The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-09-16

duced to take III, arms against the federal gov
ernment.. Fatal error. Not that we wer
lacking In sincerity. not that we over est
he e tsa 6s snr e. MT tht
never die out In people who have once bee
Tree. or that resistance to oppression is an un
we underestimated the deveish ingenuity Q
tne vampires who had fastened themselve
These vampires, encouraged by our submits.
sion TO unheard-of wrongs, and emboIdene.
by our repeated protestation that we woult
never again take up arms, whilst poisoning TIL
MINDS OF the American people with the bases
ISLANDERS. continued to heap wrong upon wrong
spo9iation upon spoiation. insult upon insult
Wrested from you, you on this ever memorable
day arose In your might, reasserted your man
hood and your 70 rights to American citizenship
" is true that upon the demand Of einglt
Federal officer you again surrendered YOU
State into the hands of The marauders but theil
began to realize the truth of your position. and
ths instinct of liberty which must ever animate
who could in single day regain the entire
control of their State, retain It for three days
and yield 1t upon the demand OF q single Fed.
eral officer. must indeed have suffered wrongs
a the ~ Of human tns ICE m
falsehood, in whose dark folds your enemies
had enyeloped you, and taught them lesson
OHs
Thus it was that when on the 9th of January
last you again arose as one man. and threw of
the yoke Of your oppressors they dared not
prepared and backed by the Federal power
Who can doubt that but for the memories Of the
conflict Who can doubt that the 9TH
| b'oodiest dav in the annals of Louisiana, and
however that conflict may have terminated, who
can doubt that in the then excited sta of public
mind throughout the length and brea It'll of the
| land. such q conflict inaugurated here would
have spread like q tornado of fire. involving
the t W, Whole country in civil war the horrors Of
| when no pen could attempt to describe.
mat sueh would have been the logical Sc
ane que s, ct events does not admit Of reason
right in claiming that it should rank second to
no day In our past history in the magnitude OF
| the results that flowed from it,
fear have trespassed too long upon your
| patience: my apology must be that when l. not
only as citizen Of Louisiana, but as an Ameri-
can VINO is devoted to his country and to its free
institutions. reflect upon the events of this day.
my mind Is crowded with burning thoughts to
which my feeble tongue Is powerless to give OK
preston.
AT the conclusion of his remarks, the chair
man introduced the gentleman appointed to de-
liver the Grafton of the evening, our eloquent
fellow-eitizen. Mr.. Percy Roberts. who spoke
these eloquent, lust and stirring words, every
noble sentiment of which found an enthusiastic
| response in the hearts of his vast audience.
ADDRESS OF MR.. PERCY ROBERTS
In the history of all peoples are certain, few.
energy. Events which inaugurate epoebs,
events which breed large and remote results,
and which set up dates in the calendar of time
Such events are pregnant seed. which germi-
nate IN due time, and bring forth harvests meet
tor social and political sastenance. They are
in staff Ifu lp'n
which Keep the record of their great and criti-
cal paroxysms.
two. One is the. Eighth of january. and the
other. by grace Of God. and powder dry, is the
Fourteenth of September.
1t may seem inyidiouS to compare these two
and yet, on an occasion like this, q parallel be-
tween them may be run, that shall be US just as
Without derogating by one iot or little from
the glory, of the Eighth, there are yet two things
to consider; which must cause it to pale It's
The vetor9 d g9 he 81 Of Janarg Was
tory won after the war was actually ended. 1t
was was victory over an enemy formidable, 1t is
and permanent lodgment: an exterior. enemy
who, even II the worst bad come, would only
have rye occupied ,,Gs single city, for single das
on the other hand was victory won over an
interior, domestic and mpltttudii.nous enemy
an enemy that had permeated Us like q poison |
Gus malaria, sitting our lungs. and carrying
paralysis to every vital function; an enemy that
h n, come to s Under the fraudulent effges IF
pable impact OF frost. and as charged with with
ering wrath; an enemy that had sunk his roots
in every hill and vale and plain in every city, |
town and hamlet. and was sucking the richness
from our SOIL and absorbing all the nutriment
OF our air: an enemy who had taken deep, OK
haustive and fixed occupation Of us. and had
fenced his stolen estate with briery hedges of
constitution and of laws. Compared with such
a foe as this. the foe who was conquered on the
9Th OF January was tender friend, feeding us |
on benefactions.
There Is yet another circumstance, which
marks a difference between the Eighth of Jan |
uary and the Fourteenth of September in IA |
vor of the latter.
The victory Of the Eighth of January was
property, equally shared by others. The patri- |
otic volunteers Of Kentucky. Tennessee and
great captain Of sister State led them, and us. |
to victory.
But the Fourteenth of September was Louisi-
ana's work. and Louisana's work alone. Hers |
the strong arms alone which on that day reared |
up the PROSTATE State, and struck her shackles |
off. Hers tho captain alone. who that day |
alone, which on that day gave its red baptism |
And therefor it is that we set apart the Four
tttesenth. OF September and commemorate it.
Th!erefore 1t is that we pluck it from the roster
crown it with testimonials of love, and think If |
i only with holiday and memorial thoughts.
The libation OF blood poured out that day has
know that the blood then shed was the blood of |
our civil redemption.
After the successful issue of q great struggle.
even its friends and helpers will sometimes diff
fer rs to the main cause of success Some will
ascribe 1t to one prominent. event and some to
another Many of our friends, for instance
refer our redemption to the 9th of January last
They invite our attention to the brave legions
who on that morning marched with locked step
aud steady tread to Jackson square. led by the
same gallant soldier who had led the Fourteenth
Of September. They bid us observe that on
that day. before the bayonets of those legions,
ihe courthouse fell. the police stations gave up
,he armory capitulatsd and that every foot of
Louisiana soil except q single rat hole on Royal
street, passed at once into patriot hands.
All true. and al-glorious for the brave fe' lows
who made it true. And yet he misconceives the
zeal nature of the event who does not see that
he 9th of January was more an effect than a
,ause. Ask the hero who headed the battaions
hat made both days memorable-aSk Gen.
Ogden and he will tell you that the 9th of jan
lary was the mere culmiination OF the deed
will tell you that the backbone of the Shiny
hing that had touled our posts of honor. and