The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-12-25
car. VARMoTH'S MESSAGE.
co.-,nr,rn FROM FIRST PAGE

choice, his partners and coniedefates
in the conspiracy. to procure the IL SIS
tome. If United States Marshas and
1tn;tcd States soldiers, to avert legal
opposition to his sehemei to seize upon
The. State Capitol to exclude the elect
ed members of The General Assembly,
ora TO constitute legislative body
composed Of persons selected by his
accents. and proclaimed elected without
oro, the preteuse of legal returns.
The Judge of the United States Court
beeame confederate of the conspira-
+ors, He lent himself to the fraudu-
lent purposes of tie United Statessen-
otoc. He assumed jurisdiction in the
ease. not for the sake of paIpctnating
testimony. for the testimony which
WAS falsely alleged to be the object OF
the snit, was conclusive against the
ntetepsiuus aud plans Of the conspira-
tors. but really to assist in overthrow
ing the State Government, and in fore
inc upon the people legislative body
ia defiance Of their wishes and in con-
tempt of the sacred rights of the State,
E, &c constitutional and statute law, and
Of public liberty; and these wicked
purposes he resolved to accomplish by
a prostitution of judicial functions and
an arbitrary application of judicial
procession unparalleled in the history OF
any civilized country. At the demand
of the conspirators, he paralyzed the
State Government by restraining the
Governor in the exercise of his Execu
tive duties; he prevented the canvass
ing of the election returns and the
proclamation of the results, lie ordered
the returns to be surrendered to men
whom he falsely declared to be legal
returning officers, after the Offices
Which they claimed to hold, had been
abolished by law, after a State court
had definitely decided the case by rec
ocnzng the validity Of the repeating
law, and whilst beard of returning
officers, appointed by the Governor
under She authority of the constitution
and composed of citizens eminent. fol
their integrity, was engaged in the
duty of compiling the returns. He per.
mitted The couspirators to Summon the
Governor before hiw to answer for I'm
alleged contempt of his authority, and
held over him for many days the threat
ofimprisonment, in order to deter him
from exercising his constitutional func.
lions and discharging his legal duties
lie aid not a ese-s-'tr,r.c 70 assist at a mid
sssht caucus Ct the cnnsrirators. ant
to sign an order prepared by them
directing the United States Marshal tt
take possession of the building uset
IS tue State Capital, we'll knowing thai
il was the purpose of the Marshal tt
bring in United States soldiers under
the false pretense that snch assistance
was necessary to enforce the orders o
the conrt. With q fragrant DISREGARD
ofpublic decency and judicial forms
he suf. red this to be done before tht
trial of the cause bad ended; before
the case Of alleged contempt had beer
tried: and before even the order wa
recorded in his court. sealed with hi
seal, or eountersisned Ivy his clerk. A
the darkest hour of the night two com
panies of United States troops, unde
the direction of the United States Mar
shal and in execution of the illcga
order of the United States Distric
Judge, seized upon the Capitol ant
held it subject to the wishes and tn
designs of tile United States Senate
and his confederate corspirators.--
Having thus prepared their defenses
they proceeded to make n false AM
fraudulent canvass Of the election re
turns, based npon no official docu
ments, but consisting simply of arbitra
ry figures arranged according to TIL
necessities OF their case, and cores
4 ponding with nothing except the per
& jared statements Of the conspirator
4 and their defeated allies and partisans
and finally they again awaited them
selves of the services of the facie an
convenient Judge Of The United State
District Court by requiring him t
Issue on order restraining the legal
elected Representatives and Senator
from assembling at any place or at
tempting in any way to discharge tn
/ duties which the people had impose
upon them. This extraordinary orde
was issued by the judge on the even
u Ing of the day on which he had de
elaed, on the pretense Of illness, t
entertain an application for relief frol
the Governors counsel, made at til
I Il private residence of the judge, an
alter having in open court refused
let o motion of the same counsel |
either read or fled,
81 1t is freely necessary o state, VIII;
hso ell known to all of sou, that I'll
Sec ION recently held was fairly al
III obastf, condurteI nndcr the laws