The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-11-25
SPEECH OF RANDALL L. GIBSON.

Ing before the people Of Ouachita feel gratfhed
to SEQ here tonight. gracing by their presence
this meetlng. so many of the fair daughters OF
Ouachith, our beloved Southern women. the
daughters of our dearly beloved Southern
country. They appear like IN onuments ehis.
eled from the marble or as beautiful paintings
thrown upon the canvas franc. But woman
works upon the immortal mind of man as
thought wanders through eternity and shapes
the des'lnies Of mankind. [Applause1 They
are always first la every good causs and last at
the grave Of every good cause that has benefited
or blessed mankind. tApplausel / am glad to
see here. too, the men OF Ouaohta parish. IL
has been my fortune in this world to see many
of it's vicissitndes, tolook upon many of Its most,
interesting and serious aspects. have looked
upon the main warriors OF our time. have seen
marshaled In array the hosts returning from
the Orimean war under the eye OF him whose
remarkable and romantic life fills the record OF
our age. Napoleon the Third. | have seen the
mighty hosts of Russia marshaled before their
Emperor. / have seen the Veterans OF the
Southern cause filing from the last battle.
showing to tho last courage that has made
fellow. citizens, when look upon the men OF
Ouachlta parish. the men who struek down this
and Wee that n to
overwhelm our OWL zation, feel u pride In
the people OF my state. In the manhood OF my
age, as no other sighf In nv llfe has ever in
epired. tApplause1 1t is related. as you will
recolleet. that In the great battle that deter
mined the fortunes Of the ancient World-the
battle of Pharaalia ts sar on on side represent
Ing the sturdy Democracy OF Rome, and PompeY
on the other side mt the head of the flower Of the
n9b h9 n % q bn a vas w1 aa1ars s
upon CfBsnrs right funk and thus throw his
few legions into confusion SO that he might
overcome the forem st man of the lime. But,
faIInyV-
tho ae3ouut of that bnfle. thnt Ctn sar. for esee-
ing The plan OF Pompey. placed upon his right
cavalry Of Pompey and Rome. with oil its
mighty treasures OF accumulated wealth, YVES
ysq It Is In 'y ,n' sae W. OH Of the soo city Of NsW Or
leans. the young men Of our CITY. deserve
credit for the patriotic courage they displayed
on u memorable OCCASION But, when we esaw the
horizon darken again 1t WAS he parish OF Oua.
chita that first rallied against the hordes OF
kadieasm md IKE n, th9 ten,h legion. ION tnreW utne
hera @ ssq ls Parish IN our State that IS entitled e
be called the tenth legion OF the Democracy II
is the ancient and heroic parish Of Ouachita.
said few moments ago that the men who
achieved this victory were entitled TO the great
est admiration. This is not q casual remark.
do not make use Of this language to fiatter you.
don't come here to indpsa tsa ia peTs9aa en- en-.
philosophic historian comes to discuss the
causes That have brought ruin upon the South
ascribe it to the war. No. he cannot ascrlbe it
to the war. 1t is true that Ws lost 5O0. 900 men In
he war y y trae s teas We = l9ss eight P es ten
talk about the indemnity that Germany imposed
upon France OF one thou 4and millions; but the
people from the Southern people was ten-fold
that imposed by the German Emperor upon
the French people But war and the
Ths Tbs gaps made By the war would soon
have been filled. The country Of Fred
erick tho dreat. eontendlng with three mighty
empires was made strong by var; so strong.
SO hardy. so frugal. that In less than two or
three generations she has bscome the first pow-
or upon the Continent Of Europe. Why, France
was not destroyed by tho Germ n wsr. She had
torn from her two Of her fairest provinces, and
the French people ~ u IN MADNESS, turned
destroy all their monuments OF modern achieve
ments. But France. almost In the twinklng OF
eve has IT, os not and most
people. Why This war oH secession enobled
The South. ,romeu,ber ,hehirg lew years
f9 o ne"n o ereas Yes W@o Is hat on
the battlefield VI Getty bIrg. Lincoln was rid
ing over thai fed Gov. Rice, OF Massaehu-
ss tsry Rdss adsM S ami 1 said" Ths e.stIon
ansd h"a Tey X hs he'd III posan haa houe9 e9n Il
They deserve to bs immortaIizsd and gone
ration after generation VIII do honor 40 70 the
height. and he aald: Il think that Is true But
II seems to me that the mon who came up these
hoighA and thrHe times TOOK this hill, deserve
crndit also and that our cbildreu's children
Will be proul to cali them 60 intrymen;" Zap
plausel Tor their yalor was equal to that OF the
50 ii IL, the mon whof ught at Gettysburg and
Chckamauga have teit to generations unborn
ruined people. What then Is 1t that has
brought such ruin aud destruction upon VS.. 1t
has been. In ono WORD. the m'ssovarnmsntin in,-
I,trf Efn HnrU q
it that this government operates su h ruin and
de-truction2 The aehie. . n"nts Of society 10
modern times. tho ncrumu lated movable
wealth, labor saving machln.ry. have changed
entirely the face OF the W rid.
80 intimate arc the tics between the govern
ment aud society. that he govern ment has be-
come he source which feeis all III, indu try in
all the pursuits and avocn ions OF life. SO that
II the foundation be poi7onei: II the spring
itself be dragged. the whole maehnery ts
thrown out OF gear aud aesotation ensDss. The
fact IL, that In the Sou horn states not only was
tons OF life were changed In th. ir most inter-
est.nR aspects. Society WAS threatened with
constant menace. M man anew what to NOR;
row would bring forth. No man With capital
would invest 1t; property became deprecated.
credit vanished. We found ourse,vos in posses
sion Of our lands and our iands alone,
Fellow citizeus. this Rt icai power threatens
not only the material Inter sis nf our people.
but tho moral and ibtellectnal life Of our. peo-
stitutlons Of learning In he land. They deprived
ns OF the means OF educating the ,ounR men
and women OF our country. They corrupted.
wherever they had the power. every man and
every woman that they 3 MD possibly reach By
the Establishment of Off y, and the means 10
which they we're 50 fertile. and expedients
which they always had ~ their command. SO
that society In all its ramit:ai ,ns became
strlcken with paralysis And now this pesti-
lence. ~ power. this worse than The pestilsnee
OF yellow fever. carrying death to all sooisty.
bankrupting our people. manaclinR our olate. -,
this terrific poWsr. tins hi cons Eaonstyer. nas
bsen stricken from our midst and oyerthEoWn .
nj III fort 4,
tho work OF redeeming our peopls., are more
eAtitled TO the gratitude ana h aimirhloh nala o. o.
plausel Hence 1t Is that yon perceive fnas
there Is deep philos ,phy andeslylsg the 5,ae ac-
ton OF all thesy parishes, like Onaehlta Con
cordia and Tensas, moving not for DOMINO l1ss
tioa. not moving atone 70 make Tealsn
and comfort in n'o. but moving FOR social pre-
seryation. the preservation Of our civilization.
/ so Indispensable TO the security Of our balng.
4 absolutely tudispeusatlei D enable Ha TO educate
our children, absolutely indispensable In order
| that We may cali these lands our lands. and this
sod our sod lApDiause Hence It is. repeat
| that the men engaged in this WORK those who