The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-28
THE FOURTEENTH or SEPTEMBER
Who Was It's Author 2

New ORLEANS, September ~, 1879.
TO the Editor Of the Democrat
Is 1t needfui to aggrandize the glory and
renown Of 30 meritorious gentlemen as Gen
+. N. Ogden, that the facts Of history should
be obliterated or perverted In regard to nota-
BILE Incidents, OF which the knowledge Is pos
sessed by 90 many, and their due and proper
share OF honor won should be denied to worthy
citizens Such course as this Id neither Just
to Gen. Ogden nor to the citizens who are thus
ignored. No honest or good citizen would
filoh from him single feather Of the Iaurels
he has earned: and he himself cannot desire
nor can he be benefited by absorbing more
than his share OF the glory Of an exploit In
which others participated as largely and had
Us important agency as himself.
And yet this Injustice has been done by the
over-zealous and ardent orators, who have
filled the newspapers with their rhetorical
tributes to Gen. Ogden for bis services on the
fourteenth OF September, and In oblivion Of
others who acted conspicuous and quite as
important parts In that revolutionary move
ment. One Of the parties affected by this In
Justice being an original friend Of Gen. Ogden,
1t cannot be presumed that this complaint
originates In any political prejudice or oppo-
sition to that gentleman.
We refer to Gov. ID. B. Penn, the gentleman
who received 6OOD more votes than GOV. Nc
Emery In the great contest Of 1872. It was not
necessary to achieve military renown or illus
trate his valor and efficiency In combat that
Gov. Penn should lead the gallant dash made
by our heroic soldiers on the Fourteenth OF
September against the Metropolitan COM
mand, which embraced the military opera
tions or the fourteenth. tie had given these
gloofs o. us soiu.e1iy virtues In oil the great
battles Of the marvellous campaigns OF Lee
and jackson In Virginia, where he was three
times wounded and always ut his post. At
the civil head Of the revolution OF 1874, his
duties did not permit or justify his assuming
the active command OF the troops engaged on
the fourteenth. Butts itnottrue that he wasthe
author and originator Of the whole scheme OF
attacking and overthTowlng the government
Of Kellogg; that for weeks and months ne had
been engaged In organizing, equipping and
preparing q gallant battalion OF young men,
under one OF the best military organizers and
skillful commanders, veteran OF the Virginia
army, the late lamented Col. Angel that with
negotiations, tho White League being the
strongest, be frat proposed hts plan to Gov.
McEnery and Gen. Ogden, and invited their CO
operation In the movement TO overthrow the
government OF Kellogg: that Gov. MeEnefy
declined for reasons, but consented to absent
himself from the State, to enable Gov.
Penn to pursue his plan; that Gen. Ogden
consented to the plan. and only awaited
the arrival of hts arms expected from New
York to cooperate In Its execution? Gov.
Penn stipulated that SO far as this movement
was concerned 1t should be by citizens who
were opposed to the KELLOGG governm emf
and not as White League or political orRan-
ization, as he was never member OF that
Organization. Is 1t not true, too, that Gov.
Penn presided at all the councils and bore the
chief part and responsibility therein, desig
mated the commander Gen. OGDEN. and adj
vised the plan Of the movement as 1t WAS car
ried ont2 And that Col. Angalps battalion
organized under the personal directions Of
Gov. Penn, end which was not Of the White
League, but was assigned a most important
part OF the movement, which 1t executed with
great gallantry and energy? And 10
all the trying exigencies OF the struggle
and Id the responsibilities, labors cares and
perils attending the assumption OF tho Chief
Executive Of the State were not the services
OF Gov. Penn quite as conspicuous and merf-
torous as those OF Gen. Ogden, which Is
vital historical fact? Was he not the oriOiaa-
tor, author and ptanner Of the whole reyolu
tiOu which WIS .cOnsum mated on the four
teenth of September? We believe that Gen.
Ogden would bear the strongest testimony
to these facts. and that his over-zealous
friends. who strive to ignore and Obscure
them, are chargeable with indscretion and
an Injurious overzeal Of which they Will,
doubtless, awake to the consciousness Of
when they reach that condition Of eatmness
that ought to be observed In writing or
speaking Of historical occurrences.