New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-12-05
TEF cT,ogTEq ARGUMENT.


the prosecution in the case Of William Z.
Kellogg VS.. Henry G. Warmoth and others,
completed the closing argument yesterday
in the United States Circuit Court for this
district, il the presence Of very large
and deeply interested auditory. The effort
Of this gentleman upon this important
occasion will rank with the best efforts OF
a similar nature emanating from the
brightest inteIlects that make law their
study and practice in this city
The prosecution in the case that has
been brought to secure justice and test
those laws of Congress that have been
passed to enforce the new amendments to
the federal constitution, has certainly been
fortunate in having the services Of three
such able lawyers and advocates as Dis
trict Attorney Beckwith, E. G. Billings,
and William B. Hunt. These gentlemen
have had to contend with some Of the
best lawyers and most astute reasonerS IN
the State. The counsel for the defense
were no doubt selected in consideration OF
their character for deep insight into the
mysteries Of the law, their powers OF elo-
quence, and disposition to carry out those
theories Of government in this country
that favor States rights, which means
State power, and oppose federal power
even when it has been granted by the
people and is exercised only for their
good. They have made State rights,
in their argument in the present
case, the chief defense for all the
wrongs and usurpations that have been
inflicted upon the people Of this State
When the district attorney opened the ar
gument and presented the record in this
case as rendered by the plaintiff in bis
bill Of equity, he gave the reasons why the
court had jurisdiction Of the subject mat
ter embraced in that bill, and urged that
it was not only right, but that it was the
duty Of the federal court to grant the full
relief prayed for in the bill. In that bill
it is asserted that conspiracy has been
entered into to defraud Republican voters
Of their rights; that many thousands were
debarred from voting and that the Repub-
lican candidate for Governor, in conse-
quence of such frauds, would be defeated
unless the court would afford relief 1t is
further asserted that Governor Warmoth
was endeavoring to manipulate the return
ing board SO as to consummate these
frauds by defeating the Republican State
ticket, which embraced the candidates for
Republican presidential electors and mem
bers of Congress, and that in his endeayors
to do this he had created an additional re-
turning board, without lawful authority
for such action, and in this manner in
tended to foist upon the State new set Of
administrators not elected by the majority
Of the people Counsel for defense have
strenuously denied jurisdiction to the fed
eral courts in matters Of this kind, and
have exultantIy referred the compliments
to the State courts for redress, after the
Governor had ccntTiyed to fill those courts
with his own partisans.
Mr.. William H Hunt dwelt with great
force and effect upon the many usurpations
and wrongs that mad been perpetrated by
Governor Warmoth upon the people Of
this State, and called upon the Judicial
power Of the federal government to inter
pose It's shield to save the people from a
perpetuation Of such fragrant wrongs. He
spoke gcathingly Of Counselor Semmes
allusiou to Governor Warmoth's attempted
decapitation Of Mr.. Heron as Secretary Of
State He gave the very language Of Ir.
Semmes in that allusion, which was that
as Warmoth had made Heron Secretary
of State he was Herr0n's master, and could
remove him at will "What a commentary
is this said Mr.. Hunt, "on Republican
government" This, be said. implied that
We had slaves in this country; but he
thanked God the days Of slavery had
passed; and we are inclined TO think Mr..
Hunt gave Governor Warmoth and Coun-
selor Semmes something more than gen
tie hint of this fact.
The learned counselor deliberately and
successfully argued the case from begin
ming to end; and, in his plain straightfor-
ward and forcible manner, brushed away
the sophistries that ingenious counsel for
the defense had endeavored to throw around
it. He was listened to with marked atten-
ton, and the eloquence of his closing re
marks brought forth spontaneous burst
of a,,nlause from the auditory.