The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-11-25
SPEECH OF H. N. OGDEN.

Judge Egan said: 1 introduce to you
a gentleman belonging to a family long
ho ono family: ICheers;l -, -,
men, and fellow-citizens of the parish of
Ouachita, 1T would be utterly impossible
for me to tell you how much pleased
concourse of my fellow-citizens. This is
my first visit to your parish, and in one
sense am a stranger to you but let me
Monroe-as completely at home as feel
in my own city, and L consider o-day
that am surrounded by friends, whose
interests are as dear to me, and with
whom am as safe as with the people of
New Orleans.
Fellow-citizens although have never
before visited this parish, and never had
the pleasure of knowing you personally,
yet have carried in my heart, from my
Louisiana, as a unit, with every hill,
every valley, every town and city, en-
bracing all her people, a complete unit.
one portion over any other. L recoIlect
very well an intensely interesting Pc
n 0 With sf tbe ae ba
citizen-not of New Orleans, but of
Louisiana; her record was dear to me
then, and is dear to me still. / have
thought it proper to say this much, be-
cause the charge has been made that
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS WAS UNDERTAKE
ING TO DICTATE TO THE COUNTRY,
and was pressing upon you q course of
action not in the interest OF the country
This charge has not come from any
large number of people, but it has been
preferred by those who are in opposition
to us, and who desire to break down the
great movement we have inaugurated
for the deliverance of our people. tell
you, fellow citizens, that SO tar from die
Iation or from a spirit of dictation, we
have desired only to meet your views
we have desired only to conciliate you
nd inv hat of ia
whatever course we have adopted, we
have been guided by motives of pure
patriotism, by motives looking to the
best interests of our common State and
under the impression that the country
would accept it as suggestion simply,
| and act upon it as such. We have never
| for one moment thought of debating to
| the people of Louisiana; but we have
determined, in the presence of the dan
gers that now threaten, upon q certain
| line of conduct. In u spirit of genuine
patriotism, and without the least refer
ence to self, we have determined upon
| certain programme, as we conceive, for
your interests and for the interest of the
| State, and we have offered you this pro-
gramme, which is now being ratified
| throughout the State, and which must
work ont in the approaching contest the
| deliverance of our people from the thrall-
the last four years. tCheers.
| Fcllow-citizenS, / am here for the pur-
| pose of addressing myself to nothing
| except
| What l want is an open mind; mind
ready to receive the truth a mind pre-
| pared for the fair discussion of great
| and momentous issues; a mind ready
| to receive the truth if it be presented,
but ready also to reject the statements
| that l, or any one else may make, unless
| they will bear the closest scrutiny. l
come before you for the purpose of dis
| cussinG those issues and 1 undertake to
\ show you that to-day in louisiana there
| is no course open to the people, indeed,
| that there has been no course open to
| her people for the last two months, eS-
cept the course adopted by your com
mitteeS which yon are here to-day Tor
the purpose of rat'fying.
| In the month of February last
! after we had had in New Orleans q most
! discraceful and humiliating exhibition
| of tyranny on the part of the Chief Elk.
| ecutive OF the State, where he was EN-,