The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-07-16

sistible prestige, and IN tne same yea
! was elected TO the General Assembly.
/ In January, 1875, Mr.. Witt was elect
/ cd Speaker OF the House OF Hepresente
i tives by the unanimous vote OF the Con
/ seryative members, in full provision o
the pending great and trying crisis O
/ the organization. There was n
, wrangling. no rivalry then. and as eacl
member In turn cast his vote in cauou
, for Mr.. Wilt, IL WIS not without
, sense OF awe at what the morrow woul'
, develop and not without anxious hop
that our chosen leader should prov
equal to the emergencies. The scene
! Of the memorable ith Of January. 1875
are yet fresh In the minds OF our peo
pie, and tho part enacted therein bl
Speaker Wilt is recorded on the frs
bright page OF the history of TINT time
in letters Of such enduring gold
that we may safely rest the yer
diet with his triltb-loving ant
generous constituents Throughout
the State. "Citizen" finds, to stigma
tize Mr.. Wiltz's absence from Gov
Penn's edbtHet on the 18th Of Septtm
ber. scnthng words IN abundance. and
would fnin prove him - craven. But
the unsurpassed cooncss and bravery
the consummate tnct. soundness oI
Judgment and splendid eloqucnce man
/
pnled the free" can elicit from "Citi.
zen" nnnght but the beggnrly and r.
! luctnnt admission, "Nr. UtHg dctGd WeH.
| BUT ~
| However, "Citizen" wna not present.
and perhaps II Is easier to accuse incon-
! siderntely than praise generously.
| Mr.. Wiltz may, | think. forgive this
"darnning with faint praise" when we
remember how the whole country was
thrilled with enthusiasm by his notion
in this instance. His praise is
still on the lips Of IN admifing and
brave people, who. through their chosen
delegates, assembled In convention at
New Orleans on the 9Th day Of January,
1876. and among other resolutions passed
with uudnimitV the following one:
Resoired That aA the Representatives Of the
Dom potntie Conservative people uf Louisiana.
We hereby declare that 70 he Hon, John Nc
Emery, theaAwiul Governor Of THE state. to tho
Hon. u, Il. Pom, the lawful Lieutenant Gov
ofnor of this Stnte, phd 10 tho Hon. Louis A.
WIZ. ex Speaker Of the House of Heptosenta
tiye-, nrp duo the heartfelt thanks OF the people
~ his uneclHah devotion and ecIf-saeriere to
the rnuHo Of liberty and free Enyrrpm Mt his
unfaltoriug courage and untiling eiIet rte ip te-
Fisiing tho oppression ~ liadieaisn aud de.
Tending tho cause OF our people. tho chrppr OF
Governor MeEnery iA sntpnesed by none and
cqnnllod by fow In tho annals OF devoted pa
i,uring tho absence Of Gov. Dtc1tnery. the
Lieut.. Gov. Penn, IN tho strngglos which wore
crowned with the glofcH of the 18th september.
exhibit qualities of head and hoatt which have
won for him undying renown
And thcn. on tue tth Of January. ts7b, amid tho
stirring scenes of that day. whom tho liberties Of
the State were trampled under fopt aud tho
House of Representatives was Invaded by tho
military, in defiance 2f gll Inv and right. tho
Hon. Louis A. WIFI. with heroic fort tude. clear
and correct judgment and unswerving patriot
ism. wrested from tho enemy the advantage
sought 10 be- obtained. and preserved to us the
control Of the Lower House Of the General
Assembly.
"Citizen admits that through the
troublo,is days OF efforts MT compromise
Mr.. Wilt was consistent to the last.
but" again the fatal but follows.
But Il Is Just such trying circumstances ms
those that test the renl capacity q men to load
pito h msolf. found wanting. His ship, the
Stto-waa going direct for tho wreck rock of
eompro9mise. and big crow mu'inied right
before his eyes. Was IL his fnult2 His friends
will say no. but that IL not The question. Tho
ship went on the rock with tho crew in mutiny.
/ must treat with cool rcnson. as /
ever did In the past, this iirebrand Of
"Compromise" which, 1T minds me
well" Citizen" himself brandished
aloft over our heads when our solemn
under the leadership Of
Speaker Wiltz were disturbed, aud we, |
~,
us, who favored the compro-
mise, were being denounced as traitors
to vast and impassioned nsscmblage
Of our own fellow citizens, and |
threatened ,ciM hanging. heard "Citi-
zen" In those days, and ! know his de- |
and those OF n feW others,
served but to arouse the manhood and |
excite the indignation OF the "compro-
and fred their purpose.
know what IL took Mr.. Wilt Of talent.
Tor leadership, Of management and Of
to counteract and assuage
Ihe irritation occasioned amongst us by
these very bitter and inopportune at
lacks upon some OF our fellow-reprc-
,entatives
''The ship went on the rock with the
crew in mutiny." says Citizen" This
& disingenuous. The last parting words
IF the Hons. u. Il. Kidd and John
Young, the very apostles Of the Com
promise, were words OF respect, affec-
ion and unimpared confidence in our
eader, Louis A. Wiltz, and had not our
ship of State" carried few irrespon-
,ible and bowling Jonahs, who were
here without Invitation or appoint
nent, the "crew" would not have mu-
inied, in fact they never mutinied
jut against those VINO, like cit
zen, lell ~ CuISillR bnu uUpuCkeu
heir hearts with words"
Again. we find Mr.. Witt. though diff
ering with u majority OF the Conserva-
i've members Of the House on the policy
II the wheeler Compromise, holding
Is all in solid phalanx against our real {
neDlieS-the Radicals And on the floor I
# the House we see him again display
ng the same magnanimity on the ques-
ion of the Speakership as he had done
n 1874 about the Mayoralty.
Again, we find him quenching the
lanes famed from the burning ques-
ion Of the Compromise" by the intem-
'erate denuncations we have men
ioned before, and which, but for Mr..
Viltz's wise moderation, had set our {
tate ablaze and split the Democratic
drty.
We need not dwell on tho leadership Of Mr..
Viltz In the last session Of the Legislature. We
ave no doubt that ho and all other Conservative
representatives did their best but We know
reat many nFcn who would like 10 forget there {
yer WAS sach session. The Hogse certainly
xcellcd In all cxcept a determination to 90 3
ONE positive thing. and Mr. Tilz was the ,
,ader.
Here Citizen," with ludicrous incon- !
istency, represents Mr. Wiltz leading q ,