The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1872-12-28
AsA.SlGI-a.
Attorney General ogden Ia ihr Attorney
General oil the uiIcd STATES.
Washington City, D,c. II, IS

Attorney General United States.
Ny DEAR Sill beg leave
to submit, through you, to the
president, the following points:
The action Of the Executive
in recognizing the assemblage
at the Mechanics Institute,
New Orleans, as the Legisla-
turc uf Louisiana, and p. b. >.
Pinchback as governor, was
certainly premature. Pinch
back WAS never Lieutenant
Governor of the state, and his
term us Il Senator expired un-
der the constitution of that
State, on the fourth day of No
vember last. The aSSemblage
at Mechanics Institute was
VIGOROUSLY returned and seat
ed 10y Il deputy United States
marshal under the order of an
| inferior Federal court. This
fact can be aScertained by ref
erence to the papers fled by
me in the Supreme Court of
the United States in the mat
ter Of eX parte Warmoth, ap-
plying for Il writ of prohibition.
There are circumstances of
which the Government must
take notice without discussing
who was or who was not clec-
ted. | respectfully say that
before the President undertook
to settle the controversy, and
to pledge the great power
ofhiS office to either side, much
deliberation and Il full hearing
should have been accorded.
The election was the most quiz
ct and orderly ever held in
! the State, not symptom of
riotouS disposition, not even a
personal quarrel or encounter
connected with politics report
ed by the police authorities
| in any direction. The machin-
cry of the State government
was in perfect order after the
election, and entirely compe-
tent to manage its own affairs,
| and with courts of justice
ready to protect the rights
of every citizen. BY Il sudden
action of an inferior federal
court, which was absolutely
coram non JUDGE, the State
governmentis completely over.
set, the State House seized and
a government enacted whose
officers the people have never
chosen. 1t cannot, sir, have
escaped your attention, that il
pursuing this course n Federal
court has been enabled, Dy the
assistance of the army of the
United States, TO Subvert Z
State government and TO con,
strnct one i'll its place, tor it i,
well known that the board q
returning officers, recognized
by Judge Durell, has not acted
upon the sworn returns Of the
Regular election of officers o
the State, from which alone
they could have, under iht
law, declared the result, bu
: profess to have been guided
! by the returns of United State:
inspectors, officers entirely mn
known to the laws of Louisi
Jana, so that the case stand!
t thus A Federal judge, ALSO
lutely without jurisdiction
seiZes a State House and seat
a Legislature, the members o
which have no other claim Il
their seats than the finding O
5 a returning board. whose sol,
, anehority is the recognition 0
this usufping Federal court
) and which processes to act sole
3 ly upon the statement or re
). turns made by certain UniteC
e States officers, who are entirel,
: unknown to the laws of Louis
S lana. These are facts know
p now by every intelligent MAJ
n in this country; and of courS
Y not hid from the Chief MagiS
trate. The Legislature thu
assembled is recognized by til,
o Executive of this great nation
!, and You telegraph, upon hi
! authority, to our people, com
> handing them TO submit. ]