Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-25
LOUISIANA.
The Arrangement OF Pinchbaek by the
Citizens Of New Orleans.
Conclusion Of a Salty DOeument-What
win Grant cay Now!

The following is the conclusion Of tn
document published by Us yesterday
which, coming too late, we We're com
PEELED to defer until to-day:
Since the meeting in New Orleans
under which this committee was ap
pointed, we have been met with tht
suggestion that these orders and acts ar
facts accomplished, aud that their revO
cation or recession would not restor,
stdtu quo, and that our complaint
therefore are unreasonable. II the opin
ion we have be correct, such a condition
ought to affect our action or conduct
When the King of Great Britain estab.
lished an arbitrary government in one
Of the colonies, the remaining colonies
took alarm, lest it might serve as a pre-
cedent, IS well as an instrument to es
tablish such governments elsewhere
besides, men are less patient under tn,
wrongful orders and acts OF a judieia
tribunal than even of violence from
other sources Of authority. A govern
ment which rests for its organization
upon any illegal judicial order, exc
cuted by a marshal, with companies o
soldiers, does not command as much re-
spect or authority as if judicial append
ages had been dispensed with, aud the
army had set up a government with q
strong and usurping hand. The Com.
mittee take the liberty TO say that they
have had no connection with these suits
as parties or attorneys; neither do they
claim any of the offices in dispute
They have not, therefore, been concerned
I'm controversies upon the political class
& which have endangered the peace of
and brought scandal upon, the State
They affirm; that during the last foul
years there has not been a good govern
ment in Louisiana. There has been ex.
travagance, prOdigality, dishonesty anC
waste in the public expenditures. The
public debt has been enormously increas-
ed with but little corresponding benefit
the credit of the State has been given e
speculating corporations for personal
aims. The taxes on property here nave
assumed such a proportion that they
might be called rents by proprietOrs to
the State for its occupation and use.
The taxes upon business oppress the
commercial and labOring classes. The
laws to control the elections of corpora
tions and public institutions stimulate
these excesses of Office-hOlders, and the
consequence is depression and discon-
tent. The State needs an honest, faith
ful and responsible government, con
Quoted 10 attain public objects, and not
TO enrich its members, or to perpetuate
their power. There was an earnest ef-
fort made to obtain such a government
at the last election. We affirm, without
fear of contradiction, that the
foregoing statement exhibits on the
part of the United States Court the most
Unparalleled and baseless usu-pation,
jurisdiction and authority, Of which the
annals of Jurisprudence afford any ex-
ample. The action of the Returning
Board, recognized and vested with all
its powers by this court, has been equal.
~ unprecedented; without any OF the
official returns before them, without any
official data on which alone their action
could have been rightfully based, they
have presumed to proclaim the results
Of the election. The declaration by
them of the votes cast in the different
parishes is as purely faneiful as if no
whatever had been held They
have arbitrarily reduced and increased
votes on one side or the other in differ
ent parishes to suit their purposes. In
several parishes, while returning, or
even adding to votes cast for their can
they have simply annihilated,
or stricken out entirely, votes cast for
their opponents. In other parishes
they have exactly reversed the returns
giving 10 their candidates q majority,
which had really been returned for their
They have not pretended
to furnish the public with any
statement of the basis on which
they proceeded, or theory on which
they acted. Their whole conduct is with
out any kind Of reasonable explanation.
We submit to the people of the United
States that such proceedings reach q
point at which the whole theory Of the
popular government is reversed and
OverthrOwn. The means by which such
results have been reached are enough to
startle the public mind, but the results
themselves are not less appalling. Aside
from the general affairs Of the State, we
find the Legislature of the State de-
ivered over into the hands of men who
we're not elected, and who are utterly
unfit for position Of such responsibility.
As originally composed at its organiza-
lion, it comprised sixty-eight persons
Of color, most of them totally unedu-
eated, with very small minority of
whites. Since that time they have ex-
Delled members whose seats were IN
contested; they have unsested members
elected bS their own board,
and seated their defeated opponents on
he simple ground that the former did
not appear to claim their seats. The
'esult is that originally as bad as
he Legislature was, il makes itself
worse day by day and the prospect
IS that soon the Conservative
slement Of the State viii nave no repre-
Isntation whatever. To those who fat
cred themselves with the hope that Mr..
Kellogg would not willingly abet any
scheme of outrageous misgOvernment, it
5 now apparent that, even supposiug
his to be true, the power of restraining
las passed entirely beyond his control:
hat should be attempt to thwart the
chemes of this Legislature his own inn
leaehment would be probable event of
he future.
Ia conclusion, We would state that We
nave attempted to perform the duties of
'ur mission in the Durest non-partisan
pirit; that We have not sought to furnish
'apital to any political party, to excite
popular clamOr in the interest Of any
action. We have laid our case before
he President and his Attorney General,
md We will willingly testify that we
lave been eourteOusly received and pa
iently listened to. While they have
efused the specific measures of relief for
which We applied, they have given rea-
Ons for such refusal, in no manner inn
dying their indispOsitiOn to see Justice
lone. They have referred us to Con-
Tess, and we feel assured that
We shall have the ifomediate
anction OF the President, so far as we
invite an impartial investigation Of the
acts Of our case, and that we shall have
rs cooperation Ia any measures Of re-
ief which Congress may adopt after q
1st investigation. The people of Loui-
lana ignore party, and are conscious of
n honorable effort to place III Office men
{ tried prObity. They seek justice and
et generosity; they ask for q calm, inn
'artial examiE8tion Of the recent extra
rdinary events within their borders,
nd that there may be q speedy correc-
ion of the dangerous evils now threat
ming the vecy life Of their State.
WASHINGTON, December %, IS72.
The document was signed by the fol-
owing committee: ]. H. Campbell, j.
Aldridge, August Bohn, Joseph Bowl
Rg, n. Barrett, A. Chiopena, J. S.
'Opes, III. w. Conner, H. d. Coleman.
ohm Fairbanks, G. Z. Fenner, +. B.
n Yheelock, A. B. GTiswold, G. Kahn,
McCloskey, g. W. Nolt, H. V. 0g-
en-, w L. Pike, John DePOtts, John
I. Pollock, ]. Tuyes, James Wallace,
Walker Fearn, ID. G. Sahott, II. O.
'eixas, j. w. Ssbonisse, D. West, Rich
rd Taylor, Mayer Stern, r. Pugh,
ieoTge w. Squires, +. A. Haber, H.
faIdes, p. NJ. Baker, Albert G. Janln.
J. Hernsheim, T. II. Kennedy, j. III.
colt, Alfred AIillinbsrger, II. g. Darcy.
ella Martin, w. Marks, G. 81, Wileox
T. X. CrAAsr.