New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-27
THE SECRET REASON,

easily as 1t can be used to declare them;
and military strategy consists in mislead-
ing the enemy into the belief that an
army is marching toward the east when it
is actually on the tramp in westerly di-
rection. We have had sample of both
of these precepts in our own city within
the last twenty days, wherein the word
reform was used to cover up revolution,
and squad Of Illegally appointed officers
called sergeants-at-arms were to peace
fully dissolve the Legislature with guns
plundered from the State. That the
operators and spectators in the revolution
abused the word reform, we clearly estab-
lished in our argument against them yester-
day, for when they had a chance to correct
abuses they refused to avail themselves
Of the opportunity, and thus well nigh
prevented reform from being brought
about. And that they attempted to over
come the State by strategy was developed
when they professed to desire only the
repeal of certain obnoxious laws, when
their purpose was to overthrow certain
political enemies. Their conduct during
the entire controversy has demonstrated
that they only used the language of pa
triotism to conceal their want of that virtue,
and that they put on the badge Of peace
only to cover up their hostile designs.
And the defeat which they met at every
point resulted as much from that lack of
confidence which ever attends men who
are acting under cloak as if it did from
the obstinate resistance and open challenge
which met them wherever they deployed
their agents.
They acted under cloak, and had de-
signs which they did not declare. And
since we punctured the mark and revealed
the fact that the reformers were not what
they pretended to be, it now becomes us
to work them up and show what they really
are. Thus our suggestion assumed that
they merely intended to reform certain
laws; our suggestion is that they were con-
spirators who assumed the name Of re-
formers only to cover revolutionary and
desperate purpose without any regard to
reform.
The first evidence which we shall offer
will be the admission Of Senator Black
man, accompanied by written document
to the same effect, signed by fifteen other
Senators, that the Democratic members of
the Senate had coalesced with certain of
their Republican associates for positive
purpose, which was the repeal of certain
Objectionable laws. They proposed to do
this by breaking a quorum Of the Senate,
which is a novel way to secure legislative
action by arresting the very proceedings
necessary to the success of their treaty.
This document is important as proving its
own worthlessness, for after the very laws
against which the conspiracy pretended to
be directed were fully repealed, the con-
spirators still maintained their alliance and
absence from the Senate. If their pur-
pose had been what they said it was, its
accomplishment ought certainly to have
dissolved their treaty. Even upon this
circumstantial theory the reformers ought
to be convicted as dissemblers.
But to proceed. The next piece Of evil
dence which will be submitted is the
official declaration of the Democratic
Parish Committee, which was published
to the world on Wednesday, and has not
since been denied or contradicted by any
of the conspirators. 1t is as follows, and
declares the Interior and desperate motive
that lurked behind and was covered up by
the demand for reform
The success of the schemes proposed by
the coalition would result in the impeach-
ment of Warmoth and the precipitate flight
from the soil of Louisiana of all his plum
dering horde of officials in less than thirty
days.
To this rather emphatic disclosure of
what the secret design was, we beg leave
to offer next in order a paragraph which
originally appeared in Northern paper,
but which obtains its strongest claim to be
accepted as evidence in this case by the
fact that it was yesterday copied into and
fully Endorsed as correct by the Citizens
Guard, of this city. Speaking Of the at
tack that was to have been made upon the
State House on Monday last, the writer
says:
The unanimity of feeling among the citi-
zens, the immense gathering, the coOlness and
deliberation rih rhich their plans had been
formed, would undoubtedly have secured
victory, were it not for the inter
ference of the federal authorities.
Is this enough? We have here the
written evidence that a treaty did exist
between the Democrats and certain dis
affected Republicans to accomplish some
thing positive. The record shows that
after this positive purpose had been
accomplished by other parties than those
who signed the compact that was so sim
gularly contrived that it almost succeeded
in defeating its own purpose, the con-
tracing Senators still held to their other
and secret object. We have next the
open declaration of the allies and sup
porters of the contracting and confederat-
ing Senators as to what this secret object
was, to wit: the impeachment of Gov
ernor Warmoth and the expulsion of all
the State officials within thirty days
And to this we had the added testimony
of the organ of the conspirators that but
for the interposition OF the federal troops
this secrect object, or rather ''the plans