The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1898-07-16
Fourth OF July in Big Cane.
BIC CANE, July &, 1898.

q The patriotic citizens of Bi
| Cane had Il hag-raising and 4tI
of July celebration on the 5th
owing to the fact that they di,
, not want to make their elaborate
preparations on the Sabbath. TIL,
meeting was given under the aus
pices of the Cotton-Growe.s As
= sociatian and presided over b,
Hon. 7. a. Hicks, one of ouI
representatives in the Cof1stitu
l tional Convention. Mr.. Hick.
was recently presented, by the
Association over which he so abb,
, presided, with a magnificent gold
headed cane, of which he feeling
ly spoke during the course of the
day.
A platform had been erected
on Palmetto Square, near the
school-house. and circular OF
rather annular table, with q seat
ing capacity Of 500 had been laid
near by, which was loaded with
the good things Of which our peo-
pie are fond and know so we'll
how to prepare. 1t is needless
to say that full and ample justice
was done to the viands, after
they had been duly blessed by the
Rev. Mr.. Randall, who opened the
meeting and the feast with an
eloquent prayer to HIM who holds
the destinies of armies and of
nations in the hollow of His
mighty hands.
After the opening address by
President Hicks, that charter of
our liberties, the Declaration of
independence, was read in clear
and impressive way by ex-senator
Ward: after which the bright,
siIver-tongued roung orator of St.
Landry, Percy Ogden, Esq, was
introduced. and for half an hour
held the vast concourse entranced
by his glowing and patriotic sem
timents, which were clothed in
choice, chaste and characteristic
language. Percy outdid himself,
and can be proud of the record he
made. Many a dark and flashing
eye, that Illuminated the lovely
faces of our charming girls, kim
died with enthusiasm, as the inn
passioned young orator scared in
to empyrean heights.
The President next called upon
DR.. Mayer, who 20 years ago pre-
sided over the school here, and
spent the day enjoyably among
the friends of his youth. The
Doctor said he would confine
himself to informal remarks and
quit the beaten path of 4th of
Julyism to tackle some vital ques-
tions, which the occasion gave
thought to. He declared that the
reunion of our country for the
first time since the war, under one
flag alike honored by every sec
ton, blazed the path of our sol
emn duty at home to bury the
hatchet of factional discord,
which has made ST. Landry by
word and a reproach throughout
the State, and deprived her of
that predominating influence
which her State Importance and
numerical strength entitled her
to. He paid a just tribute to the
late lamented leaders of all fac
tions, spoke of their good quail
ties, now recognized that they were
gone, expressed the conviction
gradually dawning on himself
that no party nor faction had
monopoly of all the saints Or sim
ners, and that it was worse than
folly-it was suicidal, to let the
bitterness and animosities of one
campaign be injected into the
next; for in unity only lays
strength, and that now that the
bone of contention had been
eliminated, it was the duty of
parties to settle their differences
in the ranks of the party, and
line up on live issues, and not on
dead questions. That as we were
standing on the verge of an awful
precipice beyond which loomed
the spectre Of colonial expansion
aud Imperialism; that the manu-
featuring barons of the East and
North, who had opposed the war
on Humanitarian grounds, were
now seeking to turn the benefits
to their selfish interests, and were
perfectly willing to throw away
our most sacred traditions, like
the Monroe doctrine, in order to
afford an excuse for a large
standing army and a navy larger
than needed for our defense;
that when this would be accom-
plished the temptation would be
irresistible, whenever any great
economic question vexed the
country, to switch off into a
foreign war, with all the horrors
of increased taxation, and the
spilling of precious blood. He
condemned in caustic terms the
annexation of the leprous colony
of Hawaii at the instance of
the Sugar Trust and the carpet
baggers, who had subverted the
lawful authority of the Island,