New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-07-24
THE ELEVENTH WARD CLUB.
Great Meeting Last Nighr.

A large and enthusiastic meeting of the
Eleventh Ward Liberal Club was held last
night, Mr.. H. G. Pearson in the chair, and
after the transaction of the regular routine
business, Mr.. Richard Bond, being loudly
called for. rose and made the following
speech:
Mr.. President and low-citizens-Some
two or three evenings ago, at a Democratic
meeting held in the eleventh ward, / made
few remarks, which the Picaqune, with
Its accustomed courtesy, somewhat mis-
represented. / made. no such charges
against the gentlemen whose names ap-
peared in the report of that paper / was
so frequently interrupted that it was impOs-
slble for the reporter to understand what
intended TO explain. l felt that it was not
on the programme that any one should de-
strOy-tLe concord and pGIfGite entente of
that meeting, so | submitted as gracefully
as | could under the circumstances. But
here tonight l believe l will be listened to
with more a 'tentiOn. At a critical moment
like this every citizen should speak out
boldly what he believes to be right, regard
less Of prejudices and friendships.
1t is not my intention to hurt the feelings
OF those who may honestly differ with me
at a time when confusion is worse con-
founded nor have | any other but feelings
of sadness for those honest and gallant
gentlemen composing the united State
ticket who are blindly, madly rushing to
certain defeat. If / say this, it Is because |
believe it; believe it, because have calm
ly, 0lspassiOnately reasoned myself into
that belief. In this the hour of our great
est peril | can not allow my old loves nor
my old prejudices u lull Inc into the belief
that while dashing down the Falls of Mag
ara am calmly floating on the placid bosom
of some uRrutf1ed lake. The stern, implaca-
bic reality is before us; we must meet it
untinchingIy, as becomes patriots and Lou
isianians.
When ! entered that Democratic wig
wan, fellow citizens, l was in search of nv
old party. l had been told that the old
fellow was dead; that, like OthellO, he "had
done the State some service" but that now
his occupation was gone" | was told that
the old game-cOck had been swallowed
feathers, spurs and all, by Greeley and
Brown; that he had departed at last, per
haps, tor some more genial cline, and in
his stead had sprung forth stalwart,
sinewy young giant, whose mission it was
u sweep from the White House the tyrant
and the minions who are now polluting its
historic halls, and l believed it. l was
ready to cry ''Le rOi est mgrt-Uire le r0j ~
when 10 :. a large meeting takes place on
Canal street, at the Varieties Theatre, and
there | was told that the old gentleman was
not dead yet, that he was still kicking in
the last ditch. 1t is true that the eloquent
orators who said SO were either on the
"united State ticket" or compromised to
it; still some doubts we're stirred in
my mind and l starte3a off wondering ifI
could not get one last look at the venerable
features of my political sire.
Ny attention was first attracted bv CAV
flag, shining brighter still in the CarOn-
delet street sun. On its folds was the word
Reform" beneath it the names of Mem
cry, Jonas, etc. The cord from which this
adveI Itisement hung conducted the gaze to
the Reform headquarters. No Greeley-no
Brown about II. That was surely not
Democratic, so ! walked INV way. very
much ike Japhet in search of his father
On st. Charles street beheid another
piece Of bunting, but of a different cOler
This might be the right thing. / read
Democratic ticket, Greeley and Brown"
and beneath, the very same names l had
read on the Reform sheet.
Strange indeed Why not Greeley and
Brown on both, why not Reform and Dem
1cratic on BOTH since the State ticket is the
same on bOth2 .
Echo answered-why !
So l marched on more peTpIeyed than
aver. Some one handed me the PicqiHI1lc. |
A genuine Democratic paper, like "Iago is
an honest man." What do l see in one of |
is immaculate columns The very same
ticket, but under a new |
heading. Here it is styled the united |
State ticket" l was completely lost. | |
gave up the chase, joined my voice to the |
millions Of Democrats throughout the land.
and Justify cried: Tire le n0urcuu rOi (! As |
or that ticket, which is neither Democratic, |
Seformer, or calculated to unite anybody, |
With its variety of CUgnOmens and flags and |
'olOrs, / thought it was Dolly Warden" |
icket.
Now, fellow citizens, what is the history
If that united State ticket, which should |
rave been called "disunited instead |
When the two conventions held in this city |
lad adjourned, each and every delegate felt +
hat nothing had been done to save the |
State. The ticket presented by the ma
Ority report of the joint conference com
nittees, acceptable to the RefOrmers, dis
'leased the Democrats, who went to work
nd substituted the Name Of McEnery for
hat Of Williamson, the Reformer, as stand
I'D bearer. Only one other name was
hanged. Colonel McEnery had withdrawn
lie name Of his brother for Secretary of
tate, because the ticket was doomed to
eteat," and the name of BOarman was
laced in its stead. This ticket, thus altered,
eturned to the RefOrmers, who spurned it,
nd adjourned more bitter against the !
Democrats than ever before. In the mean
me, the Democrats, after refusing to make
platform, adjourned also, not caring much
hat the Reform convention might think of
le mutilatiOn of the joint ticket.
The candidates nominated felt the i'm
tense responsibility of the moment, so in
rder to open every door to Cancellation and
mon, sent in their conditional resigna-
Ons,
The -Reformers had always proclaimed as
leir reason for leaving the one white
emOcratic party of the Sttte that all the
hites united could not carry the State
lthOut the assistance of the cOlored peO-
e. Could they expect that assistance
lthOut placing some of the blacks on
leir ticketl They failed, however, to
raw any recruits from Africa, and after
aving failed infheir ambitious hopes with. ]
le Democrats, and later with the Grant
lrty at Baton Rouge, returned, some to
10 Democracy, some to their homes there
remain, and most of them to the Liberal '
lrty. 1t was with a handful of men, pos
ssng no strength whatever more or less
cLnedtO Grant, a feW-men, who, if honest
Id patriotic would have been compelled,
all events, to vote with their people, that
e Democratic State Central Committee | I
ought proper TO form treaty, offensive /
ID defensive, closing at the same time all
g avenues which had been lefB open to
We entrance to all the conservative ele-
ents so essential to union, strength and 8
otOry. Twenty men did all this mischief, '
7enty men, sixteen of whom represent
e parish of. Orleans Sixteen men, the
ljoritY in that committee, knowing that a {
beral convention was to assemble here t
August, favored by nearly every parish
the State, and by most OF the Germans,
thOut consulting the wishes Of the coun-
7 Democracy; in opposition to the ex- :
lple and advice given us by the Demoe- 7
~ of every other State in the Union; in f