New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-03-27
ADDRESS no THE PEOPLE on THE
STARE or LOUISIANA.

I pie OF Louisiana, signed by the American members
of both hranchesof the Legislature 1t first appeared
in the Baton Rouge Gazette, of the Esd inst; and,
although evidently drawn up in haste makes strong
points and brings powerful arguments to bear ganst
the Illegal and tyrannical acts which
disgraced the legislation Of the past session, and
established precedents that not only override stat
uary enactnents, Interfere with the prerogatves Of
the judiciary upset an order Of things recognized since
the foundation of our government, but which actually
set at naught the elective franchiseby substituting
the will Of legislative majority in place OF the Will
Of the people, when the voters have seen proper TO
elect to office personally q polltlcay op
d noxious to the aforesaid majority 9
Of these facts are clearly and distinctly set forth;
and are fortified by arguments and. illustrations of
great strength although we are well convinced the
N document will be generally lead-and it should be
u thoughtftly perused BY the people Of the State-we
pronose abiding to a few of the more prominent
some Of which are as new as they are startling,
Land disclose state of affairs which should cause
every citizen Of Louisiana be he of native or for
eisn birth, American d Democratic in politics, to
hang his head for very shame over the fallen and de-
graded condition of a once proud and naughty and
honorable Commonwealth.
The argument in relation to the process by which,
sunrnarily and Illegal duly returned American Sen
ators and Representatives elected from seats to
which they had been elected, is strong, terse and
truthful. The whole ground is surveyed and occu-
pied; the Wickedness and despotism Of the majority
powerfully portrayed and the Inscriptions incon-
sitencies Of the dominant party painted in unfading
eolols. In the Senate the three American Senators
were expelled upon exclusively ea parte testimony,
under an old and invalid law Of 1914 which was
4 sTepudiated in the House, shortly afterwards when
similar ubiquitous proceedings were progress in that
body N t only were they expelled but sixteen Sen
4 ators-less than a majority Of the whole body-ad-
mitted the contestants, thus practically asserting
supremacy over theyoice Of thousands Of voters IN
tie Parish Of Orleans. And this arbitrary and un-
heard Of procedure was despite the oft
repeated desire of the minority that the matter should
be referred back to the peope-he Of all eglt
Innate authority under the final arbi-
tration and settlem emit But no: the majority would
81 take no testimony but one-sided testimony; would
no evidence but that which was favorable to the
contestants would allow the contestees no opportu-
nifty to bring in rebutting proof would not consult
II the voters and the partisan committee to which
matter predetermined upon had been referred, had
NEITHER tile courtesy nor the manlness to allow the
!, minority of the committee chance to bring in a
counter report with that Of the ma
tjority!
II In the House, the same farce was gone through
q with. intelspeIsed with conduct alike shameless and
Inconsistent What was evoked authority to eject
4 one set was dsregarded in the case of another set
II although the circumstances were precisely similar.
The majority did not even deem semblance Of ordi-
nary decency necessary all the time, and so com
p1etely uncloaked themselves during the tendency of
some Of the contested election But we cannot
extend our remarks further on this part Of the adj
dress, and WILL therefore, leave it, recommending our
readers to bestoW upon it thorough consideration
They will find it worthy prolonged study and atten-
ton, for it is history of unparalleled atrocities which
reflects anything but credit upon the fair fame of the
I State
+. VIZ now come to a startling revelation, which will
astonish the good easy people, Notwithstanding re-
peated and current rumors should have somewhat
I prepared them for the den0uemeft. When the mi
Il nority Of the House Communicable case Of Gordon
4 and DeBanc, and Devall and Lumsden beng under
4 the attention of the majority of
the Committee to glazing Inconsistencies in and gross
contradictions Of previously assumed positions, in
gard to other contested elections they were, says
the address, s CooLLY INFORMED THAT THE CENTRAL
II COMMITTEE OF THE DEMO CRATIC PARTY IAD DECIDED
I IN NEW ORLEANS UPON THE COURSE TO BE PuR
i SUED IN ALL THESE CASES"
/ Among the signatures to the document which CON
tainsthis statement we recognize those Of honorable
N heightened, chYaric men, who would sooner suffer
thousand deaths, were it possible, than endorse q
alsehood Therefore, it must be true. In succeed
ing part Of the address the assertion is reiterated
b word for word as it We're This is evidently done tx
render misconstiucton impossible. The repetition wa
necessary for it would have been difficult, otherwise
y to imagine that American legislative body cou
have sunk so deep into the depths of degradation
Bad as we rated the last Legislature, intellectual,
and in many other respects tyrannical and uncalle
for as considered many of their measures unscryl
pulous partisans we ever deemed the maiority-w
were not entirely prepared for this disgraceful deyel
! opInent which brings contulnely and reproach upol
, the whole State and upon all the political parties il
it. We had supposed the Legislature majority
= we nlean-orlgnated and performed their own work
: that the tyrannes to which this patient and slow
= to-anger people submitting, had their origin il
70 legislative hearts and brains; and that the member
of the dominant party were alone responsible 70
their misdeeds.
IL 1t seems we were at fault-that we were sadly mi
takenthat cur belief had no foundation in truth
rest upon The majority Of the Legislature were br
"a as puppets in the hands Of the &C Central Commtt
~ of the Democratic party' in New Oreans-to wor
as they pleased to act as they thought best to vol
ia as they ordered, and to be governed and guided
n their whole official career by the mandates of a
y irresponsible body, adopted in secret sesson-no
h the interests wishes Of their constituents not
the laws Of the land not by the Constitution of Il
:. State they had sworn on the Holy Eyangests
N, obey and enforce. They paid, according to IL
ne authority we have quoted no allegiance to the pc
ple allegiance to statutes, allegiance to rg
and justice, no allegiance to their oahs-in fine,
allegiance to any human or divine agency, sayir
cd and excepting the Central Committee!
= But we have no heart to pursue this mortifyin
~ humating and wretched theme, further Had v
not owed duty to the public faithful journalist
-, we would never have touched it at ALL 1t is pa
of our nature, thank Heaven to delight in continual
= Haunting before the world the shame Of the city ar
State wherein we reside, even when truth deman,
it, much less to indulge in romance, falsehood al
az invention, as is the disgusting and ungratefu hal
=. ~ of the foreign press
The address then refers at length to the proceedn,
~ had in the case of Sheriff Hufty, and argues IL
~, leading points ably and concusivey. No unprej
diced mind after careful reading can resist the co
viction that the process which resulted in the adore
ofremoval, was not passed in contraventon of rigl