Wilmington journal., 1873-01-03
reconstruction. How 1T Works.

The practical operation of the Recon-
struction Legislation of Congress, seems to
be giving trouble to the people and press at
ton of affairs in Louisiana by Ex Judge
Campbell and the other gentleman of the
Committee from New Orleans.
The conclusion is irresistible, that the leg
slation which, under color of a suit pro-
fessedly brought to perpetuatc testimony,
permits the Governor Of State and the
Legislature>Of State to be displaced by
| usurpers; in a word, that permits " a civil
| revolution to be commenced, carried On and
accomplished within the space of lunar
month"; is entirely wrong.
The following article from the New y ork
S,m shows the views taken of the matter
by the opponents of the Administration.
1t is indeed time for tho people of the North
| to pause and consider the practical work
ings of the present laws. The Sun says: {:
IT IS THE FIRST STEP THAT COSTS.
Our readers are aware that two sets of
Presidential Electors claim to have been
| chosen in Arkansas, one for Grant and
one for Greeley, and that each set will
send their votes to Washington to be'opcn-
ed and counted in the presence of the
houses of Congress in February. However
the election in Arkansas may have gone, We
presume that nobody dreams that any re-
gard will be paid to the Greeley votes. They
| will be hustled aside, and those of the Pres
| idential Electors claiming to have been
| chosen in the interest of Grant will be
| counted. To suppose otherwise is to mis-
| understand the character of the present
| Senate and House of Representatives.
| Practically this is Of little consequence in
regard to the election of President and Vice
President this year. The majority for
| Grant and Wilson is SO large that dozen
| States like Arkansas could not change the
| result. But the precedent Is of incalculable
| importance.
A committee of citizens of Arkansas
called upon AttorneyGen Williams on
Saturday to lay before him certain facts
respecting the controversies in that State.
and to inquire of him what course the
| President would pursue in relation thereto,
and especially what use would be made
! Of the United States troops now stationed
at the capital of the State. Mr.. Williams,
speaking in the name of President
| Grant, informed the committee that the
troops would only be employed to preserve
order and to enforce the decisions of the
| United States courts.
This seems very smooth on the surface,
but it covers a great deal of mischief. Let
us imagine case which is not unlikely to
occur at the very next Presidential election.
Suppose the result is close, and may depend
upon throwing out the votes of two
or three States in the final count by the
Senate and House of Repre- sentatives.-
How easy it will be, early in Feb
ruary, 1877, three or four days before
the votes are to be counted, to 60 be-
fore some small United States Judge
in Washington, say like Durel, of New
Orleans, and, on an affidavit, get out an
er parte injunction prohibiting the Senate
and House from counting the electoral
triumph of the favored candidate, and then
put this INDUCTION in the hands of some
Slippery Marshal like Packard to be exc
cuted, who, of course, will call to his ass:s-
tance regiment or two Of troops, and till
the two wings Of the Capitol with infan-
try, and occupy the square On the east
front with few batteries--all in the inter
est of law and order.
Docs not everybody see how promptly
this can be done, on the very principle
enunciated by AttorneyGcneral Williams
in the Arkansas case, and acted upon by
Durell in the louisiana case
Will the people be warned in time
Tho following article, taken fron,a he New
York Eceniag Post, shows that the dis
satisfaction is not entirely confined to the
enemies Of General Grants Ad1ninistra
ton. We would, however, be mors conf
dent Of good results from the fair words o
tie Post had not that paper during th:
year given such signal illustration # see
,,.I he
course. The Post, unfortunately, has
singular facility in knowing what IS righ
and doing what is wrong. We reproduce
: what i. says, however, for whatever it |
worth, with the single remark that VIC can
not atlmi, that ''the only responsibility th
President has in the promises Is that h
signed the act Of May, 1870, under whicl
so much mischief is possible" 1t wOul
be difficult, we think, to show that Ircsl
dent Grant was not actively instruments
in securing the passage Of that act by Con
cress. It is too late for him to seek She
ter, even if he should SO desire, which
a however we very much doubt, behind S
2 paItry an excuse. President Grant an
the Post knew then, as they know nov
that he possessed the right to veto any bi
that to him seemed Objectionable.
In speaking of "the South-Wester
a Troubles" the New York Post says:
The committee from New Orleans SCI
e to Washington to ineercede with the go'
: ernment on behalf of the Warmoth tactic
in that city have made report settin
forth their grievances, giving sketch {
the proceedings thus far of the opposi'
e party and the immediate events which le
to the present condition Of affairs. 1t is a
: instructive document, and appears TO be
IL the main fair statement OF that side
n l, the case, though as, Of course, the othe
party is ot without a defence, 1t is impO
II sible to say how this statement would rea
in the light of a reply to it. There al
D. some points which, it would seem, cannt
At be replied to, and an impartial reader ca
:, hardly fail to come to the conclusion th'
Il the whole course of the Pinchback part
ia if not absolutely usurpat;on, has been
y gross abuse of power which has had, III
le fortunately, the weight and strength of Il
i Federal government to back it.
The committee acknowledge that thu