New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-31

wees They were only absent of their own
accord, attempting to break quorum but
when the vote was taken to seat contestants
| there were fifty one members present, which
was declared to be a majority of the mem
bers. Who was it, then, that attempted to
break the quorum and organize revolution 7
| Mr.. Hunsaker-I will state to the gentle
man that every member of the Senate and
| House of Representatives who was arrested
| had to give bail.
Mr. Blackman-I repeat, that they went
out on their own recOgnizance; that there
| was no unlawful interference which would
! prevent these members taking their seats,
| and that the WarmOth faction broke the
| quorum because defeated in carrying out
! their revolutionary schemes. They thought
! it best to disOrganize the House.
Mr.. Campbell-Suppose l were to come
| into the Senate Chamber and arrest you
| and four or five of the Senators with whom
| you are associated and take you away to
| the CustomhOuse for the purpose of passing
some measure in your absence to which you
| were opposed, would not the rest Of your
colleagues be perfectly ijustifiable in leaving
| their seats and breaking the quorum until
you returned!
Mr.. Blackman-I do not know but what
| that would be justihable and proper. You
| argue, however, that these arrests were
| illegal and revolutionary. We reply that
| it is ustifiable in another. Your action in
| 1868, making arrests under like circum-
| stances. was all right. because it operated
| in your favor, and in opposition to the
| Democrats: but now, when it is brought to
| play against you, you say 1t Is revolution
ary The Senator from Carroll (Alr.
McNIilen) will remember that when the
officers of the United States army wanted
to organize the House of Representatives,
in 1868, the members entirely ignored their
| power, although ordered by the law to
organize the Legislature. called a list of the
Democrats elected, refused them their
seats. arrested DR.. Butler, dragged him to
the Customhouse, kept him there tor twelve
hours, forced him to give bond, and have
sence they unseated him, and seated in his
place f. w. Devices, then from Bienville,
now from De Soto, and God knows where
he will be from next.
Mr.. Twitchell-Who made the affidavit!
Mr.. Blackman-Mr. HOnneus made the
affidavit.
A voice from the lobby made the afli
davit.
Mr.. Blackman-I repeat that if the
arrest of DR.. Butler in 1863 at the organ
ization of the House of Representatives,
was proper and justifiable, the arrest of the
members of the House on the fourth day
of the session was equally so.
Mr. McMillen-I would ask the Senator
whether the arrest of DIR. Butler in 1868
was caused by the affidavit OF a fellow
member of the House for The purpose of
changing the political complexion of that
| body!
Mr.. Blackman-I am arguing that it is
| the same thing so far as the right or wrong
of it is concerned. Whether the affidavit
| in the case of DR.. Butler was made by
| a fellow member or not does not affect the
l IT,..t ~%,,.
| marshal comes with his writ to arrest us,
you say it is all right and proper, but when
| he comes to arrest you, you cry out that it
! is an outrage. If you did not complain Of
| it when he arrested DR.. Butler. what
| right have you to complain of it now
when you are the sufferers! We are
not responsible, anyhow. for the ac
! ton of the United States marshal
| Ii he has committed fault it develves
ment. l opine, however, that when writ
of arrest is placed in his hands for execu
| ton he is bound to serve 1t, let the conse-
| urences be what they may. We hold that
! the first wrong was committed by you. aud
| in proof of that assertion we refer you to
the Senate and House journals Of 1863
| sworn to by the present Secretaries. You
who were present then well remember the
arbitrary ruling of the President of the
| Senate which forced US to leave the Senate
! Chamber, and during our absence you I'M
| seated Mr.. Sambola, who had been legally
| elected, and seated Mr.. Campbell in his
| place. when only eighteen Senators were
| present.
Mr. Campbell-There were ninteen Sena-
| tors present at the time. and the journal
| shows it.
| Mr. Blackman-With yourself voting on
! your own case, there were nineteen. bug
! YOU excluded from the Senate Chamber all
| those who could not take the test oath; you
refused to allow legally elected Senators to
take their seats, and yet in the face of all
this, you get up here and say, that because,
forsooth, you are the injured parties now, it
| is revolution aud conspiracy to over
| throw the government. | have no doubt
that the wires are freighted down with dis
patches to all parts of the country that u
| new rebellion has broken out in louisiana
and that the people are trying to upset
the State government and break up IL -
Union again. l say you founded your State
government in revolution, have sustained it
by revolutionary acts, and now, when it is
| lettering on its throne under the eXecra-
tons OF an outraged and incensed
people, an attempt is made to uphold
| it by revolution. For the last two years
one universal cry has gone up. both from
Republicans and Democrats, for the re-
peal of the infamous laws which are OPP
pressing them, and which have SO long dis
graced our State and our Republican in
situations. You see now that the sword is
drawn to cut the. slender thread upon
which your power is hang ing; and rather
than submit, you are determined to in
| augurate a revolution and scenes of vlO-
| lence. What right had the Governor of the
| State to interfere with the legislative de-
partlnent! What right had he to exercise
such powers as are not delegated to him,
and as were never used by any executive
officer before, tor the purpose of carving
into execution his personal designs! What
| right had he to create a House of Repre-,
sentatives Of his own, and to assume to
exercise powers which are not given him
bv the constitution. for the purpose of pre-
venting his impeachment For four years
he has been committing these illegal and
revolutionary acts, in direct violation of
the constitution, and gone unwhipped of
Justice. Some time ago he arrOgated to him
selfthe right to remove constitutional officers
elected by the people, and actually did re-
move the Secretary of State, Mr.. BOvee.
| Whatever may have been the shortcomings
of that officer, whatever may have been his
derelictiOn of duty, he was still an officer
| equal in his sphere to the Governor, and
conld not be removed except by impeach-
ment. Why not remove the Senate and
House OF Representatives! Why not re
move the judiciary! l suppose he would
do it if his interests dictated it. This is
not all that his excellency has done. |
| have been informed that. in consideration
of his friendship for the deceased Senators,
Messrs. Pierce and Fish. he attended their
| bodies to the grave as one of the pail
| bearers The seats of those Senators are
vacant: the voters of the seventh and
fourth senatorial district, are not repre-
scented in the State Senate, simply because,