New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-19

/ notice in this morning g National Repu6-
Hcan a speech which is purported to be
mine. l will read it to you, and You can
form an idea what it is.
The National Republican says:
"We supply an omission to-day by pub
fishing the subjoined remarks made by MIR.
FOntelieu. on the evening of the fourth in
slant. at the session of the legal House of
Representatives over the Gem saloon:
''Mr Speaker have been treated very
badly by being arrested and brought here.
The reason why hadn't been up here first
was that was prevented from doing SO by
the same thing happening to me that was
done to me this evening by the Sergeant-at-
Arms of this House. l want every one here
to know that l am a Democrat. and there
isn't no use to arrest me for me to fulfill
my duties.
is the only one in the State OF Louisiana
that has gone Democratic, and l want to
say that in my parish only eighty Repub-
lican votes were cast in the last election,
and that is the reason why don't like to
be arrested and brought here. The reason
that | haven't been up here was that l was
kept at the House on Dryades street, and II
it hadn't been for that would have been
here with YOU. But. Mr.. Speaker. don't
like to be arrested. Everybody knows that
am with YOU, and if it hadn't been for
Governor Warmoth would have been here
long ago. l say again. and | want every
body here to know it, that am with you.
[Applause.]
Mr.. Speaker, the reason that voted Tor
that resolution was, that they had said that
| had been bribed, ard l want everybody
to know that nobody can buy me. l done
it for spite, but was sorry after. l repeat
again. am with you, and l will stick to
YOU all through. Nobody can say that Gov
ernOr WarmOth has bought me; and there
are two gentlemen here that will back
what | say: Mr.. Stevens knows what l say
is true.
"Mr. Speaker. my parish was the only
parish in the whole State that went Demo-
cratic There were only eighty Republican
votes cast. was its legal representative,
and say that no man has got right to
arrest me- for know the duties have got
to perform. If it hadn't been that was
Ike ut from coming here. l would have been
here before. l say again, Mr.. Speaker, that
am with you and every one in this House,
but don't want anybody to arrest me. l
know my duties. l know that the people
who put me in this position expect me to do
what's right. and l would have done SO if
it hadn't been that Mr.. Warmoth kept me
and a good many others from coming here.
know what l have got to do. and will be
with YOU, and have always been with you.
Mr.. Sneaker. have said this to exonerate
myself, because was treated badly, and |
want everybod to know that l am with
you. and would have been with you if it
hadn't been that l was kept from coming
here by Governor
The above certify to be true and cor
rect transcript of the words uttered by Mr..
Fontelieu on the evening OF the fifth of Jan
uary. 1872, and taken down By me in pho
biography at the time.
Fl. WHARTON C0LLENS, JR.,
Photographer"
Now, Mr.. Speaker. l have read and
listened patiently to the lies published in
the different newspapers of this city, but
this last is too much of good thing, and |
deem it my duty to bring it to an end
The reporter who signed this speech,
certifying that it is mine, DO not know;
but all that can say in his behalf is that
if he is not more of a gentleman than he is
a reporter, he would be poor acquaintance
for any gentleman to make. For he has
reported a speech of mine in which he lies
in the very first line, and he knows it. l
will take the sOcalled speech made by me
on the fifth of January. in the gin shop. as
Mr.. Carr calls it-and allow me to remark
that is the Just name for it. it is nothing
more. will take that speech paragraph
by paragraph. and show what little truth
it contains and how much false. That will
be an easy job, for it is almost all false.
The idea of misstating that l had been
kept in the State House against my will is
ridiculous and without sense. l would
ask of the reporter 10 inquire of the gentle
man who arrested me where did he take
me from! Was it at the State House or at
nv clearinghouse Now. this phonO-
graphic reporter says that | said Il had
been mistreated, and was angry on that
account That is a lie. In fact. all that
he saws is lies, and il is no use TO tell him
So for he knows it. My first words when
entered that gin shop were to this effect.
that Il did not recognize this house as being
the legal House of Representatives" when
a man interrupted me by crying to the
memb ers. or to the crowd: knock him
out" told them that did not admire the
way they had of arresting members of the
House of Representatives. although the
gentleman who arrested me had treated me
with courtesy.
Mr.. Speaker, Just here allow me to remark
that am sorry to see the Democrats take
the course they have to achieve their ends
They may be right, but confess do not
see it. If it is to satisfy some Gem office
seekers. do not want anything to do with
them. | am not an otfice-seeker. and l do
not come here for the purpose of getting an
office. but to represent the people that sent
me here. | have the interest of nv State
at heart. and especially my parish and |
could not conscientiously do nv duty in a
rum shop: and yet these men who speak so
highly of the Democrats you will see them
arm in arm with Messrs. Burch. Lott & Co.,
negro carpet-baggers. They call me an I'M
compromising Democrat because will not
follow them into gin shop. or the Custom
house. or the Cosmopolitan Club room, and
call that the legal House of Representatives
and holm them enact lava will NOT do II
let them call me what they choose.
Now, Mr. Speaker, this shorth and re-
porter lies with more audacity and i'm
pertinence in the last paragraph than in
any other. 1t says: Gentlemen, | am
with you. and have always been" Mr..
Speaker. this is another lie invented in the
mind of that sOcalled shorthand reporter.
He must be a good shorthand reporter to
take fourteen days to write out that So
called speech of mine. If he is not good
shorthand reporter he is good liar.
Again. Mr.. Speaker. In this last paragraph
l lind some few words that are true. This
so-called shorthand reporter was not SO
debased as to make every word a lie.
For instance, | said that when nv con-
stituents elected me to this position. they
knew that my record was good. and they
knew that l would do what was right.
but they did not send Inc here to periure
my sell. KNOW, sir, That l can 90 back
with clear cons cience, and ask them if |
have displeased them. | am sorry for it.
could not help it. l did what thought
was right: and Tor your interest. am
prejudiced Democrat. l am not Demo-
crat in favor of slavery. l was a slave
owner, and have often told the people of
my parish that it was shame the way these
human creatures were treated and was
really glad when slavery was abolished
Now, sir, few words and am through
The certificate to this document is so ride u
lous that 1t needs no comment. The Hon.
Mr.. Shorthand Reporter signs it with his
name and the only thinn To rnal-o Il o4a;a;aI