The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-02-06
The Late Meeting.

a
high standing in our city and state' mel VI
men engaged in business, VINO I
had never mingled with politics, and VINO
were not in search of Office. These men
were drawn from their business and their
retirement by the threatening aspect Oh
affairs in the State. Our Legislature seems
to have forgotten that they are the guar
dams of the rights and property OF the Peo-
ple whom they are supposed to represent
that there are limits to the powers when
they are supposed to have been Delegated
to exercise, and that the rights ana the pro-
perty of the many should not be sacrlhceo
to the selfish interests of the few. Bills
have been introduced appropriating sums
amounting to millions to be drawn by TAX
alton from the pockets OF the poor anu haro-
working as well as the wealthy, to be loan
ed or given as bonus to capitalists anu
companies already known to be rich. Bills
are said to be before them chartering Varl-
ous companies and investing them with
snecial privileges that must necessarily in
terfere with the rights of the individual
citizen. Other bills, also, calculated to de-
prive the people of the State OF all poiiti-
cal rights have been passgd; or are IN the
nrocess of enactment. The feeling Great
by this state of things has become general,
wide spread and deep among our people,
and, on Monday night last, developed ltse'i
in the shape of large public meeting IL
| Lafaye cite Square. The meeting was avery
| LARGE one. and greater number of men
well known for their responsibility and
| IT, nj
at public meetings. Judging from the IAN
puace of the speakers, and from the occa-
sional ebullitions in the mass assembled,
a locker on would conclude that the former
deemed it more necessary to RESTRAIN anu
modify the feeling of the latter than TO ex-
cite it. Everything was carried ont IN que
order. Resolutions We're passed, ana a
committee appointed to present copy OF
them to each branch of the Legislature.
The resolutions condemn the comforting
upon private corporations exclusive prlvl-
leges, and granting them State ald TO
ruinous extent. They condemn also the
constabulary bill, the militia bill, the regis
tration bill, and the election bill. The
fifth. which may be said to contain the gist
of the whole proceedings we give here
Reso,rcd That while we earnestly desire to
maintain the credit and honor of the State, and
will cheertully submit to any taxation tnat ma y
be necessary to pay IN pr.ncp ,s e n" hnnestIv
, and fairly contracted yet there Is 4 point De,
yond which cannet-Hnd VIII not go ana
we give notice to the world that W. in.en.
to use all the means in our power TO prevent
the paymeut of the bonds or other oolSat'ohs
of the State which may hereafter I've fraudn-
lently corrnptly issued, or any oohu ,; Oh ou
= l,ny nf
biy necessary to the proper administration n'
the State Government, or to maintain me ii'iti
e and credit of the State i'll conformity WIN iaM
already enacted; that we INTEND TO MAKE VI
Il paramount question ut the next election 10
+ members of the Legislature, and Will vote 10
i. no man who will not pledge himself 70 insti
:, tute the most rigid scrutiny into all ines
u transactions and to refuse to vote ana lev.
: any tax or make any appropriation to pay on
dollar of the principal or interest OF any sue
" obi SatlonS.
, Wednesday last, the committee OF dele
> gates with the President, Mr.. Gabriel
e Ferret, at their head, presented themselve
e at the chamber of the Senate, and ate
~ some little demur were admitted to an au
~ dience, aud formally presented the prean
10 bic and resolutions adopted at the meetln,
aS They visited tho chamber of the RepreseI
tatives also, and went through the san
ceremony Vi WV 49,
III resolutions. They next visited the eXec'
d tive chamber, where the Governor mac
'e them a speech, and very frank, outspoke
~ extraordinary speech it was. If only ha
~ what the Governor said is true, and we Il
~ inclined to believe every word he SAID, al
x n great deal more that he did not say, in
p what an awful sink of iniquity our Sta
CT has fallen. We have never seen anythl
'e- in print equal to it, neither do we belle
ne that any other State has ever fallen so lt
Oh in the scale of infamy. Names are Civ
on and sums specified for which votes q
'lo bought and sold in our Legislature and
surroundings, and there seems to have be
In an entire absence of any sense of shan
icy and scarcely any attempt even OF conce
De- ment. The only excuse for the Legislat,
ne seems to be that, if the members are c.
me rupt, there are others outside just as b
mes We think some of the members of
'"' committee forgot the respect due to til
Jay own position asa committee delegated
Arc great meeting of the people, when IL
IVY entered into discussion with the Govern
ny They went there simply to perform
no' scri6ed duty, and should have been cont
an with doing that. But if there is any tr