New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-12
MEETING OF THE MASSES
Mechanics Institute Too Small
EXPRESSIONS OF INDIGsATIoN
SPEECHES AND RESOLUTIONS

! was given that mass meeting would be
held in Mechanics Institute, the hall
proved altogether too small to hold a
moiety of those who wished to attend, and
| every citizen who was there took deep in
terest in the proceedings. Each man dis
played an anxiety which indicated that he
| felt his rights as an American citizen had
been trampled on, and he was present to
give expression to his outraged feelings
After few enlivening tunes from Jaeger's
band, the Hon. P. B. S. Pinchback called the
meeting to order, and nominated the Hon.
J. r. West, as chairman, unanimously
elected; b. P. Blanchard was elected secre-
tary, and William Baker was elected assist
ant secretary. The following gentlemen
were elected as vice presidents:
Hon. p. B. S. Pinehback, Thomas H.
holland, E. Butler, H. Mahoney, A. B. Harris
George Y. Kelso, w. t. Oliver, o. F. Hun
saker, Oscar Crozier, John II. Bowen II.
j. Campbell, George Washington, A. j.
johnson, w. G. Mcconnell, William H.
Green. William Murrell, A. w. Faulkner,
A. elevation, Judge Thomas Reber, John
g. Cars tkamp, James W. Quinn, Schuyler
Marvin, W. b. Barrett, n. Underwood, T.
d. L. :
tin; Allen Bibb, j. Il. Howard, j. ID. OiCOn-
nell, Raford Blunt, j. w. Fairfax, H. Raby,
j. Wesley Mayfield, William Crawford, c.
B. Augustus, w. Jasper Blackburn, David
Young, John X. Gallup, Thomas Isabelle,
Francis E. Dumas, Thomas Murray, De
Witt C. Brown, p. Leonard, James Lewis,
H. L. Swords, Charles Hughes, Captain
Charles Lochbrunner, A. N. Cramer, James
Graham, Charles A. Myers, w. l.. McMil-
Low T,l,, ah NJ A 7
Souer, John C. Weaver, Benjamin Buch-
anan, w. w Freeman, w. C. Kinsella,
David Douglas, DR.. James VENT, George
w. Reagan, j. A. H. Dellion, Moses Ander-
son, G.. 2. AmesS j. K. Stewart, E. V. Lee
clere, L. c. Courcelle, j. Oplatek, F. c.
Remick, c. V. Thibaut, Moses Sterrett, W.
Z. Fish, E. P. Dueloslange, Madison Brown,
F. P. Benedict, A. E. Billings, Seymour Al
corn. g. P. Houghton, H. c. Dibble, ID. Nc
Mickle, C. +. Acorn, P. E. Bechtel,
George E. Paris, O. NJ. Redon, William
H. Green, Thomas Lynne, a. j. Brette,
A. Flourey, r. st. Amant, j. p. Murphy,
Robert Malcolm, r. C. Howard, w. l..
Catlin, A. Belot, o. Rey, E. Davis, Judge
w. E. Horne, A. Fuller, NJ. II. Twitchell,
A. Dubuelet, Thomas w. Conway, A. j.
Sypher, James Longstreet, Henry Street,
C. Barbe, J. A. Masicot, j. B. Gaudet.
j. w. Hillman, Thomas ID. Worrall, f. c.
johnson, J. c. Oliver, Robert Morris, C.
H. Remick, George II. Guptil, V. Lange,
p. Creagh, A. w. Smythe, A. Shaw, II.
Bonzano, Charles Baumbach, Conrad
Shredder, L. T. Delassize, John K. Clay, A.
H. Macarthur, Victor Gerodias, Patrick
Griffin, David Powers, Charles E. INGALLS,,
E. HI. Masters, George w. Coembs, DR.. ).
L. Henry.
Mr.. West, on assuming the Office as
signed him, made few remarks suitable to
the occasion.
He announced j. Sella Martin as the first
speaker, when that gentleman delivered
telling speech, one that came from a citizen
who knew that an unwarranted power had
been brought into requisition to Overpower
him and his peers. He spoke directly to
the feelings of colored voters, and they re-
warded him with approving and hearty
cheers.
president; he said:
We come before you on an appeal. We
come here tonight in response TO an indig-
nant feeling; feeling that has been flashed
over the telegraph wires from one end OF
the country to the other, and the indigna-
ton is responded to in every section of our
country 1t was the presence OF soldiery
that first kindled the fire of patriotism that
led to the revolutionary war. This question
will be discussed until the perpetrators of
the outrage on the people of Louisiana shall
be settled, and the persons responsible must
render an account. If General Grant au-
thorized the presence of soldiers III the Gus
toInhouse, then he must answer; if he
denies, then the men who did do it
must withdraw from public life; retire from
their offices. | understand that one of the
managers of the CustomhOuse convention
has asserted that he alone is responsible for
the presence of troops. Democrats as well
Republicans have right to demand an ex-
PLANTATION; the American people must under
stand who are the authors. This is the first
time in our history that military power was
called on to rule over a simple political
meeting The right of the people to assem-
BILE in public meeting, and deliberate on
political and all other matters. without
molestation from authority of any kind, is
expressly guaranteed in the great charter
OF our liberties-the constitution-as one of
the rights to be kept forever sacred; forever
above the touch of the arm of the military
or the civil power. They have been more
Jealous on this one point than on any other.
In no instance on record in American
history, since the revolution, lave troops
with bayonets been allowed to be present,
or even near d political meeting, in time OF
peace.
1t has been reserved for Louisiana, and
for Republican convention TO witness a
political convention surrounded by United
States bayonets, a delegate thereof inter-
rupted in his speech by a United States
officer in uniform, and a governor of a
State met in the halls of political conven-
ton with the flashing sword of the United
States army and ordered to keep silence.
That huge granite building, which, like
an unsightly wreck, distigures the head of
Canal street, and which is the property of
the United States, erected at the expense of
millions, paid from the pockets of the people
of the whole country, and devoted by law to
the collection of the customs and the trans
action of the business of the merchants and
importers of this great city, was, on the
ninth of August, closed, locked and barred
against all the business men who were
legitimately entitled to the use of the build
ing. Who gave Mr.. Packard or Mr. Casey
the authority to do this! We pause for an
answer from Washington. If they did this
without authority, then they are law
breakers in high places and must be pun
ished.
1t was devoted that day to political
meeting. Who gave Mr.. Packard and Mr..
Casey authority to do this 1t swarmed,
behind its locks and bars, with armed
deputy United States marshals.
Who gave Mr.. Packard the authority to
do this ! Two companies of United States
troops guarded the doors of the United
States courtroom in which the convention
was convoked, and assumed to command
who should enter and who should not
enter: who should speak, and who should
keep silence. Who authorized this outrage!
IT is the business of the commander-iu-