New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-12
The Press IN L0uislana Affairs.


There have been in the Northern States.
even in the great State of Ohio, contests be-
| tween opposing parties in the General AS
| semhly to secure the control of it when the
| balance of the two parties was very close.
| The struggle for the control of the Leglsla-
| ture of Louisiana exceeds, In the desperate
| character of the measures on both sides, any
| former contest for similar object, unless
| we may except the manner OF the Demo-
cratic coup d'e,at in Ohio when the Demo-
cratic members encamped in the legislative
| halls night and day, in continual session,
and when the party took on the French
fashion of revolution by electing a commit
tee of safety, with Samuel Medary at the
head, and when the legislative halls, under
this continuous Democratic session. came to
smell like Forepaugh's menagerie of foreign
beasts. Those were gay times in Ohio poll
tics.
But the most striking difference in the
Louisiana struggle is the attempt of one
faction to recover a majority in the Legis-
lature by the arrest of twenty-six mem
bers by the United States marshal. besides
the Governor and Lieutenant Governor,
upon charge of conspiracy. upon complaint
under the ku-Klux law. The affidavit
upon which this warrant was issued has
been published in the Gazette kilograms.
1t charges no overt act. 1t alleges that the
the persons named
Made an unlawful combination and con-
spiracy in the State of Louisiana, of a Sc
cret character, for the purpose of obstruct-
ing and hindering the execution Of the laws
thereof and also those of the United States,
the purpose of said conspiracy being to de-
prive the Representatives of the General
Assembly of the State of Louisiana, both
in their individual and representative char
actarS Of thair riUhts nrl yilepaS and ImInu-
mites as such under the laws and cOnstitu-
ton both of the State of Louisiana and of
the United States; that the constituted au-
thOrities of said State are unable in part and
in part unwilling to protect them in the enjoy
ment thereof, thereby denying to said citi-
zens and Representatives equal rights I'M
der such constitution and laws; that by
means Of the said conspiracy said parties
have taken violent and illegal possession of
the hall of the House of Representatives.,
have attempted violently to eject the Speak
er of said House, and have been engaged in
bribing and cOrrupting divers members of
said House, and have used and are using
means of intimidation to deter others from
discharging their duties and lncite riot, all
against the peace and dignity of the United
States.
This is Just what any faction that wants
to secure the control of a Legislature may
the curiosity of asking the arrest Of mem-
bers of the Legislature in order to secure
the Legislature in the enjoyment of its
rights and privileges, and to seize one part
of the members i'll order that the other
part may enjoy their equal rights under the
constitution. We need not say that there
is no law by which what is here charged is
made an offense, subjecting men to arrest.
If the ku-klux law really furnished a
fn mo
texts, it would justify all that the ku-Klux
Democracy have charged against it. Upon
such pretext the United States marshal
could be called in to change the balance in
any State Legislature, upon accusations by
the minority that they believed the major
ity had conspired to deny them their equal
rights under the constitution.
The public shame of this desperate strug-
gle of factions in Louisiana, each charging
the other with the gravest profigacy, plum
der and bribery, and each resortlng to the
most desperate means to compass their
ends, is surpassed by the scandal of the
United States marshal coming to Legisa-
ture and Selling its members upon this
frivolous charge in order to turn the balance
in favor of the faction he served. To add
to this, We have the statement that the Sen
atOrs, absenting themselves to prevent a
quorum, were sheltered from the authority
{
steamer, named the Wilderness. This inter
vention has dishonored the United States.
and has given color to the standing charge
OF the Democratic party, that this has be-
come centralized and military govern
ment, while it has only deepened the com
plications in the Legislature.
These are exceedingly complicated, and
the charges of the factions against each
other are SO fierce that it is hard to gather |
the truth from them Plumber, prot1igacy
and bribery are SO freely charged by both |
parties that these can have but little weight, |
save as mutual examinations. There has |
long been a faction struggling to overthrow |
Governor Narmoth, and utterly unscru- |
pulous III the means to that end. This is |
headed by the government officers. The |
strong means they are ready to use may be |
judged by their mtrailleuse State conven-
ton IN the Customhouse, guarded by United |
States troops. On the other hand Governor
Warmoth is bold, skillful, and not scrupu-
lous, and, so far, he has managed to keep
the forms of law and the appearances on
his side. The anti WarmOth faction has
now 90 tlitioD, embracing the most of the
Democratic members, who, in this, are
about as Democrats are everywher,.
The death of the colored Lieutenant Gov
ernor, who was of the anti-Warmoth fac
ton, was made an occasion for calling an
q
cessOr. Pinchback, a Warmoth man, was
elected The legality of his election is de-
MED. 1t is claimed that Carter the Speaker
of the House, is the lawful Acting Gov
ernor in case of the disability of the Gov
ernor. And behind this is scheme to
bring articles of Impeachment against the
Governor, under a constitution which has
the convenience that when such charges are
brought in, the Governor is suspended from
office. On the other side, it is charged that
Carter was ineligible tor member, and,
therefore, was not legally in the speaker
ship. 1t viii be noticed how short the way
is to GUST Warmoth and put in Carter as
Governor, under this impeachment pretext
When the regular session came ON, the
Senators Of the CustOmhouse faction alb
sented themselves to prevent a quorum and
the ratification or recognition of the cleo
ton of Pinchback. Here came in the
United States revenue cutter as means of
a session of a revising State
Legislature. In the House the Custom
house faction tried to unseat several War.
moth members by charges of corruption,
and there was no lack OF cOuntercharges
The WarmOth faction tried to unseat the
Speaker and elect another, and carried
majority vote to that end, but Carter had
a band of armed men at hand who came
upon the stage and defended him in the
possession. Then the Governor called in
an extra force of police to guard the State
House, and then the Customhouse faction
brought in the United States marshal to
arrest enough Warmoth members to give
the ants the control Of the House.
They swiftly improved this opportunity
by unseating several Warmoth members
and putting Democrats in their places,
they had not quorum. Then the
Governor made flank movement by call
ing an extra session. A quorum, including
those unseated, convened and elected
Speaker in the place of Carter. The Gov
nrrn, q IIonad as his reason for calling an |