The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1875-12-28
PRESIDENT.
W. q. RAYMOND.
VICE pRtGfDENTg.


K b Pleasant. jacob Muller.
u. Toby ia. Fernandez.
The President (Mr. Raymond on TAX
ing the chair, made short and very
telling address, during which he was
frequently applauded, stating the OBJ
ject Of the meeting, and showing how
all classes OF our communicable prop
erty holder, the laborer, the mechanic,
the merchant, the professional man
and the bondholder-were all alike in
terested In the carrying out OF the
recommendation Of the Mayor in his
message, and closing he introduced the
Hon. H. n Ogden attorney GeneraD,
who addressed the audience as follows
SPEECH OF II. N. OGDEN.
FellO,c-citizens-Th Mayor of the city
of New Orleans, as you have just heard,
has made a stand upon the principles
and rights Of our people. 1t Is an oc-
currence so unusual as to have obtained
among you genuine admiration and
a feeling of surprise. For the last de-
cade in our history we have been max
ing u rapid declinatiOn from all the
great principles of Anglican and Amer
ican freedom. The public mind has
become accustomed to the idea OF de-
parture from the great constitution OF
those two great countries which we rep
resent. You are here tonight for the
purpose OF approving the conduct Of
the Mayor OF New Orleans in the stand
he has made before the world upon the
greatest principle OF constitutional free
dom.
Fellow citizens, the contest between
the Mayor Of New Orleans and the au-
thoritios of the State of Louisiana is a
contest which involves no lesser right
than the right of local self-governnent
that right is there given to Angli'
can and American freedom. Now, fell
low-citizens, to come to a thorough un-
derstanding in this matter, l propose
i'm the few remarks | shall submit this
evening, to make no attempt at what Is
ordinarily called u speech, but | treat
YOU as ~ great jury assembled to try a
question at a critical moment in our
history-a question of the greatest i'm.
portance to every man within the sound
of nv voice. / have said that the
principle of local elf-gOvernment,
which is involved in this contest, is OF
vital importance to your liberties,
and I mean exactly what / say
and | propose to make IL u matter Oh
certainty before l take my seat. Why,
fellow citizens, it is a perfect impossi-
blity to have a perfect representation
OF the people without u free and tho
rough recognition OF this great doctrine
That was the Constitution, that the
Constitution of that country from whom
we derive our ideas Of liberty. ii
YOU will take the trouble to exam.
inc the great first movement in freedom
of the mother country-the Magma
Charta-if you will take the trouble to
examine the contents of that great in
strulDent of freedom, you will find that
right alongside of the great doctrine OF
representation stands the doctrine OF
local f-government--of local rights
You will find in that same document, In
which King John surrenders to the
people of England, who were then
only asking for that which ;I ab
same part Of it in which he surrendcrs
the right of representation, he sur.
renders the privileges privileges OF
the City Of London, and of all the cities
towns, burroughs and communities OF
that great Kingdom. You would find
sirs, that right along side Of the great
principle .of individual freedom
cIassed with the rights of life
liberty and property, are the
rights of every single community
through that great country and all
those inestimable privileges under the
constitution added into this, the first
written constitution Of that great king
dom. Now, fellow citizens, the reason
of this is very plain. II you will look
into the formation of human stat
utes-here l must ask pardon fol
this, in inviting your attention
on this important occasion which
NAV take me into the discussion OF mat
tiers that are not ordinarily matters oi
public interest-if you will take the
| trouble to look into the organization Ol
human laws, you will find these sub
iects in the records. There is not sin
gle order of men, except the family
which is composed Of individuals. Now
| I ask your special attention tC
that. not single order OF men, .ex
cept the family: The earliest
form of government, il you find indiyl
duals combined to produce results, Il
the organization of families that forms
communities the first form OF govern
ment known among men, and now we
have the principle OF local self-govern
| ment. II you only consider single
moment, when individuals combine tha
representation and right is recognized
There are certain great and invaluable
principles and rights when a famil.
goes into a community. The famll.
reserves in some way those rights ant
privileges that belong to it, and witt
which the individual is not concerned