The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-01-25
Col. McEnePy's Inaugural Adj
dress

stances. Returned as your elected Gov
ernOr, in the manner and according to
all the forms of law hitherto recognized
in this and in the other States of the
Union, | find my right to this high Office
disputed on grounds altogether novel in
the history of the Republic. An actual
majority of the votes of the people, as
~certained and reported by the lawful
election officers of the State, duly re-
turned to the Governor and Secretary
of State, canvassed and declared by a
board of legal canvassers having pos
session and control Of the only lawful
evidences of such returns, has been uni
formly regarded heretofore as confer
ring on the candidate proclaimed as the
n receiving such majority, the indis-
putable right to occupy the Office to
which he has been elected, and to exer-
else the duties thereof. The right to
hold and continue in such Office may be
questioned and contested by another
claimant upon certain grounds. But
from the nature of our Government and
Of all civilized governments, it has been
found essential, to prevent a hiatus
therein, that the claimant holding the
certificate of having received the largest
dence of a title, should be accepted and
recognized as the lawfulincumbent, and
should hold the same, until it be shown
in an issue made that the vote received
by him was not a legal or honest one.
Even the technicalities and fOrmali-
ties of the law are frequently disregar-
ded, in order to ascertain and give effect
to the clearly expressed will Of the peO-
pie. And under no circumstances is the
voice of the majority permitted to be
hushed by mere infOrmalities or doubts
as to the legal authority of the officials
prOclaiming the same. Such informali-
ties may sometimes justify the setting
aside an election, and the ordering a
new one, but they were never before re-
garded as giving to any tribunal OF au-
minority candidate to office, and to
usurp the power which belongs to the
people Of choosing their own agents and
representatives.
These just and simple rules, this uni
form practice, under our republican
system, have been entirely ignored by
the wicked cOnspirators who seek to set
aside the election returns of our late
State election.
A candidate who does not pretend
that he received a majority of the votes,
but expressly admits that the returns Of
the legal officials exhibit the contrary,
and place him in the minority, sets up a
claim to the Office Of Governor of Louisi-
ana.
He bases this claim upon certain state
mentS that q large number of qualified
voters were Illegally excluded from
registration or from voting, which, if
registered and permitted to vote, would
have reversed the result.
These are mere er parte statements,
allegations, which have never been ex-
amined, and rest upon mere surmises,
speculations, loose srumors, and parti-
san ~fabricatiOns. No opportunity has
been afforded to expose their false and
fimsy character. If entitled to any
consideration or weight at all it certain
ly will not be pretended, by any Just
and intelligent mind, that they would
authorize the denial of the right to en-
ter upon an Office of the person who
holds the pTinDG tac5e evidence-the
broad seal of the officers, who have been
designated by the law to ascertain
and return the result of the election.
And yet, upon such vague and unsup-
ported averments of interested parties,
Gerry proceeding, a United States court
has undertaken to avoid and set aside
the regular returns of the lawful officers
of. the State and proposes to induct into
its high Offices the minority candidates
therefor. And this is done without an
investigation or trial and by the aid of
the military power of the Federal Gov
eminent. That aid has been given on
the technical ground of the duty
of the Federal Executive to en-
force the orders of q Judicial tribunal,
without inquiry or any regard to the
legality or equity Of such orders.
The eminent military chieftain who
fills the high Office of Chief Magistrate
of the Republic, acted, doubtless, in
conscientious fidelity to his views of
duty and the obligations of his oath of
in thus afording the military aid
to excuse the unrighteous orders of the
Federal judge. It would be unjust to
presume from such action his approval
Of the wrongful conduct of a partisan
or his insensibility to the wrongs
and grievances of this people, which
have been SO fully and ~eloquently pre-
to him by a large delegation of
our best citizens. Nor should we ON
that account distrust the justice, the
and patriotism Of the executive
and legislative departments of the
Federal Government to afford us relief
from the wrongs which have been done
to our people and State, when they
shall be placed in full possession of all
The facts relating thereto.
Thisfmoment of an entire cessation of
national political strifes, the great de-
of the people of all sections, and
especially of the South, to afford q
generous support to the Federal au-
thorities, and to the constitutional poll
sy of the dominant political party, of
which the President is the chief, are
peculiarly favorable for such a response
% our petition and claim for reparation
md intervention, in order to maintain
The State and people of Louisiana, In
the Union and under the Constitution.
Let us not therefore, my fellow citi-
zens, despair of the just and equitable
action of the Federal Government, in
Our defence against the conspiracy and
wrong doing of its own unworthy Off
3ials.
And that we may show ourselves en-
titled to such relief, let us be true to
ourselves, and go forward consistently,
aud peacefully, to. assert our
constitutional rights and fulfil our cons
obligations, by the full and
complete organization Of that republic
government, which is guaranteed TO
III the. States OF this Union.
1t i in this view of my duty [ now
appear before you, to accept the honor
md assume the responsibilities of the
Chief Executive of this State. Nomi-
lated and supported by a combination
# citizens of various shades of politi-
,al opinions, all united upan the com
non object of reforming the Govern
nent of the State, and relieving the
of the burdens and evils of
years of Observation-Disclosures, !,
ave employed no other means Of in !