New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-07
A SIGNIFICANT AND IMPORTANT AID
DRESS.
Speech Of Hon. J. r. Harris, Of POfnte
C0upee. -.---

On Monday evening, June l, was held I
meeting of the Fourth Ward Republican
Club of this city, and Hon. j. P. Harris,
Democratic member of the House Of Repre-
senta.ives, from Pointe Coupee, was invited
to address it. During the session of tn
last Legislature Mr.. Harris was not one o
those members who were continually OF
their feet. 1t was seldom that lie called
the attention Of the Speaker, but whenever
he did he secured hearing. Indeed, il
may be said that he, Mr.. Mathews ani
Governor Hahn were almost the only mem
bers who could command the attention O.
the House. On two occasions he .distin
guished himself and enlivened and in
structed his auditors in an entirely unex
pected manner. On one of them he elo
quently reproached the city Of New Orleans
for her delinquency in not forcing her rep
resentatives to take their seats, and on the
last night Of the session his appeal to the
sober second thought and reverence 3foI
fundamental law in his speech against the
venue bill won the admiration even OF
those who voted for it.
nv pPOCOh "O ACPAOuuOO UciOW DedIs
evidence of the same strength of thought
and vigor of expression that distinguished
his efforts in the General Assembly:
We are about to inaugurate a political
campain in Louisiana. When l consider
the importance Of the issues involved; the
great good that may be accomplished by
wise councils, or the untold evils which are
sure to follow selfish and unworthy action,
I 1a1 ~ No. sk~.lo ~.
stake, and 1t is with timidity and sense of
ability unequal to the occasion that now
undertake to suggest to you the duty Of the
hour. Because it is the present and, there
fore. the latest opportunity to repair and
avoid evils and errors both suffered and
apprehended, deem this the most import
ant crisis in the history of our State.
Our crops have partially failed for sue.
cessive years, and our material progress
of the country at large, dwarfng our
energies and checking our enterprise
When there was, in the beginning Of the
present year, "a silver lining to the cloud,r
u promise of abundant harvests and the
hope of better future, 10, this inland sea,
the mighty father of waters bursts through
the barriers that have held his currents in
their innocent and accustomed channels,
and pouring his destroying floods over our
nViuS u0o 1W0pb away Our 6ubtoO8OC0, our
homes and our hopes, and made us even
beggars for the charity of tho world to es-
cape famine and death. In these times of
disaster and distress, when the most pros
porous are scarcely secure Of a competence
for their families, and the less fortunate are
dependent on public charity for subsist-
ence, our people are naturally dissatisfied
with the present and alarmed for the ftl-
ture. Stupefed in their misfortune they do
nat <11 l.
startled in their terror they forget to use
the relief and secure the protection that
are within their grasp 500
Moreover a contest for possession and
control of the State government has waged
for two long years past before the people,
the courts and before the Congress of the
United States. Two men have claimed
from us the allegiance due q chief execu-
tive. While one has held the place and
exercised the power the other has claimed
the right and sued for the prerogative. II
and displacement, triumph and defeat,
until Our people are sick Of the struggle
and cry out for peace and harmony, for
confidence, security and stability. Design
ing men and disappointed place hunters
have added to the public fever by agra
waiting and exaggerating the evils we suf-
fer, hoping by revolution they would in 1
augurate to obtain the control Of public
affairs. In the spirit OF o Cataline and
with wickeduees greater than any they
denounce, they have sought to supplant
the constituted authorities with vigilance
have invoked the subtle and !
dangerous machinery Of secret political So
cieties and led mems minds to the contem- |
plation of that most direful and diabolical |
remedy of assassination. io,sff 4 zsiwA-t |
Under these circumstances I conceive |
him to be the patriotic citizen who gives |
his good right arm to repair and to protect |
rather than him who employs his energies
to defame and to destroy our institutions. |
Marc Antony never lifted q hand to ward |
from the proud Cesar the fatal dagger of |
Brutus, but when the awful deed was done
he seized the bloody robs of the dead mon
arch and, exposing it to an excited popu-al
lace, used their passions to secure his own
"The fool points out the spot
upon the carpet, but the wise man consid-
erately seeks to ccverit NJ" know that
der heavy burdens; it must be our purpose
to tighten and remove th61bs I know that
bad legislation disgrAces OR statute books,
but we have partially corrected and viii l.
still further improve the laws. l know
hat we have suffered from ignorance, cor
'upti0n and malfeassnce in office; our de-
nand IL now for capacity. integrity and
'at riotism;; # Louisiana has been denuded
# her good name and her strength, if she
tands stripped of her resources and her
,eau ty, bleeding with the stripes Of Provi-
lence and wAjling the. cruelty Of internal
Oes, We will pour, oil ON her burning
Wounds, clothe her n.thei svhit0 garments
f peace, strengthen her with tn wine Of
and putting . crown of gold
pom her head present her again to tho u
orld queen threnedb upon the hearts Of