New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1855-10-17

Very respectfully, TH0s. j. SEMMEs /
Corresponding Secretary
Democratic State Central Committee.
Executive Com, AMERICAN PARTY OF La I
nanny New Orleans, Oct g. 1855. !
To The Democratic Stae Central oommiitcs M
Gentlemen-The communication which you did ia the
honor transmit to this Committee date OF yeser
day, been under consideration reply thereto
re No
lean party of Louisiana to to every legal voter the
exercise Of his privilege at the ballot in November
next Nothing will be authorized countsnanced by
which may be Inconsistent with the established law Of
the land. 5s5asgs Ia. IL "a
The great object We to have restored IL pos,b,e
the purity of the elective franchise in Lousans by cor
daily inviting and assistinga who have right vote
to the polls and exercise that right regardless
political bias; anu by advising all to remain away from
the polls who have not legally acquired that right whether
their preference be for one or the other Of the political
parties. I. s4ss=5
The law ordans that three inspectors Of election sha
preside at each precinct Of the city Every inspector be-
tore entering upon his duty required take an oath
prescribed in due FORM faithfully to dispense Justice
according 70 law towards every who presents himself
to vote. Y
The proposition contained in your communication is to
unite the influences Of both the Democratic State Central
Committee and the Executive Committee Of the Amer
lean party of Louisiana TO control the Judgment those
inspectors upon that occason through the opinions Of
gentlemen Of the Newoeans bar already selected by VOW
We decline doing this.
The Inspectors whoever they NAV be- ought ia be se
scted tor their capacity we'll asor their honor net
for thsr capacity form their unassisted opinion o
!
the opinions of eminent lawyers well without the inter
ference Of your Committee with it. And being
for their acts to any party who feels asgreved
by their misconstruoton Of the law consider il would
be an Interference rather to be avoided by attempt
any influence on their minds in this very important
matter.
We deem proper to observe that having closely
ned the list OF eminent urs to whom you have proposed
to address the series Of questions embodied In your COM
munication regret being obliged to remark that in
that extended st have been enabled perceive the
name Of but gentleman known to be friendly the
mari lilo
| equally known to be decidedly hostile to them 1
From the catalogue Of interrogatories you have pro-
posed some questions Of vast Importance have emit
ted At every election large numbers persons present
themselves at the polls and offer to wholesome of them
gnoranty others with fraudulent intentions The cues
ons propounded by the Inspectors in many instances
elicit the truth, and nsmbers OF votes rejected
According to the apparent views Of the Democratic
Committee twonld be impossible to detect fraud in any
instance where tha voter nnooenty from preconcersd
fraud 10 willing merely to take the oath.
La the Inspector to be debarred from asking questions
Is he not compelled sworn officer of the law to
enghten both his conscience and that voter
Does not the law provide infamous and degrading
atty Tor any Inspector who receives illegal vote know
| ing it to be such :?
And when be has doubts how shall he nroeeea n NOT
by giving to the individual Offering yots ths necessary
explanations touching his qualifications by satisfying his
conscience and then putting the oath prescribed BY the
statute This part Of the subject have been en-
gist Of the matter in issue.
The Democratic Committee may be well assured of the
desire OF the American party of Louisiana to have
but LEGAL votes accepted at the polls It ia obvious,
therefore that Cordial concurrence with this
hy all parties there will be rejected who have the
right, and none admitted who have not. @H
4 Respectfully, G. BURKE
Chairman of the Committee on Correspondence
Tho grounds Of refasal fully set forth in the
foregoing answer to which invite especial attention
assured of our course by oil Of
| partial Judgment.
The Democratic Committee proposed we should be gov
srned in our views Of Che law elections and the quail.
acaton of voters BY the opinions certain eminent urists
whom they had previously selected for the occasion We
declined the proposition for this, among other reasons
that we mad not been afforded thu opportunity Of partc
pang in the selsstion Of those gentlemen nor bad we
consulted in the preparation Of the questions be
submitted te thanobseting to the former because Of
their known hostility to the principles Of the American
party and to the latter because they did not embrace
questions of vast Importance essential to full under
standing of the mattersin issue.
Our REFUSAL however caused no disappointment To the
Democratic State Central oomnittee for without waiting
to recsive decision the subject they had
their communications to the several gantaman of the
bar Simultaneously .rfh their proposal 10 ts and in fact
had receyeda reply from of the gentlemen before
our committee had time to assemble to consider the sub
jece proposed We assume this to have been the ease
the dates given to the communications and
published by the Democratic Committee.
We were never expected, therefore, to be party to
this onesided arrangement but the Democratic Com
mittse nevertheless Affects to have been most deeply
disappointed byour REFUSAL thus shows on the
| casion,
subsequently, to his second communication was re-
oeivsd by us wthother propostionsone Of which was
to appoint committee of conference Our response was
Immediate, aud In the Affirmative We suboin copies of
| both letters:
/ DfaocRATc STars CENTsA ALL COMMITTEE Roon,
| New Orleans Oct. TO- 1865 /
Tathe Executive commiassqr the american Party: =
Gentemsn-I hsve the honor to enclose copy of GER
tain resolutions adopted by the Democratic State
Committee last evening, The resolutions need no
comment, as they explain themselves. The following
gentlemen have been appointed rs COMMITTEES ia
with you on the matters specified in the resolutions viz
NJ. simpson, Mr. Jordan, Mr.. Gurot, Mr.. semmes and
SIR. Senzeneau.
Joint arrangements will guarantee, least greatly con-
tribute to the preservation of the public peace the De-
mocrptlo State Central COMMITTEES invites ye,r
ton Very respectfully,
/ Signed THos JssEssEs, Cor Sec D. s. &C,
Copy Of Resolutions adopted by the Democratic State
Central Committee, Oct 9th. 1866
Resided That the Corresponding Secretary be reauss
ed TO address the Executive Committee the American
party and ascertain from them whether they will appoint
joint comittees with to saperintend the polls on the
day Of election further TO invite such suggestions
from them ss may tend to conserve the public peace on
| Resolved, That the Chairman appoint a Committee
q I'VE 60 confer with Committee from the Executive
Committee "a party 10 arrange all matters
referred to In the foregoing resolution
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AMERICAN PARTY LOUISIANA
New Orleans, eet IL, 1855,
IL tte Democratic State Central Commitee ! zaz
Craftsmanship communication which You addressed
to us under date the 10th nst was last evening sub
nted to this committee when requested to inform
you of the appointment Of committee of Fe to confer
with the committee you have named
We shall be pleased to meet You whsnevsrit may best
suit your convenience, and
Eremain, very respectfully,
Signed, g. BuRKgsGh. Com, on Cor J.
1t must here occur to the mind of every person on
reading this correspondence, that part there
has bsena strong desire to meet the Democratic Commit
tee for the purpose of eecng the most proper
ments between us But their part this cannot have
bean the case for although they proposed the Confer
enee many days have elapsed since 1t was accepted
by and we have from them no Specification Of their
readiness to meet us.
Aeeordngy We submit to the people Of Louisiana with
this circumstansi deta Of facts the proposition how
they may have in the publshsd statements Of
the pefhoeraae state Central Committee For pending
the Rpnaiutnfent of N Cnumitfap nc