New-York tribune., 1873-02-26
THE LOUISIANA RIDDLE.
COMMENTS ON TIE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.

4
COMMENTS ON TIE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
DISSENT FROM ITS STATEMENTS, WHICH ARE
| THOUGHT TO BE PARTIsAN-DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THEM AND THE EVIDENCE or MR..
MOTIONS COMMITTEE.
| IBY TBLsGRAPH TO THB TRrBUER.I
| WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-Tho Presidents Louisiana
message sent to Congress to-day, attracts unusual
attention. in spite of tho excitement that has pre-
vailed at the Capitol all day. 1t came somewhat un
| expectedly to the majority of members of both
| Houses. The President intmated to few Senators
during his visit to the Capitol yesterday that such
a message would be submitted. but this fact was
not generally known. Some of the statements made
in the message much in conflict with the
facts as discovered and reported by the Committee
| on Privileges and Elections. and somo of its allu-
slons are so strongly partisan in their character,
that the Presidents friends have little to say about
it, though the opposition, who are familiar with the
state of affairs in Louisiana, ARE very indignant.
Two years ago, when Gen. Butler was the champion
Of the Ku-Klux BILL and was defeated by tho superior
tactics of Speaker Blame he went up TO the White
House one night and the next morning came in for
tilted with special message and, thus reinforced,
he carried his bill against opposition in his party
and out 1t has been more than once remarked this
afternoon that this message had Mr.. Mortons ear
marks all over it. A minority of tho Committee,
1 ~
be stronger than the majority. TO be sure Mr. Nor
ton is not very anxious for action the Louisiana
question this session. but failure to act will have
the effect this message proves, as though Con-
gress were to follow the recommendations which Mr.
Morton makes in bis minority report.
Some of the most glaring misstatements of facts
that have been pointed out in the message are con-
tanned in the following extracts In the first para
graph the President says that the complications that
| have grown out of the election chiefly attribut
able to an organized attempt on the part of those
controlling the election of officers and returns to
defeat in that election the will Of majority Of the
| electors of the State" The testimony taken by the
| Committee on Privileges and Elections instead of
showing this to be the fact proves the attempt to
defeat the will of the majority was made entirely
on the other side, by the men who did not control
the elections but who pretended to canvass returns
which they did not have, and which, when examined
! by the Senate Committee, were found to elect the
| Fusion candidates.
Again. he says that ho declined to interfere until
| suit involving this controversy was brought IN the
Circuit Court and that then, finding that resistance
was to be made TO judicial process, no directed the
United States Marshal TO enforce such process and
to USE if necessary, troops for that purpose. The
fact is that troops must have been ordered TO New
Orleans in anticipation of Judge Durcll's usurpa-
Il
was made for they were moved from Florida, and
arrived on the night that Durelps famous order
made. Two days before that order issued in
structiOns were sent TO Cen Emory, directing him
TO preserve the peace and give any aid ho might be
asked for TO support the Pinchback Government.
Finally, no resistance made to the judicial pro-
cess as the President says there was and there is no
evidence to show that any resistance would have
! been made.
Further on the President says that "recent in
yestigation Of the election has developed so many
frauds and foreeries as to make it doubtful what
candidates received majority of the votes actually
cast The Investigation has developed just the
,sorso of tbis ;;S1-,,.-tiQn. Mr.. MortOns Commit
tee is unanimous in the opin.cn that the actual re-
turns elect McEnery and the Legislature 'eIeinP
by the Warmoth Board The frauds and forgeries
were on the other side and only make the claims Of
the kellogg Government the more prcposterous.
The President in the last paragraph of bis message
SAYS that he shall, by the exercise of Legitimate
authority, if Congress does not act, "put an end
TO the unhappy controversy in Louisiana" II has
been asked more than this afternoon how the
President proposes to do this He may, by continuing
his support of the Kellogg government, prevent its
overthrow, but put an end to the controversy in
Louisiana he may have to disperse the McEnery Leg
isature by the aid of the army, and place the men
who claim to have been elected, and whom the
actual returns show to have seen elected, under
military arrest. These are a few of the comments
that have been made to-day, principally by those
who are opposed to the President in politics, and
which the more fair-minded OF his supporters have
not essayed TO answer.