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

in Intern eddling with the affairs of this PEE
pie. The complaint IS well founded, tt
grievance Is intolerable-to call in a sui
committee of Congress to exercise the facu
ties of the Legislature or of member wi
provoke another breach upon us from the law
less branch of the government of this countr
the Department of Justice.
In reference to the members of the Legisld
ture who have or may accept the proposition
it would be unjust to complain.
| The circumstances of the State are woful
they have been superindnced by the wicke
and malevolent action Of the Executive De
partment Of the United Stats
There is apprehension Of more violence
for no constitution, law or convention bind
that department to contin0 itself to the bound
| OF justice.
1t may be that timely compromise wit
| the ambition, the coyetOusness, or the prid
of this power may furnish us with peace for
period, but | have an opinion that safety i
seldom obtained in submitting to humiliation
| Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
| JOHN A. CAMPBELL.
| Messrs Chopin Kennedy and others, Committee.
| Mr.. Randolph
then addressed the meeting as 70 lows:
Ny teli0tr- ctizenS-Suffering as I have for tn.
| last Fix weeks from very severe cold [ an
afraid that | shall not be able to throw my vote,
| as far as, perhaps, at another time | could do
| and It may be, fellow. citizens that should no
have taken upon myself the task Of addressing
You this evening, but | could not resist tn.
| temptation Of coming to mingle in your council,
upon this great occasion. We have come to
Sether, my tcl'ow-citizcns at period of the %
litlcal history OF this State, which raUGh with
interests more momentOus than any that have
occurred within my recollection.
We have come here tonight not in anger, but
IN solace; we have come here not to oenounct
those Of our Brethren who have separated from
us, but to dCpltre that lave so far diff red
from them that we cannot. with Il prop: + regard
OF our own consistency aud our own ideas OF
right, go with them to tie extremity to which
they have gone. And now b5f,ra iroachin, that
subject. let me for a moment, my fellow citizens
take a glance as our political history for :, few
years past
In 1868, you remember this s ate and IL o:
IS Interests were handed over to tAU tcn,ur nci-
ciea Of the Radical prty. For f,gr years they
ADMINISTERED tie State acc II Iug TO their oNti
Hlll and discretion, ara without regard 70 The IL
terests OF the people soIell III the interest # te
dominant party.
crhops Won n'ay search the records Of civil
Hfd countries III vain 10 find such parallel Of
wicked, unwise and unjust legislation as thar
"hch viii appear upon tile ute book from
1868 to 1872.
Now, my i llow-citizens, recurring to Il at pc
rod. and without locking step by step upon the
Legislation t1ay mas brought raiu npon our cDuu-
thy, 1t IL uici ut for lily to lock ut the State OF
Louis sa1a iii 1853 and to follow her fortunes
through SIX Eoats Of mi-luie, aud behold her as
she IL ~ stands. Comparatively free from debt
III former years overwhelmed with debt now
with property then ranking at four lines the
value Thai it does at the present time, Vet the
rate q taxation had increased until taxation
ar ountci to cDntiscatiOn.
in 1872 the peoI - Of this State rallied them
selves III the face Of al overwhelming majority
ana determined to fight the battle Of right and
truth a. iar q in them lay, and, if overpowered,
yIe.d at last after desperate struggle. You |
the effort that made. The people
were entirely disorganized. You rccollect then,
that the Democratic party, fall Of its ancient
power ana pride and Is git rious traditions -yOu
how they lnflrled that banner
Numbers of persons who had been drawn away
from the Democratic party, because they consd-
cred that its issues had groan OLD formed them
selves with what we then knew as tie Reform
party; and number Of others, who were sa It's
tied that the tendencies of Radical rule would
lead to the ruin Ct tue State, had formed them
selves with another party Known the i bcral
Republican, here, then, were diverslties of opn-
ION, entertained by each party. Some rivalry
wIthal, and some lellousies, and doubtless ambi-
ton III each party, and yet, gentlemen, the good
OF the State rose superior to every other consid-
Grafton.
The question was not so much who should
exact most but who should yield most for the com
mon good and out Of that the Cons rvative party
was formed, and your distinguished fellow -cit-
zen, John McEDory, was placed as its leader 1t
looked, indeed, when that party was for ed and
that nomination was made, like forlorn hope
but onward they went, and the State waa ira
versed from one end the other and every
parish. every town and every hamlet was can
rassed.
Men were reused to see to what condition
their supineness had brought their liberties
They felt the ruin, the material ruin that sur
rounded them; bu they had not felt until then
that their personal liberty was a stake and they
rushed as one man to the rescue, and carried
this State; and doubt whether there is man
within the sound Of my voice who now doubts
that John McEnery honestly and fairly cleo
"a by the qualified voters OF the State. | shall
lever forget, gentlemen, the CLEAN OF hope that
Was shed from the cOuntenances Of those who
lad been scattered, bnt who now met cheerfuily
md reoiced over the triumph
They considered that the days of msrule had
been numbered; they looked forward to their
State advancing from the slough of despond to
he high and exalted position she had always |
occupied before. And now, gentlemen, what took
olace? You remember that the Il Returning |
3oard ruled Out John McEnery and put in
VILLAIN Pitt Kellogg. You know, gentlemen,
hat there was possibility of resistance at that
ime, because to have touched the finger of KEEL |
ogg would have been to have brought the army
md navy of the Unit d States and such a re-
distance would have been overwhelmed. and it |
vas wisely and well thought by Your leader that
We had better wait for more propitious occasion.
And then we applied to every department OF
he Federal Government for redress we applied |
. our own courts. Such high handed outrage |
lad never been known before. The people of
his city had elected two Of their judges, whose
ourts, because they would not obey the behests
Il the ruling power, were annlhilated. Another
vas created in til il place, and man to do the
bidding of Its master was put there to discharge
he duty. What did We do then? Your COM
nttee from New Orleans waited upon the Pres1-
ent, in no supphant manner, with no Bonded
nee and bated breath, but they spoke as Amer
ean freemen should speak.
They declared their wrongs and demanded
b cir rights. They were turned over to the de-
artment miscalled "Jnstice :" they went to the
uprcme Court Of the United States, but ancient
recedence kept them from being heard they
'ent to the Senate Chamber, and whilst our
n mics admitted that the Returning. Board was
committee of fraud such as was unparalleled
etore, vet they could moi find it in the strict
onstractlpn of their powers to redress our
rongs. The people of ouIsiana could never be
card. When they had touched but the hem of