The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-27

believe that the people of the country
parishes are wholly misrepresented by those
/ Conservative members of the General Assem-
bly, here who have seen tit to denounce. in
| highly improper terms, their fellow-citizens
OF Louisiana who are conscientiously opposed
to- and protest against compromise
| Res0'cei That we cali upon the people of
the several Representative Districts of the
| parish OF Orleans to meet in their respective
wards and to instruct their Senators aud Rep
resentatlves to refuse to obey the orders of q
CAucus exercising powers not delegated.
E. j. ELLIS. Chairman,
j. Dickson BRUINS,
T.. HOWARD MCCALEB.
y. WARREN BRIcKELL,
j. T.. AUSTIN.
DIR. Rl mss Speech.
AT no desire or solicitation of mine, but in
obedience to the cal OF my fellow-c citizens, | APP
pear before you tonight. Recognizing civil
virtue as Il corner stone Of republican govern
meet, l believe that in grave conjunctures OF
public affairs, civi: duties rise to tho height of
great moral laws, and no nature, however
humble, and no man, however mean his talent.
however inadequate has + Sht to foreSo his part
and PARTICIPATION IN public action when his VOICE
Is demanded.
Twice within a fortnight the people of this
great city have met i'll convention Two weeks
ago you assembled III large numbers at the Clay
statue, TO protest IN advance against this COM
promise, the nature OF which had thus for tho
ur5t time reached your ears, and standing there
IN that vast assemble looking up at the statue Of
the great orator of kentucky l thought that if
that iron form could have descended from ta
granite pedestal, and once more could those
bronze bps have spoken in those triumphant
tones you knew and loved so well, that
the man who had spent his life in vain attempts
to compromise for the interests and safety of his
people, would have warned you ere you
should enter INTO any adjustment to sacrifice the
vital principles OF life for temporary policy. He
would have told you that the nations, the indivi-
duais, the people, or the man, who commit this
fatai mistake, are bound forever in mi series.
You have heard read to night letter from one
or the most distinguished jurists in thls any
other country. The question, in its legal aspects,
has been presented to you by eminent men at
your bar; in the clear, direct, forcible, and I'M
unsuitable terms the resolutions have set forth
the ambuscade prepared for you. I do not
propose to usurp the mantle which is the
property of the great gentlemen who have pre-
coded me. but only to speak to you
as citizen to his fellow citizens. AS Il
man addresses his fellow men in the STIR
ring hour of great excitement, | propose to
speak IN nnvarnlshed language, and l desire to
say, while l permit man to lmpugn
my motives or my sincerity, | do not
mpugn the motives or sincerity Of others,
and 1t IN the course of what shall II tel use
any language which, by extreme construction,
may seem to reflect upon those gentlemen who
differ from me. | at once disclaim any intention
of affront and declare now that it is the meas
ures address my voice against and not the men.
1t seems to me- III the first place, that if we have
a proper appreciation of the duty which we
are about to assume, as people, we should
first consider the moral history Of our past, if
attach any weight to that consistency which, az
gives moral weight to our utteraEces-
Some.of the members Of the Caucus who were
also members Of the Committee OF One Hundred,
and all the members Of the Caucus, approved tho
of hot al, u
night outrage of December, 1872 were sent to
Washington to protest. Some of the members
were also in Washington during the long debates
and anxious interviews which followed
Every member of that caucus approved Of the
action of that committee and every member Of
that caucus, Without single exception, awarded
to the heroic efforts on that occasion, and the
efforts Of others who, without having any regard
Tor personal considerations, laid down everything
at the feet OF Louisiana. During that entire
winter every member of the caucus approved of
the action that this people took to insure our
standing.
A long, dreary summer INTERVIEWED and again
your Governor elect presented himself at Wash
ington, being encouraged by some noble spirit,
and through that second winter / have yet to
learn of single member of the caucus having
raised his voice in dlsapproval Of the continued
effort on the part of your representatives to
secure the rights to which you were entitled and
out of which you had been defrauded.
All Of you know what disappointment these
efforts ended in, and at last by every species Of
outrage which night insult lree-born people, the
right to bear arms was denied us, though it is
right expressly and forever guaranteed by the
Constitution. 1t became the obvious intent OF the
lsurper to drive into some act of resistance
which would enable the usurper to call down
upon our heads the wrath of the Federal Govern
ment.
In brief hour the people hurled him from
his place; statesmen stood trembling at the
ssue which was presented; politicians saw no
~. from tbn toll yUbI had haap
slowly winding around Us. Our wisest counsel
1rs refused to say in advance what would follow
tfter this ste was taken.
From tho midst of your ranks an unknown
nero, who had walked Your streets In the garb OF
private citizen, sprang forth and severed tho
Jordan knot, and in moment made the governor
II your choice dc j,o'e as well az ne tacto.
Need tell you what wave OF cODgratulation
spread to the remotest ends Of this great State.
70 its furthe st bounds every pulse throbbed with
he same magnetic beats that Dulsated in the
leart Of this metropolis.
And when the stone raised from the bed
n which tia body OF Louisiana lay, with her
crave clothes still about her, she stood forth
n the light amid the overwhelming congratula-
ions of all her sons.
JOY was in every heart in every face you could
cad the glad tldlnss Of a deliveranco from
ong and mighty woe. Strangers were met with
greeting as they passed IN the
streets aud along orr avenues.
Spch an audience as was never before collect
d in the streets, hailed with tumult the con-
Iueror and the Louisiana Governor as they rode
ogether TO take the oath Of office Ia the Capitol
# Louisiana.
Ifthere be tears in Heaven from yonder sphere
0 which the patrio, souls Of those who fell ON
hat memorable day have fled, they must sh' d
hem now to think that their blood has been
pitt in vain
No battle for freedom. won or lost, is ever in
ain. The fight OF itself i victory. In the
mysterious economy OF Providence the sapling OF
reedom must draw its nurture from the soil en-
iched by it's own falling leaves.
1t sends out its roots deep down in the eternal
principles that undeThe il, and raises its trunk
midst the storm and tempest, lifting its
ranches IN the pure5t sun-hine Of liberty, at
asst burdened with fruit, until under its mighty
hade the children children Of those who died to
ave II paw securely.