New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-30
FUN "ON THE SQUARE .
VOICES FROM THE PEOPLE
DON'T RATIFY WORTH A CENT


square was called to ratify the nomination
of Grant, and large crowd remained
throughout the entire proceedings, which
were conducted with but slight interrup
tioRs until the close. The call was made
for half-past seven-at a time when the
chickens 20 to roOst, and hence was not
blessed with the shades of night, that cover
so many defects visible by day. Only
few stragglers were present at this time, ar
irving by sort of filtration from out the
crowded streets, thronged with waytarers
going home. The first mau seen was Ca
rondelet street broker, who wandered into
the square like some General in the ruins
of Tyre. Then came other Individuals
a hard worked clerk from the City Hall,
the inevitable gamins, who amused their
| abundant leisure with playing "fate" about
the legs Of the platform; then came the
musicians, dragging their big instruments
over the grass in a lazy manner, and about
a quarter to eight the band began to play,
and few of the organizers of the meeting
arrived, while an attendant lit up the puro-
line gas. The preliminaries were thus
settled, and everybody about the stand
stood with their hands in their pockets
waiting for the ball to begin. The impress
sion of those who were soon on hand was
that something momentous, they scarce
knew what, would come out of this, and
hence there was more than the usual
amount of curiosity to see what would
turn up.
About eight O'Clock crowd of one thou
sand people were present, which gradually
increased until, when the call to order was
made, about three thousand persons we're
boisterOus listeners of the progra
which was unwound and developed in the
manner following.
The crowd which had collected in the
rear and on the sides Of the platform begin
| to drift toward the front, the buzz of con-
| versatiOn on the platform ceases, and Judge
| John P. Becker steps to the stand and states
| the object of the meeting to consist in a
protest against the management by the
| CustomhOuse of the Baton Rouge oonven-
| ton, by which the voice of the people was
not heard. When the speaker had closed
| the crowd in front, swaying to and fro,
| grew turbulent and discounted the
! speaker, who retired in bad order.
A voice-Three cheers for Greeley.
The cheers were given with will.
Mr.. Joseph H. WilsOn-The object of the
meeting. tonight is a protest against the
action Of the convention who do not repre-
sent the people.
A voice-Greeley's the man.
Another-NOminate Greeley, and you'll
be all right.
AnOther-W What place are you from, Hong
Kong9
1t was under such circumstances that Mr..
/ 20 1ry7N
drowned in discordant cries and grOans,
one voice saying, at point where he COM
/ planned of the action of the convention,
'Served you right" other voices crying out
| all sorts Of cries for Greeley.
No Southern man, said Mr. Wilson, can
! consistently vote for Mr.. Greeley, who said
| Just after the rebellion was over that he
| would like to see the rebels in starvation.
A voice-Say, don't you want to wear
white hat Loud laughter.
! Mr.. Wilson tried TO finish the sentence.
A vOiee-Give us rest.
Another-Hes no man of the Custom
! house ring.
/ tell YOU, continued Mr.. Wilson, whether
| you want It or not, President Grant will Oc-
| oupy the chair, and will for the next four
| wears lead the people to prosperity and hap
| piress as he has done in the past four years.
| Here he made baek-down to the crowd,
| and shortly after reappeared, leading Colo
! mel Carter by the hand, and introducing
him to the multitude.
Colonel G. w. Carter-If / understand
! the objects of this meeting, it is one of Re-
publicans who are in harmony with the ma
! tional administration.
A voice-Did you ever see such respect
| able Republican meeting as this
| / don't propose to make speech in favor
! of Grant, because my position on that point
| is well understood.
A voice-You'll be for Greeley yet before
! this things through
| Whenever the government officers use the
! power with which they are intrusted to
| control the popular voice, it is then that
! national government is liable to become
| despotism and should be resisted.
! AEOiee-G Greeley III fix that all right.
| There's something superior to the eOnsti-
| tuition and the national government, and
! that is the power of the people. Whenever
a President authorizes to be done this thing,
| that they shall become the agents OF the
| government in creating the officers of the
! Government it becomes a despotlsm. L
| could no longer act in sympathy with the
! federal officers when they use their power
| TO a perpetuatiOn of their influence. make
| no fight on the personnel OF the ticket. l
/ maintain that the CustOmhOuse officers, for
no other ground than that the President
| wished It. formed a ticket, and thereby
| thwarted the popular will
A voice-WouId you be here if you'd got
! Attorney Generals
Colonel Carter-In the voting for nOmi-
| nations there were delegates who were so
| much intimidated they did not dare to vote
| a ticket Of the opposite color and who hid
| their own ticket in one of the CustomhOuse
color. When you see men attempting to
| thwart the popular will by packing conven-
| tions. and by intimidation and threats, you
| can not make a ticket that will rouse the
Donnlar heart Though / said ] would not
/ sav ANYTHING against the personnel OF the
| ticket, vet there was one man who was
/ nominated that made it point OF OOleetlng
against every man not in his clique, who
| had something to say against the record OF
| everv man. He was nominated for his piety.
| 4 delegation from the country was met
| with inquiry, "What are you doing here =
! 1Ohp' said they, .we've come to settle"
"Why, thought you lived In the eoun-
try y -. .., w.
| Clinton"
| This was the manner in which they were
! eondueted. I'm for General Grant if he'll
| Iet me be for him, because he sits in the
| Presidential chair and minds his own busl-
/ ness. and I believe he'll say to the inter
| Tneddlers. mind your own business, and let
the people mind theirs. This was hailed
with shouts of derision.
/ want to see a ticket made OF your nome
men here. continued Colonel Carter, Yehe-
mently.
a voiee-That's what's the matter,
7 want a ticket made of men who live
here. who have had the yellow fever, who
ara not afraid to stay here all summer, who
o,,-r rropertv here and are identned with
AZ neople. I want all lines Of differences
broken moi down, and party constructed on
tbe broad basis Of universal freedom
Dar4y- in which the rights of the black and
E.-.. .1l L. -.r.ntantaa- Colonial Carter