The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-09-20
The st. Louis Meeting Of sympathy with
New Orleans.
A STRONG SPEECH.

The most notable speech delivered, and
much the most significant in tone was made
by A. j. P. Garesehe, a prominent lawyer Of
| that city. It was in substance as follows:
| "You will bear me witness that / do not
urge people to fight, but do say that il Loui
-iana Is to be drenched in blood, better let
every one of her people die than to submit to
the usurpatlon OF a government that the Pre-
Sident may force upon an unwilling people,
and wish it proclaimed that, while l am no
man to urge civil commotion and seditlon, !
say as an American citizen, the protection
Of the liberties of the people OF Louisiana
will be cheaply bought, il they have to lay
down upon the soil OF their State the blood OF
every son whose heart has ever beat respons
i've to the call to defend their rights. My
sympathles are it'll the people. and my purse
is open to them, and if in their struggle the
President dares to interfere, l say let slip the
dogs of var, and damned be he who first
cries hold, enough. / do not forget how
Kellogg got into power, sneaklnS under the
guns of a United States trigate, and he now
sinks from the outraged peoply whom he has
prosecuted and oppressed, and sneaks into
the United States Custom HousA under the
protection of Casey, the brotheI-,n-law OF
Ulysses the First
say let him go and let Grant provoke the
contest. Let him send his regiments. Let
him expose the Texas frontier to the attacks OF
Indians, and send 10 600 troops there. They
cannot stay the arm of the people OF Loulsi-
ana. If liberty is to be suppressed, if free
State Governments are to be wiped out by the
dictates of an Imperial Government residing
at Washington, their tyranny may be ours, II
we do not cease to obey the Imperial mandate.
know. what resolution you have passed, but
if you have not passed this resolu-
ton embody it now, that, if it be 'neces-
sary, for the struggle of Louisiana, and
the triumph Of State sovereignty in
Louisiana, involving the perpetuatlon CT our
| own liberties / say, let every man in the crowd
swear, as am willing to swear, that all my
aid will be given to protectthe people of Louisl-
ana and uphold them in this struggle, which
they will maintain against the authorities and
against the Government of the United States.
We have stood in silence. We have submitted
to every wrong, we have seen that people
outraged. We have seen that people murdered
and prosecuted, and their women ravished,
and | say now, there is nothing left but honor
or di,honor, and better die than submit TO
dishonor.
sit l. a question Of do or die They have
unf1iIled thei1 flag and taken "a their motto
He who would be free must himself strike
the blow" | tell you, with all sobriety, God
speed Louisiana, and if she wants troops or
money, let her call 90 the Union, and let the
Union respond, for it is the battle-cry of
freedom. 1t is a craven thought that would
urge upon US, 'Oh, it is not our battle = 1t
is our battle. Let one State be flung II ON the
Union and put under the heel OF despot,
and say every man who submits to it and
sanctions the principle prepares his own neck
for the halter. l hope that that noble creole
blood that has never proved its' If recreant,
against which the finger OF cowardice has
never yet been pointed GU the battlefield
vii! proclaim that death it may be, but dis
honor it never shall be, and, ii the President
sends his minions there, let the Presidents
mlnons beware, for they may be damned"
After Mr. Gareschi concluded, the chair
man, Gen. Shields, said Before l an
nounce the adjournment Of the meeting, |
wish to say that we know not what day may
bring forth. l ask you TO go to your homes
prepared 10 come together ut any moment. to
| assemble here again, not only as you have
tonight but ten times the number. We
know not what We may be called upon to do
aid our suffering brethren III Loulsi INA, but
am sure, from the manifestations you have
made here tonight, that whatever the call
may be, if it is III furtherance OF right end
Justice and opposed to oppressions the people
! of st. Louis and the citizens OF Missouri VIII
never fail to respond to 1t.