New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-05-14
AMONG HIS CONSTITUENTS
MR. McVEAN VISITS CADDO
A VERY INH0SPITABLE RECEPTION
aILITARY Es CORT FOR PROTECTION
WHAT DOES 1T MEAN .

constituents after protracted absence from
home, but the demonstrations that were
recently made by the good people of
Shreveport toward Representative McVean,
upon his return, after a long absence, to
| that biissrul abode, were of more sensa.
tionai order than is usual even uDon these
usually propitious occasions.
| This gentleman. who has represented
| Caddo in the lower branch Of the Legisa-
ture for the last two years, no doubt felt it
duty to make at least .,ying visit to his
constituents and explain to them the reason
| of his long absence; and having apol0gized
| for his neglect in this respect, it was, no
| doubt, his intention to convince them that,
| though absent, he had rot been unminGful
Of their interest; that, as their representa-
| tive, he had caused some things to be done
in the Legislature that were calculated to
! specially benefit Shreveport.
| It is true he went North last summer,
| after the adjournment of the Legislature,
| without visiting Shreveport, but ne went
| on important busiuess-business that could
not well be deferred or be performed by any
other person. He went to get married, and
accomplished that feat without in any man
ner neglec,ing his duties as member of
the Legislature from Caddo. He was
| promptly on hand when the Legislature
| convened last winter, and was ready to
assume higher responsibilities for the honor
and welfare of his constituents, when it was
discovered his colleague from Caddo, Hon.
| C. W. Lowell, had determined to resign
the Speakership of the House.
Representative McVean undoubtedly felt
| that the honor of the speakership should
not depart from Caddo, and therefore deter.
mined to battle for it, and made the best
fight possible under the circumstances to
secure a continuation of the honors to the
banner parish OF Repubicanism in this
State. He did not succeed, it is true, but
his effort to sustain the honor and glory of
his constituency and parish was none the
less praiseworthy, and this should have had
something to do with the manner Of recep.
ton that was in store for him upon his re.
turn to Caddo, which did not take place un.
til recently.
After the adjournment ofthe extra session,
Representative McFean lost no time in re
pairing to the base of his representative
character. He knew that the people Of his
parish were endowed with warlike natures,
that some of them still continued to dislike
Yankees, and would occasionally "cuss"
one; but he was not prepared to find many
OF them unreconstructed and still beliger-
10 {
dies had been applied with good effect, and
that the State, being represented in Con-
gress, was reconstructed on the basis of
peace and good will among men, and there
fore it wCud be perfectly safe for him 10
return to the bosom of his constituency, al
though he had been absent some time.
He knew that many of them were colored
men, but this did not make him lose conf.
dence. He felt that the ratification of the
fifteenth amendment had settled the status
of the colored man all over the broad
domain of this country-in Louisiana as
well as New YorB--in every State alike, en-
braced within the circle of the American
Union.
Thus fortified he ventured to pay his
respects to the voters of Caddo, never
doubling or suspec,ing that the demonstra-
tions that were in store for him could be
anything but peaceable and pleasant; never
doubling but that he could go in or out of
Shreveport without exciting the wrath Of
any OF its freedom-loving people. But in
this he was wotuliy mistaken.
The story OF reconstruction in Shreveport
proved a myth to the honorable member
who was seeking an interview with his con-
stituents. The demonstrations that greeted
him were not of a friendly kind, and had it
not been for the United States troops that
are still stationed in the town it is pretty
certain that Representative McVean would
have been spirited away to THAT bourne
whence no traveller returns" Under an
escort Of troops he luckily succeeded in get
ting on board of steam boat that brought
him safely back TO this city.
What does 1t mean-such conduct IS this?
If the people of Shreveport are re-
constructed is not this conduct very
strange? Ii reconstructed it is shout tim
they are willing to respect The laws and the
rights Of others. They can dislike and Ike
whom they please, but this should not en-
power them to debar others from doing the
same; and it is not right that one portion
should presume to speak and act for another
portion, not leaving them free to act for
themselves. This is not American freedom,
and until that can be enjoyed in Shreveport
the people are not properly reconstructed.
THE OFFAL ORDINANCE ENFORCED. .-Delia-
9Lent Contractor Fined.-We have had sew.
eral reports of the delinquency Of contrac.
tors for the removal of offal, which seem to
have culmin ated in a salutary warning from
the Administrator of improvements, as the
following official communication declares:
DEPARTMENT OF IMPROVEMENTS, !
City of New 0. leans, May l3, 1870.
sIR-Complaint having been made to this
department of your neglect on the twelfth
instant to remove Gfftl, etc, from the house
of il. Haller, corner First and st. Thomas
streets, of L. Raynor, 4S7 AnDuucistiOn
st eet, and OF F. Spranley. 4874 Annuncia-
tion street, and that the offai ire m he house
of Mr.. VIM. Boyle, on Fourth street, between
Camp and Chestnut, has rot been removed
Tor the past two Gays, you are hereby in.
formed that under the specifications of your
contract a fine of fifty dollars has been i'm.
posed, the same to he deducted from your
for the month of May.
Fines will be imposed In AL similar cases
of neglect, uutil the specifications OF your
and all existing ordinances are
fully complied with by you.
Very respectfully,
j. R. WEST,
Administrator.
20 Mr.. William Henry, contractor, Tenth
and Eleventh Wards.
The Chcsgo Tribune must be little |
envious of New Orleans, for that respectable !
Journal says:
New Orleans will hereafter be the Mecca
Of all Pilgrim priZe-6ghttrs. Her police !
and the strictest regard for the saDctity Of |
lo LIZ I af hrn