The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-09-22
THE R.Eif 20 BE Il AR us.

Yet there be no misunders' anding of thi,
N .tter. It is not the rights anh liberties OF
the people of Louisian alone which are
FIR at, ned by this combination OF Grant,
Kellogg and i4ongatseot, for the appeal ot the
citizens Of Louisiana rs not to he Constitution
"f that State, be-, 10 Il e Constitution OF the
| Unl ed S.ares During the past week Gov.
! X llogg assisted by Gen. Longstreet, laid
! bands upon and seized number OF cases oil
arms sent to private citizens of New Orleans
in regular steamer from this per. Tn t the
! right OF American citizens 10 keep and bear
arms Is IL vital right. We presume. need 1ot be
| set forth
For their use Of those arms, of course,
American citizens are responsible to he las.
But il Is essential to the char tcter of free
man that he should understand and maintain
his right 10 keep arms an bear them. Tns
right is recognized by the Constitution of
Great Britain, and i'll til Constitution of the
United States 1t Ii declared most solemnly
that TINS night .'shail not be inirnged," aud
thai withont qualification as to tue condition
or degree of cluzens. No man is fit to be an
American citizen who does not understand the
Importance 81 tuls right and the extent and
nature OF the obligations 1t carries with it, lest
III tie language OF Blackstone. speaking not
OF free and equal American citizens. but OF
Eng Ishmen n no belong to the caste OF men
OF rank and property" his ignorance of
the points wleieon this and kindred rights
are founded. should hurry him into faction
and RIGHTEOUSNESS on the one hand, or pu-
sliianimous indifference and criminal subinis-
sion on the otner' 1t would have beel q
criminal submission" on the part OF the
citizens of New Orleans had thev tamely
acqUlcs"ed III the open infringement of
their right which is our ght also. TO keep
and bear arms" by Gov. Kellogg and his
agent, Gen. Longstreet.
They were guilty OF no such terminal
submission. They proceeded, however,
peaceably. They called public meeting to
protest against the outrage yesterday. At
this meeting they drew up an address to Gov.
Kellogg, reclting the usurpations of which he
had been guilty, disclailnng all intention of
riot or vi 'lence, and demanding of him his
abdication of the executive chair. This adj
dress was presented to him rough one of his
officers. He replied with refusal to receive
any communication, on the ground, not that
the meeting which had sent him the COM
municati"n WAS an EARNED meeting" but
that there We're "several large bodies
OF armed men in different parts Of
the city assembled on the same
call F." as that meeting! Now, nothing
can be more clear than that, in making this
answer to toe meeting which had sent it's
communication to HIM, Gov. Eellogg, who
had alrt ady infrinsed the right of American
citizens to keep and bear arms, was guilty OF
a fresh outrage upon another most unques-
tlonable right Of American citizens But he |
was not content with this. A short time |
afterwards the Confederate Gen. Longstreet
at the head of Il body OF armed men
and ordered the assembled ciize to q dis |
perse. Since the Kings troops with Major
Pitcairn at their head marched upon the clt- |
Gems ot istou, assembled III King street.
d ri ia lie them go to their hom-s there has !
been no such plain aud peramplory CHI, llenge |
gwen Ill this country to the right OF popular
assembly, by armed force, rs this. -Nep York
Wufg,L