Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-03-29
ADDR ESS
TO THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA.

in the legislative action OF the State, the
Constitution has been abused or violated by
the majority, and frecedents dangerous to the
rights of the people, and contrary to the spirit
OF American Government, have been estab-
lished, it becomes their duty as faithful guar
dians OF the public interest, to expose the un-
constitutional, illegal, anti-Amerlcan and
anti Democratic action Of the dominant par
ty-Thereiore
The undersigned american members OF
the General Assembly, being minority In
both branches of that body, believe that the
action of the ma aiority (the Democratic Party
in electing members from their seats and
substituting others in their places, and the
removal Of the Sheriff Of Orleans from office,
was a aSsurpation Of power, offensive to the
Constitutional despotc exercise OF party
tyranny, revolving to the American heart,
and subversive Of the fundamental principles
of representative government.
That our fellow -citl.ens may understand
the facts. and see the dangers OF the enormous
yrongs that have been done, we do respect
fully inform them. that so soon as the Legs
Iature assembled, a resolution was iusroduced
by the dominant party to remove from their
seats. MessrS. Burke. Michel and burthe, the
American Senators who We're returned as
elected from Orleans. and to award the same
to Messrs. Hyams. St. Paul and Nlthers-
that every honorable and legal effort was
made by the american Senators to obtain Tor
the sitting members fair and impartial hear
ing. but they were prevented and contrary
TO all rule. to all precedent. and IN the absence
of any testimony taken contrahcfornu with
the ccnte>tees the Democratic majority not
only vacated but awarded their seats to the
! i rta ita. .tp q
| not even to allow the minority an opportunity
! to make a counter report.
| By this act sixteen Senators less than
! majority of the wholel substituted their will
| IN the place of the ballot box, for it is an nn-
disp,lted fact that upon the most favorable
| and exare-rated count of the ballots that had
! been deposited in the broken boxes, 1ol Sen
atoTs, the number was insufficient to elect
each o! the contestants; they. to accomplish
their purpose, had therefore to go outside OF
| the ballot box. and take into the count votes
| thai had never been deposited. refusing the
contestees an opportunity OF doing the same
| thinr-e>tab!Ishin thereby onsside pfsce-
! dent. dangerous to popular rights and viola
| tive of the Constitution. whSh recognizes
/ the ballot box alone as the great pclladttm Of
.7a.syicon liberty and the only channel through
which the popular voice can be heard.
| The right Of the people of Orleans had to
| elert their Senators has been taken from them
by sixteen of the dominant party, a ies'a~1rc
psurDa,ion most dangerous to the public safe
tv. and most revolving to the public scnsi-
! biIitv.'
We wish il understood that the American
Senators only desired to refer the election
back to the people they were unwilling
that the voice OF the people should be hush
. ed, or stified. either by the laWless acts OF
individuals who would break ballot boxes OF
bv the dominant party who were bold enough
! to substitute their sixteen voices IN 1ne Piace
of the whole people of Orleans. lhe Amer
| lean party condemn IN unmeasureu terms the
breaking of ballot boxes and all slm ar out
RACES on the elective franchise, and never
hesitated to declare the seats vacant and &c
submit to the same people to repair to tnt
ballot box and again to exercise their sacred
rights of choosing their own Senators
The first prominently illegal and uncohs1''
tuiional act of the dopinant party III tht
House of Representatives is the re}ecuon o
AZ. C.. Morgan, Representative elect troH
tbe ninth representative District of the city
ot New Orleans. to give place to Charles
Seuzeneau. Soon after this act, IN no
haste; followed the expulsion OF Lunsae'
and Devall. to make place for Messrs. Gordo1
and Deblanc.
Er-pnrte testimony was alone appealed to
in each case. for the purpose OF ]ustl1ylns
these proceedings; we call it er-purtc testl
rnonv because it was only on one side, an(
taken without the authority of any existing
law. The testimony in these cases was taAeI
in conformity with the act of 1914: which i
the only act in our Statute books that point
ont and prescrbes the mode to be pursued II
tak;no testimony. But we maintain that tn
law Of 1914 is absolutely repealed by that o
Js5j in the 54th Sc, ton of said act, express
ed in the following words: That all law
contrary to the provisions OF this act, and al
laws on the same subject matter, are repea'
ed.'' Now. the only question to be deter
mined is, whether or not this repeating claus
reaches the act Of lSl4 if it does not em
brace the act of 1914, then the remark Q
Tal]evrand with reference to the OBJECT 0
language is fairly illustrated. If the deslg
of language is :" to conceal the thousht'"
the above remarkable man said, then the IN
teution of the law makers has been fully ac
complished. But the ma iority report IN tn
case of Seuzeneau Us. Morgan, says that ~
is evident that this law asia merely pre-
scribes the mode of proceeding and the man
mer of taking testimony to he used III con 60,
> tested electi IN before the Legislature. n
authors OF this report surely could not nav
read with attention the act OF 1874. tse
title of the act and sections /, 2, q 9 and H.
Do not these positions relate to someth'n
; else than the mere mode OF proceedings an
the manner of taking testimony to be used
a contested election before the Legislature
DO thew not treat of the same subject matte
e as the act of 1856 is not all OF it repeale
t bv the 54th section of the latter act In
undersigned do not for moment entertal
e the opin,on that the &C: Of 1855 is perfect,
that it even embraces what 1t should en-
brace, but we hold that it is not wlthlh tn
power of either brancn OF the General Al
sembly as it suits its immediate conVenlene
or purpose to supply deficiencies. In exlstln