The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-10-27
A LETTER FROM MIR. HENRY g..
CASTELEAN0S.
10 the Editor of the Democrat:

10 the Editor of the Democrat:
For some time past have been made the OBJ
ee OF most crue ATTACK ona All ben tn9 shaI % a
me- During that time / have bowed my head
with patience and reeignaton. have sorrow,
fully waited for the day when the storm had
blown over. when the public mind had resumed
its sway and a fair hearing might be obtained.
now avail myself of your kindness to offer q
Dlain candid and unvarnished statement in
yindicatiOn Of myself, have no organ, no pa
per to defend mo against aspersion hence your
indulgence Is the more appreciated on ~ ny part
No one that knows me personally Will or can
believe for single Instant that am the man
that am represented to be-. Before the war |
t34k an acye ea ~ b Rbic Il eaased Wth its
downfall. With the .irretrIe.vable. defeat of
Whiggery. the Old Line Wings Of this State
tests with the Democracy had engendered ran,
oors and animosittes that could not be expected
to Be ayed IL R heuT or pn9n
saDds Of Whas I oeked to Its banners i'm
9sa seS by scaSe o r II wha hez
Shining, liiehts ia thfs bema9cratic a ;o ranks; nix:
ittenn. btterer, more cruel, more intolerant than
they In their persecution Of our foreign born
citizens The carnival Of bloqd 3D. as it was
trampled under foot with impunity. reign OF
terrorism spread its pail upon our doomed
city No native connected Wlh sd the d DemoGrac
Upon this portion of our cty's annals it were
better now to spread the veil Of charity Ionly
recall these scenes to show what was my posi-
tion then, and what 1t is now.
1t was at this critical luncture IN our mpnl-
eipa and State affairs hat sHeh cnn men Me5 a Benz nd
many others of marked ability and undoubted
patriotism broke through the trammels OF pre-
ifudlce and allied themselves with the Democra-
cv. It was hen glorious Democracy. It rep
resented principle, and not rings and combina-
tions, It was the reflex and exponent Of the
nEn tft-n npn1 nrfh
the wishes of the people and not OF the mob.
What was my course then? Did join In the
unholy crusade? ,
past knows that as O. co editor of the Louisiana
Courier, as a co laborer with the iamented Jos;
Brennan, of the Deha and d. as I'll the founder Of
paper ever established In the parish of st.
Mary, no one. labored more assiduously, more
fense Of our foreign born citizens than myself.
Thousands of my fellow citizens, even now re-
siding In my district. will remember that Wher-
So much for ante bellum times. How. Is 1t
since the war? Have not always been found
at my post at every presidential or state cam
paign? Has any one devoted more OF his time
than have to the success of the Democratic
party? And yet am charged ~ With hav1lng Ing
Da me- as It has !, left thousands Of others? Is there
q pledge made by it that it has redeemed? Is
there promise 1t has fulfilled? Under Its
rings enthroned in kingly state? Are secret So
cteties organized for Its advancement, discour-
aged? Are associations, concerning whose
aims and objects we know MOTH
ing save by results-are associations. Il
say. based exclusively upon the, consol1-
dation of nauonaities, frowned down
by il? And yet when the people of this cou ntry
unite together for the purpose of counteractlng
In their several parties the baneful effects of
what they consider growing evil. they are.
forsooth. charged with prosoriptive views. with
being bent on mischief and violence. Secret
political societies, whatever character they
may be, are in my opinion great evil. and no
one desires more than [ do, their peaceable
suppression. But 1t were folly to insist upon
the disbandment of one without the disband-
ment Of all.
Native American Association | freely and can
didly admit, If by doing SO | committed an
error It was an error of judgment and not OF
the heart If by doing SO com mitted an error.
[ am willing and ready to suffer for it. But In
doing so thought, and [ still think. | was only
exercising right that certain naturallzed clu-
zens have long enjoyed in o11r midst, wit hout
reproach or reprobaion: but those who have
been instrumental In preparing the garbled,
truncated expose" have not mad the harness
nor the justice to say that for nearly year, long
before had ever thought Of becoming a can
didate for any Office. that my relations and con-
nection with the association had ceased. :,
1t is to the National party that owe alle-
glance and fealty; with its fortunes l nave
linked my own, and with it am willing. to rise
OF fall. But | repel with disdain and scorn
she imputation that [ belong to any organIza-
tion having "thuggery" for its object. The