The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-07-16

the dead, Mr.. Wilt hurried 10 the fel
10 join his fetloW-cittsens in the .fgit
These are the reasons why he was nc
at Governor Penn's headquarters o
the i4th Of September.
That he shrunk from none or .th
responsibilities of that glorious event. !
proved by the fact that, though, at th
head of the civil administration OF
great city: holding IN authority thel
undisputed and the prudent exercise o
which involved interest aggregatiDl
millions of dollars and the preservation
of the city from the control OF Tn.
usurpation. Mayor Witt. on tho fif
teenth. promptly issued his proclama
tion recognizing tho government estnb
lshed by the events of the Fourteenth
Mr.. Wilt claims no credit for the
glorious events of tho l4th Of September
He bore no part in organizing the move
ment Of Int dny and no part in its he
roic conflict. But IL did have the whole
sympnthy Of his heart, and no man
pefiled greater and moro diverse inter
csts In promptly recognizing ~ results
than did the then Mayor of Now On.
leans. If. ns was then probable, the
usurpntion sustained by the Federal
army had nude Mr. Wiltz's recognition
of tho do jure government established
by the 18th Of September preteSt for
depoaing the city government and cs4
tnblishing II municipal administration
composed OF it's own tools, would not
Mr.. Witt have been utterly crushed by
the denunciations Would he not hive
been arfaigned by our solid citizens rs
n reckless, ir-brained man. who had
lost the city government 10y hhsty and
incorporate aequiescence m n hopeless
revolution He realized the rcsponsi-
bility, yet did not hesitate TO identify
himself with the failure of the de jure
government of the State on that oGoa-
sion.
In promptly recognizing the re-
suits of the fourteenth OF Sep
teinber he manifested tho sin
cerity of the declaration in his letter,
published In another portion OF this
defense, 10 the effect that he would
hold himself ready to do bis whole duty
whenever his action would produce
good results. In recognizing The results
of the fourteenth of September, he fol
lowed revolution inaugurated by the
only power he believed authorized to
inaugufate 1.-THE State Government he
recognized 10 BE- the legal government.
Mas he been successful as - Leader
II h as true In politics IA ia war that generals
musf be suceesafid Has Mr Wiits bsen
Has Mr.. Wiltz been successful ?
"Ctizen" asks. 1.-The criterion OF wis
dom to vulgar Judgments" says n very
high authority, sis success" Measured
by that, standard, history Is full OF
giants who would dwindle into dwarfs.
II Frederick the Great had been meas-
ured by "Citizen' 81 rule. when retreat
Ing before his allied enemies, almost "a
hopeless fugitive, he might have been
discrowned, deposed. and Prussia ruin
oil. The hearts of his people clung to
him, however. the confidence OF his
soldiers clupg to him and, OUT Of de-
feat and disaster, he wrought victory,
and founded a throne whose splendor
dazzled, and whose power awed the
world. Has Mr.. Wiltz been successful ?
Accepting the vulgar standard or wisdom
IN the correct one. yet think the ques-
tion premature. In the eight years during |
which Louisiana has been under the |
rule OF bayonets. who OF our leaders
has accomplished any solid results for |
our people2 Which Of them has been |
successful The only men who have |
been successful In politics In Louisiana
have boen renegades and carpet
baggers, Warmoth, Kellogg, Dibble,
Packard, have been successful. Will |
"Citizen" then accept these as model |
statesmen | think not. The failure
OF our public men TO accomplish gene
raj results, In not due to their incapaci-
ty or to their want OF worth and fitness
for high official station. They have
failed because n physical power mightier
than theirs has been beside them TO
strike with nullity every movement
their patriotism and wisdom have sug-
gested, or their courage and energy
have attempted to carry out. They
have been failures because law, liberty,
right and justice have been trampled
under the iron heel OF n relentless and
unscrupulous military despotism.
But while none OF our public men
have accomplished general results, /
hold, and will show, that Louis A. Witt
has accomplished as much in the sphere
of his duty, and that he has wrought as
much out of the material and circum-
stances that have surrounded him, as
any other man In the State could have
done, and that as Mayor and legislator
he has manifested qualities which prom
Use to accomplish real and substantial
results, when IL becomes possible for
energy. ability and devotion to accom-
plish such results.
AS member of the Legislature Of
1868, Mr.. Wilt enacted the first chapter
OF his uncommonly successful political
record. Soon after that, no was elected
on the Board OF Aldermen, where, de-
spite his youth, his colleagues chose
him as leader, and made him President
vi llt 1ouutll. uiS EutceSS WIS SO
patent, that at tho next election he re-
cefved, by an overwhelming vote of his
people, the nomination for Mayor of
New Orleans, carrying the election over
Flanders, when Warmoth stepped in
and robbed our people OF the election.
In 1872 again Mr.. Wiltz was nominated,
on the first ballot, for Mayor, and being
elected, he took forcible possession Of
his office In the face Of the desper-
ate resistance offered by his Radi-
cal predecessor, who felt strengthened I
In the countenanoe and approval
of some eminent citizens, who advised
him TO resist, as we have shown before.
His career as Mayor / have already
briefly passed In review.
I'm 1874, in the face or numberless ,
,alumnes and misrepresentation, TO
which he had for six years been sub
ected, and which we find to-day re-
peated by Citizen, with evident asper- !
ty, he was renominated before con- .
aention remarkable for the high stand ,,
ard of the delegates. But through an /;
Unfortunate clerical error, the memory
If which is still fresh in the minds OF =