submits, and even
the great ocean itself-had been encarna-
dined as an ensanguined sea Of blood, whore
brother lighting against brother found a
| nameless sepulchre, the whole of the
Southern armies surrendered the hand Of
| good fellowship was extended to them; the
| past was not alluded to Union men were
| turned out of office and the returned CON
| federate was commissioned. The former
/ beautiful South might then have
| been made to blossom like the rose. But
here is where the mistake was made;
prosecutions, legal murders, abuse Of loyal
/ men,W white and black, was the doctrine prac-
i ticed. Patrols were established, arms IN
| the hands Of loyal men were seized, men
| were driven from home without pay, in the
midst Of winter. the courts refused Us a
fair trial. Glass legislation, negro appTsn=
ticeship laws took the place Of the black
/ code which had been abolished, and In l.oui.
siana the reconstruction policy of Andrew
l johnson finally eliminated in the whole
sale murder of the members Of the cohFen.
tion on the seth July, 1866. Itthen became
necessary for the congress Of the United
States to pass some act occurring to the loyal
people of the South their conatitutiou
! guarantees, which they did BY their act o.
] ia March, 1867. entitled the military recon.
gtructlon policy OF congress, wherein they
declared that no adequate protection of life
liberty, or property exists, etc. The consti
| tutional convention now In session In thiE
city, and which will adjourn in g day o.
two, is the creature Of this bill, and under
its provisions and in accordance with itI
meaning they viii submit to you for YOU
votes at the coming election the new consti
tuition, which, ! assure you, is the proudes
monument ever erected 10 maintain the lib
| critics Of all men. Its colossal proportion
have arisen slowly. We had to consider thl
past, present, and future, and have hat
every opposition 10 combat in making it
That it Is the noblest charter Of libertie
which ever eRanated from any Legislative
body, or which was ever submitted 70 aaI
people for their ratification, you have. mi
felI6w.citizens. tolfeel proud Of the blacI
and tan convention. Let our political enc
mics hprl their laundering anathemas upon
it and the constitution; you can congratn-
late yourselves that the convention has
been the means Of sitting your friends rom
your enemies. for each man has made ms
record there.
This new constitution viii take US back
into the Union If we 1Atiiy Il, and the hghe1
/ Of recoustructing Louisiana as n shon ~
will then belongto cur party Ase,aeta ~
the approaching election u g0HssS gss 49As 2.
trial. BY your own yolas y tA ~. 4;
stran,,sh seS fkat the house divided 81
7, stssle ,a1 not stand. Let no man eel hi
> isj,sFts fi7I aold If any heIo e So baS1 lei
. ~ - 6iua. Your rights and libezIs7 fret
oohools, and education depend upon youi
solid mont at the next election. Y our future
homes, and the homes of your children and
Of millions yet unhoFn depend upon i
~. ~ - Il. :, 49, -