New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-16

members OF the Senate ana House OF KEEP
resentatives, on a charge of violating the
enforcement act.
Mr.. Harris-Twenty members OF the
House and three of the Senate.
Mr.. Campbell-Twenty members OF the
House and six of the Senate were arrested
as Ku-Klux. / clarge-and l believe this
fact has not been motel enough in the
press-that this was the turning point OF the
revolution. l say that never before in the
history of constitutional government have
the courts of the United States been used
for the furtherance of the aims OF a political
faction Never before has the process Of
the courts of the country been used to ar
rest members with this distinct purpose and
none other to keep them long enough from
their seats to enable their opponents to Sc
cure a temporary majority, and to GUST ep
posing members from their seats. l say
there has been nothing SO revolutionary in
this country before, and in this movement
are implicated every leading United States
official in this State, and, unless he promptly
repudiates their action, and removes them.
the President of the United States himself.
l wish it to go out as The distinct, emphatic
expression of the Senators sitting here, to
every State of the Union, that if the people
of this country can permit, for one moment,
such a precedent to be established,
they may look for the time when
in any State in this Union federal
officers can enter the Legislature and take
revolutiOnize any government in this coun
try. l undertake to say that if the people
of the North allow this outrage to pass I'M
noticed, there is but one step beyond this to
dictatorship and it will come in this way
As fast as one or more States become in
volved in opposition to the President, the
President has only to wink at, without
-, ,a%o ~
States must fall under his Dictatorship.
We have here, in this State, SEINE high Off
Gals, not connected at all with the staff OF
General EmOry-one in particular, who it
is known was sent away from Washington
to this place because he could not be kept
out of politics, could not be kept out of the
rings, and who is at the bottom OF this
conspiracy here, in collision with Packard
and Casey, and l believe General Grant
knows it.
Mr.. Earris-Who is it!
Mr.. Campbell-GeneralI Beckwith. say
this because it is SO stated by officers OF the
army. l say further, that if General Grant
does not know this fact, it is time he did.
1t is time he quit his horses and his dogs
long enough to find it out. l return to the
statement of the situation. l repeat that
this action of the United States authorities
is the dividing point. If the revolution
should be successful it will be attributable
to the prestige thus afforded the revOlu-
tiOnists of having the United States at their
back. All the rest logically follows. Carter,
after being deposed, still assuming to act as
Speaker, summoning the recalcitrant mc1n-
bers OF the House to meet over drinking
saloon, and there purpOrting to act as repre-
sentatives, and from there sending ont some
of the most notorious thugs and ruffians
with pistols to break open houses in search
of members-a power which we ourselves
could not assert. and which no officer of the
law would dare to do without a direct au-
thorization from the court-arresting MEM
bers. and finally Gaping the climax by the
murder of one of the representatives OF the
people by an officer of the CustOmhouse,
claiming to act under the authority of Car
ter as Speaker and holding his printed COM
mission. think if such statement were
made of this revolutionary movement, com
mencing with the organization of the
House, and ending with the murder of Wal
ter X. Wheyland, without the slightest tinge
OF colOrng, and were sent out to the differ
ent Governors, and to Congress, it would
set us right. and would create very deep
feeling Of alarm among the people of the
United States which would lead to inquiry
and the punishment of the offenders.
Mr.. Lynch am willing to have this ad-
dress come out, not as the action of the
Senate, but as the opinion of the members
of the Senate met here to-day. l therefore
suggest that the motion be withdrawn and
that Senators. in their individual capacity,
prepare such an address, and sign it and
send it out. Let the reason of our being
without a quorum to-day be made public.
Let it be known that the collector OF the
port has given countenance and support to
this object by placing revenue cutter IN
der the control of absent Senators to take
them out of the State, Let it be known
that one of the absent Senators is the
special deputy of the collector.
Mr. Hunsaker-Two of them.
Mr. Lynch-That these officers absent
ing themselves with leave, as must
be the case, proves that the highest
United States official here is acting in con-
cert with them. Let it be known that va
riOus other Senators are absent while still
drawing their pay and holding official posi-
tions. Let these facts be known. and let it
be known also that George w. Carter,
Speaker of the so-called House of Repre-
sentatives over the Gem saloon is in the
employ of the United States; that the taxes
raised from the people of the United States
are used to pay the salaries of these men.
Let it be understood that last night mem
Der of the House of Representatives was
seized by two employees, as it is alleged, OF
the Customhouse. and while they held both
his hands a third employe, as am informed.
employed by this same sOcalled Speaker
Carter, walked up behind him and in cold
blood shot him down. l say let the people
of the country know that this is the use
made by the representatives of the govern
ment here Of the money raised for the sup
port of the government and for the pay
ment of the honest debt of the cOun-
try. l say let this be known, and
such a thrill of horror would pass
over this country as would forever
wipe out every vestige OF power now
welded by these men. Let it be known
that the United States are now paying
salaries to men who are seeking to over
throw the State government Of Louisiana
who are not only doing this, but who are
shooting down the representatives of the
down men who came here
to uphold the power of the national govern
ment-men who came here, taking their
lives in their hands. saying. "All we have
we are willing to sacrifice on the altar
of our country's iberty"-men who came
here with the army of the United States,
and whose widows and orphans to-day PIE
sent themselves to us as to the brOthers-in
arms of the slain. l say let these facts be
made known. and if the President does not
wake up and come to the rescue, he will
fail most lamentably in his duty. James
+. Casey, brother-inlaw of the President
represents the Treasury Department here
and say to General Grant if he does not
interfere in this matter, the blood which
has been and that may be spilled by the ac
ton of lawless men in this city will be on
his head and that of his representatives
here.
Mr.. Hunsaker-I differ from some gentle
men on the floor of this Senate as to our
powers. regard this body as the Senate
of Louisiana. That is the only position we
can take. There is no inhibition in the
except this, that we shall not
enact any law without majority of the
Senate being present, and l believe that