The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1872-12-27

! parchment of the Governor, and thus Pinch
| back felt at liberty to assume the title of
Governor. Two distinct iudgeships were
abolished and new court called. The Su-
perior Court was established with eXtraordi-
nary powers. and among others exclusive
| jurisdiction to determine title % office, and
| Mr.. Hawkins, one Of the members Of the
board who had made the false election
returns, was made Judge
Steps having been taken by the Governor
in his official capacity TO secure revision by
the Supreme Court of the United States of
the chanccry orders of the United States Cir.
cult Court, these bodies forthwith adopted
resolutions to dismiss those proceedings.
| The address adds:
1t has been supposed that no amount of
professional energy or skill was adequate to
make coup de man in q chancery cause
| This Statemet shows that civil revolution
| had been commenced, carried on and ac-
complished within lunar month, under the
orders of chancery court, in suits over
which the court had no jurisdiction at all,
whether of parties or subject matter. The
| L. S. Circuit Court is court of limited
| j.
| tain civil suits between citizens of the same
State, unless the case arises directly under the
constitution and laws of the United States
| and the jurisdiction is vested by act of Con-
| gress. Congress has no power to confer iu-
| risdiction i'll any other case between such citi-
| Zens; it has no authority to give jurisdiction
of q suit of q citizen of the State against the
| State. Under the act Of Congress of 1870,
| upon single condition Oftacts, q citizen of a
| State may maintain suit for an Office of a
| State within the courts of the United States,
but the State Legislature Especially excepted
| from the operation OF this act in the same
clause that excerpts the office of members of
| CONGRESS, and presidential electors.
When the King of Great Britain establish
ed arbitrary government in one of the colo
MES, the remaining colonies took the alarm
| lest it might serve as Il precedent, as well as
| an instrument to establish such government
| elsewhere. Besides, men are less patient
under wrongful acts and orders ola judiciary
| tribunal than even of violence from other
sources of authority. \ government which
| rests for its organization upon an illegal Judi
cial order, executed by a marshal, with COM
| panies of soldiers, does not command as much
| respect and authority as if the judicial had
| been dispensed with and the army had set up
| the government with strong and usurping
| hand. The committee take the liberty to say
| that they have had no connection with these
| suits rs parties or attorneys, neither do they
| claim any of the offices in dispute. They
| have not heretofore been concerned in the
| controversies among the political classes
| which have endangered the peace and
brought scandal upon the State They affirm
| that during the last four years there has not
| been good government in Louisiana. There
has been extravaganza, prodigality. dishones-
| ty and waste in the public expenditures.
| The public debt has been enormously incrcas-
| cd, with but little corresponding benefit.
The credit of the State has been given
to specializing corporations for personal
aims. The taxes on property have assum-
ed such proportion that they might be call
ed rents paid by the proprietors to the
State for its occupation and use. The
taxes upon business Cypress the CONNER
cial and laborng clases. The laws to con-
troll elections, corporations and public in
situations stimulate these excuses of office
holders, and the consequence is depression
and discomfort. The State needs an honest
faithful responsible government, conducted
to attain public objects, and not to enrich
its members or to perpetuate their power
| There was an earnest effort to obtain such
| 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 Daseless usurpation of
jurisdiction and authority Of which the an
nails of jurisprudence afford any example,
The action of the returning board, recog-
niZed and vested with all its powers by
M hnc 11,r H.. 4
Without any official returns before them
without any of the official data on which
alone their action could have been right
fully based, they have presumed to proclaim
the result Of the election. The declaration
by them of the votes cast in the different
parishes is rs purely fanciful as ifno cleo
tion whatever had been held. They have
arbitrarily reduced and increased the votes
on one side or the other in different parish
es to suit their purposes. In several par
| ishcs, while returning or even adding to
votes cast for their candidates, they have
simply annihilatcd and stricken ont entire
ly the votes cast for their opponents. In
other parishes they have exactly reversed
the returns, giving to their candidates the
majority which had really been returned
for their opponents. They have not pre-
tendcd to furnish the public with any
statement of the bases on which they pro-
ceeded or the theory on which they acted.
Their whole conduct is without any kind
of reasonable explanation.
We submit to the people of the United
States that such proceedings reach point
at which the whole theory of Popular gov
eminent is reversed and overthown. The
means by which such result have been
reached are enough to startle the public
mind, but the results themselves are not
less appalling. Aside from the general af-
fairs of the State, we find the Legislature
of the State delivered over into the hand s
of men who were not elected. and who are
utterly unit for positions Of responsibility.
AS originally composed at its organization,
it comprised siXty-eight persons of color,
most Of them totally uneducated, with a
very small minority of whites.
Since that time they have expelled men,
bers whose seats were uncontcsted, and they
have unseated members returned elected by
their own board and seated their defeated
opponents, on the simple ground that the
former had not appeared to claim their
seats.
The results is that Originally bad rs the
| Legislature was, it makes itself worse day
| by day, and the prospect is that soon the
conservative clement of the State will have
no representation whatever. IL s.
In conclusion, we would state that we
have attempted to peform the duties of our
| mission in the Durest non partisan shirt.