New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-03

MIR. Ogden's New Years Gail.

There was most respectable assemblage
gathered last evening to greet the Hon. Fl.
n. Ogden back from the national capital,
and to hear his views on the situation.
There must have been at least 1900 present,
mostly merchants, lawyers, brokers and
clerks, large proportion being of our
oldest and best. How far the assemblage
of such number Of citizens of undeEiable
social status can affect the merits or de-
merits of the case now before the United
States Senate remains to be seen. We
freely admit that some of our most worthy
citizens constantly assert that the McEnery
ticket was elected, and that all the candi-
dates thereon are entitled to office. Com
petent tribunals have decided otherwise,
but that does not, in a free country, deprive
man Of his opinion. We are not OF those
who believe that minorities have NO rights
which majorities are bound TO respect.
At half-past seven o'clock Captain ]. j.
Mellon called the meeting to order by nomi-
mating Mr.. P. Malochee as president. Mr..
Malochee was unanimously elected, and ac-
cepted, acknowledging the honor briefly,
but with courtly dignity. Captain Mellon
then read a list of tfty-fve vice presidents,
with few secretaries.
The orator Of the evening, Hon. Fl. n.
Ogden, was then introduced, and, in an
elaborate speech, detailed the result of his
embassy to Washington, narrated his hopes
and endeavored to show that the nonex-
istence Of de Jfacto government in Louisi-
ana could be clearly demonstrated by the
assemblage of the Fusion Legislature.
In the course of his remarks Mr.. Og
den stated that the case was just where it
was at first; that the question was now be-
fore the Senate, and would have to be de-
cided by the Senate. The case, he said
does not belong to the judiciary nor to the
executive. Both were alike impOtent to
do aught in the matter. The House of
Representatives had no jurisdiction, be-
cause it was body gathered from fede raj
districts, having only the power to dec ide
upon the right to seats of members elec It.
But, he asserted, the Senate is an assembly
Of ambassadors from sovereign States. The
speaker attributed the failure of the
McEnery party to establish their case be-
fore the Senate, last year, to the fact that
it had not been presented in proper light.
The Senate, therefore, misunderstood the
matter.
Eight of the nine Senators who composed
the committee, which were all Republican,
reported that there was no State govern
I oil
dissenting, impelled thereto by his own sell
fish ambition and desire to be President.
The speaker went ON to state tha. the Sen
ate now understood that they could seat
Mr.. Pinchback Oh prima tacie case. Law
yers, he said would be surprised that grave
Senators, most OF them lawyers themselves,
could thus view the case.
After a detailed account of what was
done by the Senate while he was IN Wash
ington, Mr.. Ogden said that he was OF the
impression that the Senate wanted to get
rid of the Louisiana question. Mortons
scheme was to get the Fusion party to be-
tray itself by acc uiescence.
Senator Morton based all bis chances OF a
dismissal Of the case on the ground that the
people here had aoquiesced in the kellogg
government, and were sustaining it.
The speaker then urged his hearers to de-
feat that scheme. He wished them to de-
monstrate that they were still invincib,e,
and that they "knew their rights, and,
knowing, dared maintain This, he said,
could only be proven now by the assem-
blage of the Peoples Legislature at the
proper time and designated place. We
must keep our case before them. We must
not cease to demand our rights. If we do
not, he said, they will forget us.
Again referring to the matter of acquies-
cence, the speaker took occasion to refer to
the course of Hon. Charles Gaya in ad-
vising the people to defer political questions
until our commercial prosperity should be
restored. The speaker stated that he had
heard that Mr.. Gayarre held commission
from Mr.. Kellogg; he did not say that Mr..
Gayarre had any other bias than that which
would naturally attach to one holding a
commission under that government.
The speaker concluded by assuring his
hearers that he had no doubt as to the ulti-
mate result if the people would only stand
firm, reject all evil counsel and meet as they
should, in general assembly convened.
Resolutions we're then read denouncing
the Kellogg government and adjuring every
member elect of the Peoples Senate and
Legislature to be at their posts on the proper
day. If not, they were to be looked upon
with contempt.
A call was then made for Mr.. Booth, who,
in response, came forward and rendered his
thanks, excusing himself from an extended
address by the remark, &" No speech to be
made after that"
The meeting then dispersed.
Children's Home of the Protestant Epis.
copal Church.
This evening at seven o'clock the exhib-