The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-14
THE FOURTEENTH OF SEPTEMBER

| 81 the devotion and manhood Of the people In
the maintenance Of right for which their
| ancestors hundred years before had Mt.
tested their valor and self-sacrifice. It was The
same cause
AlRernon Sidney had been brought to the
scaffold, In England, for asserting and de.
monstratlng that resistance to tyrants was
obedience to God" In like struggle
against tyranny. Washington and his com.
| peers Ii they had failed and fallen into the
hands OF the usurpers. would have suffered q
like penalty.
Thanks to an overruling Providefceasd the
patriotic devotion OF our ancestors, the revo-
luton Of 1776 was victory, and George
Washington and his associates III the great
struggle became and were SO recognized In
oil history as patriots and great achievers
instead Of Rebels and Traitors. Precisely on
the principle with the same responsibilities
was fought, the fierce and sanguinary struR-
gle, In the streets Of this city, on the mem
orabe fourteenth Of September, Ammo Dominl
eighteen hundred and seventy-four.
We celebrate this anniversary to-day.
It is meet that 1t should be 80 remembered
and honored. The event to be commemorated
may be thus briefly discussed:
There was o government Of this State
which hhd been fastened upon the people by
Federal bayonets. It was a government Of
usurpatlon and fraud. The people repudiated
and defied IT, They were only restrained from
uprising and resisting 1t by the overwhelm-
ing power by which 1t was maintained, and a
certain awe and respect for the Federal au-
thority which gave that support and counte-
nance to this usurpatlon.
1t WIS not from any unmanly fear OF the
physical and armed force by which this usur-
patton was defended that the people patiently
bided their time for the occasion when such
submission would cease to be virtue.
That occasion arose on or about tho four
teenth Of September, 1874.
Aud thus 1t arose:
A political organization Of the gallant and
devoted patriots and friends OF Louisiana
liberty and Independence existed In the CITY,
which was preparing itself for the great In
evitable conflict with the usurpation.
Its chiefs only awaited the arrival OF the
necessary weapons to assert this right or
resistance to unlawful and unrighteous power.
TO resist and crush the armed mercenaries,
the arms Of physical warfare.
These mereenaries were fully equipped.
They had the best MIME rifles, artillery,
Napoleon cannon, Calling guns. They were
thoroughly drilled, disciplined and supplied
with all the munitions Of modern warfare.
And yet the usurper who commanded them
dlstrusted their power and valor to overcome
an opposing force Of unarmed citizens.
cunning and shrewd usurper, as his class
usually are, as Lysander, the tyrant OF Athens,
was, who perceivinE the danger Of d conflict
with brave adversary, he suggested to one
OF bis courtiers: "Ah We must exc out the
lions skin with the fOx's." The uBurper Kel-
logg asked his courtiers and civilians how he
could Giro umvent the valor Of the organiza-
tions which he knew were preparing to resist
him. m@.=
They were ready with their answer. In
tercept their arms cut off their supply OF
munitions. leave them to theirnatural powers
of resistance and combat, and then our dis
clplined cohnrt OF wel-armed regulars will
walk over them rs easily as the Mace
dontan phalanx stalked through the myriads
OF persanS, armed only with spears and bows
and arrows.
This was the advice 81 the civil officials OF
Kellogg the usurper There was III his coun-
Gil grim old chieftain and soldier, who re-
membered what had passed In the council OF
the Scottish chiertains, when desperate
strategy was proposed In behalf OF the de-
tenders of the Pretend er's cause, and the
startling query was propounded:
"Who will bell the cat?"
Nd IN OWL f pu,,a Jid.
will, but would prefer to take position and
wait for them"
But Kellogg and his civil counselors con-
GUIDED that the aggressive strategy was the
best against mere mob. Advance and
crush them, as did Napoleon Ia his conflict
with the sections" was the brave cry OF
Dibble, his Assistant Attorney General and
chief of staff
"Fhere IS no chance for u.s. decided the
"but to advance and crush them be-
fore they approach the ship which bears their
arms. So, gentlemen, the metropolitan Brig
ade must forward to Canal street, crush these
rebel skunk5 as friend Clinton calls them,
and restore peace, order In my dominion.
Meantime will hasten with my Cabinet
officials and records to that strong fortress,
the Custom-House. and you, Dlbble. can re-
main to surrender the State-House, which Is
not defensible. In the event OF an assaults.
Longstreet will direct the movement Of the
Metropolitan brigade against the mob gath
cred on Canal street."
And then the usurper bundled of with his
staff to the granite fortress, over which the
Federal flag waved. Meantime an immense
assemblage Of citizens had collected at the
corner of Canal and st. Charles. Some OF our
most solid citizens occupied the balcony to
give their countenance to the proceedings.
Speeches were made by popular orators
but very decisive speeches.
The theme was the audacity Of fraudulent
Ia Selling and intercepting the dellv-
cry Of arms to citizens who had purchased the
same.