The Pretense For The Rebellion. [N.Y. Times, Sept. 15. 1874]

The Pretense For The Rebellion.

.
(From the Archives of the New York Times)

.
New-Orleans, La., Sept. 14.--The following is the call, signed by fifty business men and firms, under which the Canal street meeting of to-day assembled:
.
Citizens of New-Orleans: For nearly two years you have been the silent but indignant sufferers of outrage after outrage, heaped upon you by an usurping Government. One by one your dearest [r]ights have been trameled upon, until at last, in the supreme height of its insolence, this mockery of a republican government has dared even to deny you that right, so solemnly guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States, which, in article two of amendments, declares that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon. In the same instrument, to whose inviolate perpetuity our fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, it was also declared that even Congress shall make no law abridging the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petititon the Government for redress of grievances. It now remains for us to ascertain whether this right any longer remains to us. We therefore call upon you, on Monday, the 14th day of September, 1874, to close your place of business, without a single exception, and at 11 o'clock A.M., to assemble at the Clay Statue, on Canal street, and in tones loud enough to be heard throughout the length and bredth of the land, declare that you of right ought to be and mean to be free.
.
The Canal street meeting to-day adopted the following resolutions:
.
Whereas, At a general election held in Louisiana on the 4th day of November, 1872, Jno. McEnery was elected Governorby a majority of nearly 10,000 votes over his opponent, Wiliam P. Kellogg, and D.B. Penn, Lieutenant Governor, by a majority of 15,000 over his opponent, C.C. Antoine; and, whereas, by fraud and violence, those defeated seized the executive chair, and from time to time, by other irregular, fraudulent and violent acts, in the face of the report of the Committee of the Senate of the United States appointed to investigate the affairs of Louisiana, that the existing Government of the State is an usurpation, the result of a violent abuse of judicial functions and sustained by force. W.P. Kellogg has continued himself in power, to the gross wrong and outrage of the people of the State of Louisiana, and to the imminent danger of Republican institutions throughout the entire country; and, whereas, with a view to controlling and determining the results of the approaching election to be held in Louisiana in November next, he has, under an act known as the Registration act, and passed for the purpose of defeating the popular will, secured to himself and his party the power of denying registration to bona fide citizens, whose applications before the courts for a mandamus to compel the Assistant Supervisors to enroll and register them has been refused, the registration law, indeed, punishing courts if they dare to take cognizance of such appeals; and, whereas, by false and infamous misrepresentations of the feelings and motives of our people, he has received promise of aid from the Federal army placed at the order of the Attorney General of the United States, and subject to the calls of the United States Marshals, for the purpose of overawing our State and controlling the election; and whereas, in the language of the call for the meeting, "one by one our dearest rights have been trampled upon, and at last, in the supreme height of its insolence, this mockery of a Republican Government has dared even to deny that the right so solemnly guaranteed by the very Constitution of the United States, which in article eleven [II] of the amendments, declares that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon; be it
.
Resolved, That we reaffirm solemnly the resolutions adopted by the white people of Louisiana, in convention assembled, at Baton Rouge, on the 24th of August, 1874; that the white people of Louisiana have no desire to deprive the colored people of any rights to which they are entitled, that A.P. Kellogg is a mere usurper, and we pronounce him as such, that his government is arbitrary, unjust, and oppressive, and can only maintain itself through Federal interference; that the election and registration laws under which this election is being conducted were intended to perpetuate usurpation by depriving the people, and especially our naturalized citizens, of an opportunity to register and vote, and therefore in the name ofthe citizens of New Orleans, now in mass-meeting, and of the people of the State of Louisiana, whose franchise has been wrested from them by fraud and violence, and all of whose rights and liberties have been outraged and trampled upon; we demand of W.P. Kellogg his immediate abdication.
.
Resolved, That a committee of five be immmediately appointed by the chairman, who shall be a member of the saidcommittee, to wait on Mr. W.P. Kellogg, to present to him these resolutions, to demand of him an immediate answer,and report the result of such interview to this meeting.

.
The New York Times

Published: September 15. 1874

Copyright The New York Times

__________

Also See:

.
NEW ORLEANS, Tho. Q. Moore - Governor, Feb. 14, 1862

.

TO THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA, "all the arms in the State, not absolutely indispensable for protection at home", New Orleans, 1862

.

Speech Of Richard H. Dana, Jr., "First, the right to bear arms, fortunately, does not depend upon the decision of any State", June 21, 1865

.

Speech of Hon. A.P. Dostie, "which refuses freemen the right to hold public meetings, to preach, or to carry arms", Jan. 27, 1866

.

Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, “to arm themselves and prepare for the shedding of blood.”, March 4, 1868

.

LETTER OF GOVERNOR WARMOTH, OF LOUISIANA, TO SENATOR KELLOGG,"the whole force would not be sufficient to withstand the onslaught of the armed citizens", Dec. 20, 1868

.

Journals; U.S. Senate 4/5/1871, 12/04/1871, and President Grant to U.S. House of Representatives - "...to deprive colored citizens of the right to bear arms...", 4/19/1872

.

The Coushatta Times, "had presented as many double-barrel shot-guns in their faces", Sept. 5, 1874