New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-02-06
letter from Lieutenant Governor
PinchbaCk.
10 tie Editor If Tie Chroni.ls j..

10 tie Editor fife Chroni.l,
have read in this mornings issue Of your
journal statement which purports to be a
summing up Of the political situation in LOU
isana by me.
need scarcely express any surprise at
such statement, for here, as in New Or
leans, it seems to be the duty Of irresponsi-
BILE persons both to think and speak for me
without the slightest shadow Of authority,
aud to get their utterances clothed with tho
sanctions OF even respectable journals. Still =,
my duty tony constituents demands Of me
word OF reply to the statement referred to.
First OF all, l may state that | have had no
formal interview with any member Of the
press, and am, therefore, surprised at this
jumbo OF misrepresentation. Some points
OF conversation given as my opinion why the
present State government, and especially the
Legislature, should be sustained have been
distorted in meaning and perverted In appli-
cation so as to give specious force to the
aim Of an irresponsible reporter to do me an
injustice and injure our cause. Any opinion
| may have expressed with reference 10 q
new election in Louisiana carried with il no
desire for such an election nor belief that
there would be one, but conveyed in en-
phatic terms the hope that the entire results
Of the last election should be either rccog-
nized or repudiated by the Administration
and Congress upon the merits Of the case
through an impartial investigation.
l have to make all unqualified denial Of
that part Of the statement which makes me
say that the colored people Of my State ex.
pected the Administration and Congress to
sustain them in any event. Any Inference
drawn from any general conversation may
have engaged in with reference 10 the colored
people Of Louisiana could only have been to
the effect that they were unalterably Repub-
lican, and that it would DC a great hardship
for Republican Congress To subject them to
the expense, dangers, and, in Louisiana, pc
culiarly harassing process Of q new election.
simply because Of their fidelity to the party.
The statement that said senator Morton
and General Butler, whom he considered the
most extreme Of the Republicans, he don't
believe can so SO far as to recognize the KEEL
locg government" is too preposterous for
attention, when II Is remembered that / was
the recognized predecessor Of Governor KEEL
logg, and that am honored with the cleo.
ton to the United States Senate for full
term commencing March {, 1873. 1t will be
readily seen that this part OF the Statement.
is made OF whole cloth. l have never in
dulged an idea that Senator Morton or Cen
eral Butler would fail to recognize the value
It would be to the Republican party Of the
nation to stand by aid sustain Va in this o.
test. These gentlemen have shown them
selves TO be too tair-minded in their dealings
with this louisiana case, and too patriot; in
all that concerns the welfare Of their cOun-
Try, to desire the overthrow Of State gov
ernment which was elected through great
sacrifices and much peril on the part Of col.
oeed voters, and ! am too confident Of success
as to the complete recognition Of our gov.
ernment 10 allow me TO imagine that any
other clear-teaded and honest-hearted Re-
publican is opposed to Us in this contest
Very respectfully,
+. u. S. PIScHBAcE.
WAsHIN0Toy, D. G., Feb. ], 1879.