New Orleans Republican., 1872-06-02
AND EXPLAINS THE SITUATION
He scuttles His Political Presidential
Ships.

upon the occasion of his election to the
presidency of the Fourth District Liberia,
Republican Club. 1t is too earnest and
emphatic to require introduction:
Fellow-citizens- thank you for the
honor you have conferred on me in select
ing me for president of this club. / shall
not be able to attend all of your meetings,
! but will be present as often as possible.
have taken the new departure fully con-
sciOus of the responsibility | have assumed
in doing so. / know thai l shall be, as
| have been heretofore, assailed as bOlter,
with the charge of being in league with the
| Democratic party, and of seeking to de-
| strOy the Republican organization. To all
such answer that have the right, as a
citizen, to detach myself from any party
| which / believe is not in the interest of pop
ular government and the rights of the peO-
| pie. / dOnit regard myself as bound by any
| political organization longer than it
| reflects my views, my principles
and my sympathies, and l will re-
main in none which assumes by force
longer than its principles coincide
| with my own, or its purposes are
| IN harmony with the objects l de-
sire TO attain. LApplause.l To be called
/ traitor has no terrOrs for me. l have not
| left the Grant Republican organization for
| any reasonable purpose. / have left it in
| the fullness, in the freshness of its pride
| and strength. When it is at its zenith,
| with four million of voters, with the Presi-
dent at its head; with sixty thousand office
| holders; with a hundred million in his
hands; with the army, which he can at any
moment employ to force States of this
Union into his support, while others he
will dragOon into his service by enforce
ment acts, election laws, and the power
70 aTaa f1,n afA ~ hahn
[Cheersl
left that party with all these powers, in
all of its strength and with all these votes,
and unite my voice with the weaker, in
order that we may cure the abuses that
have grown up in it, and which, from the
consciousness of its great power, has re-
fused to hear the voice of the people de-
manding its reformation. | sought as a
Republican, to correct the false workings
inside of its organization. / appealed, IN
the name of the people of my State, for
the redress of the grievances and oppres-
siOns which have been imposed upon us.
My appeals have been carried upon the
wings of the telegraph to every part of this
great country. The press, Republican and
Democratic, with singular uDanimity have
taken up our complaints, adding fresh force
and yigor to the demands, and have spoken
to the country as one man demanding these
AD4O4 LudIlOuhs v dll luCc6 ud5 UOCu IuIu6u
the scornful look of conscious power, and
adding insult to injury, has been refused
even an investigation into the causes of our
complain s. [Applausel
You, gentlemen of the convention, will
not forget, / am sure, the incidents which
led to the separation Of my friends from
the Republican organization in this State.
You will not forget that only one year ago,
less than one year ago, the representatives
Of the Republican party were con-
vened in the city of New Or
leans for the real purpose of indorsing
General Grant. There was no State ticket
to be nominated; there were no Con-
gressiOnal delegations to nominate; the or
ganizatiOn of the party was complete. There
were no new issues that needed discussion
or settlement, but it was called for the sole
purpose Of fOrestalling the opinions of the
people of this State by an Endorsement of
General Grant at a time before the people
had allowed themselves to discuss the
propriety of continuing him in Office for
another four years. or of selecting his sue
cessOr. This convention you will remember
was called to meet in the CustOmhOuse, a
place dedicated to the transaction of the
commercial exchange of the city of New
Orleans. You will remember that it was the
first instance in the history of this republic.
now nearly century old, where party |
convention had been assembled in a Gus |
tOmhouse or other federal building outside !
of and beyond the jurisdiction of the State
constitution and laws [Applause]
And why was the convention called to !
meet within the walls Of this CustomhOuse. |
You will remember that tie executive com
mittee of the Republican party had for its |
chairman the United States marshal, while |
the postmaster, the collector Of the port, |
two deputy collectors of the port, several !
inspectors OF customs, were members of the |
committee, and controlled it. This com |
mitUee, calling a convention for one pur-
pose, that of the Endorsement of General |
Grant, assumed the right of declaring
among the delegates elected or contesting |
for seats in the convention who were enti-
tied to seats and who were not. That's so. |
They determined that the object of their
convention should not be frustrated by hav.
ing delegates admitted to their convention
who might, perchance, raise the question
as to the PrOpriety at that time of
the administration of Presi-
dent Grant. [Applause You will not
forget, either, that the doors of that build
ing were locked and bOlted; that they were
guarded by $50 armed United States deputy
marshals, organized and sworn in by this
same United States marshal and chairman
Of the State Central Committee, for which
be had no authority of law whatever, and
that we were forced to apply at the money
!
and receive permission to enter that build
ing, in the shape of tickets signed by the
United States marshal, and delivered to us
by the Postmaster Of the city Of New Or
eans. Applause
And you will not forget the difficulty we
had to undergo In order to secure tickets,
and when they were secured the other
difficulties that we had to undergo in order
10 gain admittance to the outer walls of the
NIT hHi uTI1 bap |
hat when we marched up those broad stairs
alter we were passed through the outer door
md its guard of artificial deputy marshals,
We beheld drawn up in line of battle one
hundred United States infantry, there at
he request and by authority of the United
States marshal and chairman of the execu- |
i've committee you will not tforget that when |
We applied to this United States marshal
or admittance to the room of the cOnven-
ion where it was to be held, we were Der-
refused admittance until twelve |
,'clock the moment the convention was to |
assemble, while we knew that in the ad-
dining room to the hall those members IA
-Orable to General Grant were in session |
With open doors connecting them with the
all in which we were to meet. You will
that when we had submitted to
II these indignities, and when we saw that
temporary organization would be thrust
non us before we would be admitted to the |
all, we peaceably and quietly withdrew {
rom that building amid the sound OF the I
rumpet calling the soldiers to fall I
ltO line and prepare for battle.
Applausel. Gentlemen, members of that
onventiOn who witnessed that scene will J
ever forget the outburst of popular in dig
alton that was raised throughout this city, {
nd the evidences of enthusiastic eOndem !
alton and protest that were displayed on
lat occasion, when an indignant pOpulace I
ii M in triumnh tn Tnrnen Hall |