The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1877-04-05
LOUISIANA SPEAKS.
The Great Meeting Last Friday.

Never before had New Orleans witnessed SO
large meeting that which assembled on
Layay cite Square and in the streets in it's i'm
mediate vicinity last Friday at 10 O'Clock, to give
expression to the resolve of the people of the
State to sustain the Nichols Government and
not to tolerate any compromise of their rights.
Fully twenty Thousand persona were in at
tendance at all times during the meeting and
we are satisfied that, counting those whose en-
gagements rendered it impossible for them to
remain more than few minutes, no less th an
| thirty Thousand people of all natonslites,
| includiog many colored persons, took part in
the proceedings.
The meeting was called to order by the Hon.
Ed. Pilsbury, Mayor of New Orleans, who in
troduced Mr.. j. AID. Refer, as President. Mr.
Rozer on taking the chair delivered q most
eloquent and patriotic address denouncing the
interference of the Federal army in our State
affairs. The following resolutions were then
read and adopted:
We, citizens CT New Orleans, in macs meeting
assem- bled, representing, we firmly believe,
the sentiments of q lar e majority of the people
of Louisiana. proclaiming anew our devotion
to the Constitution of the United States and
our unqualified acceptance of all the amend
ments thereto; asserting that, in loyalty to
our re-established Union and in true national
patriotism, we 10 not yield to the people of any
section of our con mon country, as we stand
ready to prove by any test; declaring our
earnest desire to obliteTate the feelings of
sectional bitterness which were left as the
result of the late unhappy war, and to re- unite
the whole people of the United States in q
common bond of brotherhood J.; equally DESTROYS
of breaking down the barriers of prejudice and
distrust which designing political tricksters
have, from base motives, reared between the
white ard colored citizens of the State, and to
re-establish the relations of the two races upon
O basis of just laws, equal rights common pro
lection, and harmonious aud kindly sentiments
toward each other; profoundly impressed with
the gravity of the crisis through which
State is passing; and feeling that we should
publicly proclaim our sentiments touching the
same; do hereby adopt the following
RESOLUTIONS:
1st. That the right of local self-gov ernmeut
is The fundamental principle of our Repu blican
system that il is the inalienable privilege of
every State in this Union, deprived of which Il
State ceases to exist as such, in the constitu-
tlOnal sense, and becomes q nero province of
an alien government.
End. That for four years the people of Lou
isiana hav lived under a usurping government,
never elected by tie people OF the State;
never voluntarily acquiesced in; established
originally and maintained throughout its ca
Tcer by the mill tary power of the Federal Gov
eminent and differing from direct military
government only in name and in the particulars
of its greater extravaganza and nnbridled
corruption; the utter uLftness of the persons
entrusted with it's administration it's con-
temptible weakness and inability TO enforce
the Iawg, o protect the ights of persons and
property of it's citizens, and the greater hatred
aud contempt with which 1t was regarded by |
the people.
3rd. That the results of this usurpation have |
been to destroy the happiness and prosperity of
the people to foment discord and disorders |
to lessen res ect for law and government; to |
encourage violations of the rights of persons
and property; to repTess all business enter
prise; to impair confidence and almost ami
hilate the value of property; that whatever
of enterprise in business, value in property,
cohesion in society, or Contentment in life,
are due solely to the confident hope that the
late election in our State would result in re-
storing it's government to the control of its
people: and If that hope shall now be disap-
pointed, we see nothing in the future but an
arcby, ruin and despair.
4th. That the Government of which Francis
T. Nichols is the head, is the constitutional
of the State of Lousiana, elected
by a majority of more than seven thousand
votes fully organized in all its parts; ex
ercising the only governmental functions that
are exercised in the State, making aud en-
forcing laws, administering justice, collecting
preserving the peace and order OF
society; that there is not, within the limits of
the State, an officer exercising any actual
except those whose official titles are
recognized by this Government, because duly
eleoted that many of those elected as Repub-
Leans have already recognized the true Gov
eminent, and those who have not done 30 will
hasten TO recognize it as soon as Federal inter-
ference shall cease that this Government is I
cot only capable of perpetuRting itself and {
30 resistance, and not even desire TO resist, ]
ID the part Of any portion Of she peoFle exeBpt