The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-05-27

his district--hoaost and consorva'
tive in alI things and always ready
to do any thing he could for Dallas
and herpcoplc ThiSis but justice
to an honorable gentleman, and we
gladly record it, $,
.r---~- -
The following beautiful and iruhful
address, delivered by Gen. George A. Shcr-
dan, the successful candidate Of the m
sionis,s for Congress from New Orleans,
on the coca sion OF dinner given by
Lieut., Governor Penn, Of Louisiana, 10
Senator Carpenter, Of Wisconsin, we clip
from The New Orleans Herald Of the goth
inst, and take pleasure in transferring II
TO cur columns, rs the expression of one
who, although he wore the blue during the
late unpleasantncss rs nevertheless honest
in his rcpublicanism aud bold in his de.
nuncation Of usurpers and plundcrers,
Gen. Sheridan is one Of the n estors OF
the South and as a speaker stands almost
peerless, even in New Orleans,
SPEECH OF GEN, GEo. \, SHERIDAN,
Gen,lemen-ln common with all who
are ga,ht red here | regard it MS II great
privilege aud high homer to meet the dis
ingushed gentlemen who is cur guest
10 might. Our pleasure in meeting him is
unal Logged, save BY the fact that we can
not present Louisiana to him as we would
wish to.
Sir, we would like to show you This great
city of the South, filled with happy peo-
pie; its streets throngcd with the voiOrie 8
OF commerce, the days Of all nations float
ing from the masts of countless ships in
the placid crescent of yonder river. 1t
would please us to fill your cares with the
music that swells ever up from the marts
Of trade, telling of prosperity and joy
All this we can not do; We can Only point
10 u population borne down by oppression;
TO II harhor with only here and there IL
wanderer of the sea- with white wings
folded, rocking in listless idlenesS; to
shrines Of commerce. almos. deserted We
can greet your ear only with the sad music
that swells up from the hearts Of people
that are sore distressed.
II would be, sir, to us a matter of pride
il we could point out 10 you thousands OF
broad acres where corn aud cane, and cot
,viIi, ,,,v io,lI, Eno
the glad sunlight Of these summer days,
and weaving with it in natures great
laboratory the harvesta that maze glad
the autumn fields. This we can not do; we
can only show here aud thcrea spot wherc
The to!lcrs are at work; only at intervals,
hemes that are filed with joy, and fields
that give promise of golden harvests in
the days when the re pcr's sickle sha II
shine among them.
We would like, sir to show you n people
in possession of and enjoying the same
political freedom, the same liberty, that
is justly the pride of the great State from
which you come. We would like to point
out to You men in high position, the choice
of the people, adorning the places TO which
the voice OF the commonwealth had called
then, working with unquestoned purpose
aud unchallenged integrity for the wei
fare Of the State. Instead of such con-
dition of affairs, we present you Il chief
magistrate abhorred by the great mass Of
our white citizens, whose misCortunes he
has taken advantage of; despised by our
c0lortd citizens, whose confidence he has
betrayed; n man to whose heart integrity
is stranger; whose religion is immortality;
whose daily walk and life is such that in
all this great State he knows not where to
lay his hand upon single man and truth
fully shy, "This is my friend" Side by
side with him, within the portals of
of our capitol, guarded by soldiers, are to
be found fit companions for his infamy,
holding, like him, their position by the
force OF bayonets, rather than the voice Of
the people.
We can not, sir, show you courts where
justice sits enthroned, where the poorest
and the meancs; in tho land find equal IA
vor with the rich and powerful. We are
compelled to point TO courts from which
justice, wrapping her robes around her
has fled in haste; where liberty sits hound
and helpless; courts where passion, preju-
ducc and gold are the authorities to which
judges refer where questions of life and
death, right or wrong, slavery or freedom
are at issue.
In brief, sir, it would be our pride, and
JOY to present Louisiana 10 you with radi-
ant face and brow bound round about with
garlands woven from her wealth of tropic
flowers. We cannot do this; we present
her as size is, clad in sombre robeb, her
people almost destitute Of hope, feeling the
bonds of such oppression az old Israel
endured when her sons and daughters
"hung their harps upon the willows aad
sat down in grief beside the stream of
Baby lon" We are in this unfortunate
condition simply because the will OF the
people has been overthrown by the unrea-
souing power of bayonets, and their voice
silenced by the government that should
listen to their cry for justice
We hail your presence, sir, in our State
as an omen OF good, II is to us an evil
dence that the heart Of the mighty north.
west is beating in unison with the hsarts
that are struggling here for liberty. We
only ask, at your hands, fair invsstiga-
ton of the measures that have resulted in
binding great State helpless at the fee.
of political jugglers. We only ask if, after
an impartial investigation of our affairs,
you are forced to the conclusion tina,
wrong has been done torepub lican liberty.
your voice and power shall be exerted to
right that wrong Many Of us, sir, be-