The weekly Louisianian., 1872-12-21

! The gentlemen is very felicitiou'
3 He attempts now with his suay
. manner to browbeat the chair,
: never said q word while he launche
, bis invectives against me, I am sim
ply making my defense. I hav
been attacked and / do not want tn
Senator from Carroll or any Senate
on the floor to characterize me al,
usurper Of power, as a revolutions
or partisan who seeks to organic
this Senate in the interests of 1
party. I have simply obeyed tn
letter of tho law which the gentle
men, to perpetuato themselves in
power, but upon the statute books
of this State. Look over the record
of these gentlemen, people Of Lou
isiana; look at their votes in the
several assemblies and in the con.
stitutional convention, and in Gen
eral Assembly down to this time,
and then look at the authors oi
almost every socalled obnoxious bill
on the statute book, and tell me if
you please who are they? Why
my friend, Senator Campbell, is the
author of nearly every one; and it
was because Of his great talent be-
cause of his great genius, because
ofhis massive powers as a politician
and statesman that I parted COM
pany with him not long ago, in sor-
row. I know who he is. Irespect
him as man equally as much as he
does me, if not more, because I
know I am a apigmy in talent COM
pared with him; but while that is
true, I have a duty to perform in
the line Of policy I have marked out
and that duty I will endeavor to
discharge; I shall not asperse
his motives Or impugn his character
but I shall make the best defense I
can before the bar Of public opinion.
Let me briefly call your attention to
the series of usurpations that have
taken place since last we met. You
know that when the Senate last
met there was a revolution going on,
and instead Of the boys in blue there
was the State militia and the Me-
Police, the latter no Ion
ger apolice but On armed body Of
men, in possession Of this Capitol,
and that the portals Of this chamber
were stacked with muskets every
night. And for what? To protect
the people as we thought in their
rights. And you remember the
clamor on the outsido-the c]amor
which went forth for the repeal Of
these obnoxious measures, the elec-
lion bill and others; you know that
Turing that time his Excellency
Governor Warmoth sent in his
proclamation demanding instant ac-
ion from the General Assembly on
hose measures in order that the
public indignation might be appeas-
ID, and that this General Assembly
lid enact those measures of re-
orm-frst without a legal quorum,
md subsequently in q modified
orm after Uncle Sam came in with
lis protecting arm to which the
Gentleman had no objection at that
fme. I say these United States
roops come in now in the same
'ay to protect the people Of Louis
ina, not against the gentleman
rom the second district (Mr. Camp
ely, not against John McEnery,
ut against Henry Clay Warmoth.
hat is the issue. That man who
as trampled under foot the con-
titution and laws Of the people
ithout scruple, and for what? To
reform and to give you
better government? Ifit were for !
nat I question whether I should
ave exercised the arbitrary powers ]
'hich it is said I have exercised to- ,
ay. No; it was to satisfy his per-
,nal ambition, and to seat himself
/ the Senate of the United States. ,
re the whole people to be deprived
their rights, are the whole people /
!, be made Vandals and slaves, ,
lerely to put Henry G. Warmoth !
ito the Senate of the United States?
ireat God, forbid! I repeat that !
10 condition Of things that we are
ow witnessing has been born Of :