New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-18
lent that will meet the approval of every

reason that it was a necessity to bring to
bear the party lash in. order to preserve
the party organization. He said that the
| people were under despotism more pow
erfuI than the Czar of Russia If this i'm
mense power is not applied to its utter
most length, it was, he went on to say,
because the action would probably be re-
! vised in other States, and more than all,
| 'there is the right of revolution to bring
| him to severe account
| He then went into the Interpretation of
| the registration law which, on the appoint
ment OF registrars by the Governor defeated
| the will of the people, as only his own
minions were appointed to office. In the
election law the counting of the returns, the
whole machinery of election was placed in
his hands, and if her behests were not
obeyed the Metropolitan Police would come
in to enforce obedience.
In further al!usiOn to revolution, Mr..
Ogden said:
But we are not revolutionists.
A voice-'Yes, but we are"
Mr.. Ogden-"I say we are not; but
haven't the slightest word to say to the man
who would exercise it at any time
Mr.. Ogden having assured the audience
that no old party men and hacks would be
in the forthcoming convention, re tired from
the stand.
When Mr.. John II. Kennard took the
stand and began to speak, a voice cried
out the usual call, LOUDER to which
tie speaker answered: "I'll come to the
louder part after awhile" On paying the
customary compliment TO the vast crowd
there assembled, the speaker made an
allusion to the date of the surrender at
Appomatox Courthouse. saying that from
that time no sane man had ever seriously
contemplated resistance to federal author
ity. A voice: That's So
The speaker then said that we had been
visited by adventures, ''hOuseiess and
characterless at home;" that such spirits
controlled politics in this State and en-
aludng to the coored men, he said "these
people have had the fullest opportunity
to test the sincerity of their self-appOinted
leaders" out intimated that they had found
them deficient There would arise strong
vote from the entire people in favor of re-
forI.s, as instead of the interests of the col
ored people being opposed, they were iden-
titled with our own. The speaker addressed
those who had sought home on our own
shores from the oppressor abroad. saying
thas the government was not acting for
they benefit, if under the guise OF repub-
licanism it collected five per cent tax where
the old country collected but one. But
said he, lit may be asked, what can we do
unless the present laws are repealed!
'fhe president then introduced Mr.. K. II.
| Mari, who said | say to you fellow citi-
Zcns. that do not come before you to make
Il speech; | am not "a speech maker, but at
the reunest of one of the members of the
| committee. | have come forward to mOye
! that the address be adopted as it has been
read by our fellow citizen, Mr.. Ogden.
! | will say to you. NY lello-cItzens, that
! am with YOU, heart and soul, in everything
! YOU undertake to relieve this city and
| State from the despotism that now controls
/ YOU and your State. / am with YOU, heart
| and soul, in your efforts to relieve and re-
| peal these obnoxious laws-the registration
| law the election law and the Metropolitan
| Police bill In every move that yen make,
| or attempt to make. to relieve the State of
| Louisiana from these bills that are pressing
the life and energy out of the people. am
| with you, heart and soul, now. | did not
| come before you 10 make speech: the
| time for speech making is past and the time
for action has come. [Cries Of "Brayo."I
| believe there is enough vitality left in
the people of the State of Louisiana to
stand up for her rights and maintain them.
| The people of Louisiana naust not only as
| sert their rights, but maintain them. Now.
this committee have prepared an address:
| | want YOU to adopt 1t, and not only adopt
it, bat carry ont the suggestions it contains
like men, TCries of I'VE Will
| Mr. Mari then moved the adoption OF
a resolution. which was carried in the usual
|
of the State to meet in New Orleans on
! Tuesday, April 23, 1872, to adopt platform
! of principles for the reform party, in con
! formitv to the address, and to nominate
| candidates for the State offices, to which
men of all parties, regardless OF color amt
previous political associations, who favor d
| reform of the abuses under which the State
and city now suffer, are invited 20 cooper
| ate.
A voice" That's what We want t.
! know
The speaker then alluded to the right O
| revolution, saying, in ease such rgh
would be attempted, what would You eX
pect from the government of the nltet
States -
a voice-"Sympathy.
The speaker then went on to say that 50
far was this from being the real state OF thu
| case, that the most unWise and unpatrloti'
action of the government was in passing th'
reconstruction laws, asking the question
"Does the lamb return twice to be
slaughtered ~ Laws passed by the Lesis
lature under duress and force, the speake
said, would be swept from the statute books
intimating in this that such was not thu
course to be adopted. But there was no !a7
to prevent the placing of a duplicate boz
at each poll, in which each voter wou!,
place a duplicate Of his ballot in the elec
ton box marked with his name, and he dlt
not believe the authorities would have th
temerty to reject the candidates elected h.
these means. The speaker said that th
people had been heretofore guilty of Grim
inal negligence in not participating in elec
tions; that they had shown great readl
ness to carp at anything that went wrong
and great slowness in preventing bad law
from being enacted. His excuse tor tn
fact that thirty-one members of the com
mittce were not registered voters wa
on account of the misunderstanding tina
arose whether it was requisite to be regis
tered the last time or not, but their ofiense
then were as against party, now the.
would be against reform. The speake
concluded by saying that some men OF frs
class responsibility had been connecte'
with helping out the villainies OF tn
Legislature.
The conclusion of the meeting was ar
nounced alter the speech of Mr.. G. A
Fenner, who spoke to the same effect a
those who had preceded him.
The meeting dispersed in good order.