New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-06-14
From the New Orleans Advocate.
General Buchanan's Usurpatio


fully throws off all disguise and DIS
closes the temper and designs OF the
man, it has startled the community the
most.
We invite attention to the record he
has made in his official conduct, as
Commanding General Of this district
| We do not go back to his record in
the war, although it might throw lit
tie more light upon his present course
to do SO.
He chose as his civil advisers here
men who are opposed to the Congress
| siOnal policy Of reconstruction.
All his important appointments to
| offices have been from the same class
of men, and many of them have been
men who were in the rebel armies, and
who are most bitterly endeavOring to
defeat reconstruction.
He placed the late election in the
hands chiefly of rebels and Democrats
who we're opposed to reconstruction
By these, his agents, he intimidated,
abused, and prevented from register
ing hundreds of loyal voters.
By the same agents he wrongfully
and in the most brutal manner ar
rested and imprisoned hundreds of
legal voters on the days Of election,
and retained them in imprisonment
until after the election. These men
we're not allowed to vote. A large
majority Of them acre Republicans.
By the same agents he Illegally and
in gross violation Of the rights Of
citizens, by force and fraud, tOsk from
hundreds of legal voters on the days
of election their certifc ates of regis
tration. This was robbery.
He has hagrantly violated the act of
Congress passed March 90, 1867,
which provides among other things
that the persons appointed to super.
intend said election, and to
make return Of the votes Civ
en- thereat, shall count and make
return of the votes given" etc,
and The (the Commanding General)
shall open the same (tho returns), as
certain the persons elected as dele
gates according to The returns Of he
officers lgho conducted said election, and
make proclamation thereof" and the
act of Congress passed March -,
1868, which extends the provisions of
the previous act in regard to elections
to the election Of such officers as are
provided for by the said csnstitu-
tion," in this, that he has not made
proclamation of the persons elected
at the last election according 70 The
returns Of the officers soho conducted
said election" but he has in various
instances proclaimed those to be
elected who were not elected sac
cording to the returns of such
officers.
He has also violated the laws OF
Congress in assuming powers not CON
ferred upon him by law; in this, that
he has assumed to revise and recounl
the returns made to him by the
commissioners of election, and to pro-
claim the election according to his own
arbitrary will and notaccording to the
returns of his sworn officers appoint
ed in compliance with the law; and he
has assumed to prohibit the General
Assembly elected under the censtitu-
! ton, and in the manner prescribed by
Congress, by the people of the State,
from meeting until he shall give them
authority; and in this that contrary to
the provisions Of section four of the
act of Congress, approved July 10,
1867, he failed to remove from Office
list of from two to three hundred ruff
fans, out-thrOats, thugs, and assassins
who were appointed as deputy sheriffs
on the days Of election, and were using
their position to brOw-beat, bully, aud
terrify voters and drive them from the
polls, and this, although he, General
Buchanan, was informed of the char
acter Of these men, and of theiI
lawless conduct Now as q
fitting climax to this career
Of usurpation, violation Of law, ana
neglect Of his duties, he has arrested
Mr.. s. B. Packard, the Chairman o
the Board Of Registration, for the per
formance Of the very duty for which
he had been appointed.
The Constitutional Convention
acting under authority of the sam,
law by virtue Of which the command
ing general exercises his powers, AM
being as independent of him as h,
was Of it, and having sole and OK
elusive Jurisdiction ever the particulal
duty prescribed to It, to wit: f" To Is
ta6lish a Constitution and cipil govern
meaf Jsr this State loyal % he Union, >
thought &c, in the exercise Of that dis.
erection conEded to it BY the supreme
law of the land, to apPoint a commit,
4