The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-27
Louisiana.

We published yesterday tho Presidents
message to Congress In regard to LOUISIANA
II confirms what we have often said OF NH
tha. he il no more to blame for miraculous u
.ba Constitution than NERo's horse was lo'
.ho ,,ws wbch were enforced when ne que
hose, ,sas nominaily proconsul. WIN tue
most delicious coolness--as IL nc hau "i''.e'i
his message while smoking c,sar-tne
president tells Congress that if they do not
mt, the riyhtful ofiice-ho!ders into their
Offices he will see that the wrongful ones are
left in undisturbed possession Of the same !
He ought TO know as well as we do that KEEL
1ooe's Government is .usurped one; that
the Federal judge who pronounced kEL-
1oGa to be the rightful Governor IS q
drunken, corrupt scoundrel, who usurped a
power which did not belong to him when he
so decided; and that. as Senator CARPENTER
declared on the floor Of the Senate on Mon
day. and Mr.. MORTON admitted, KELLOGG
could not hold his seat twenty-four hours
unsupported by Federal baYonets; and yet
he AYERS that he will keep this usurped gov
eminent In Office unless Congress shall turn
il out.
We sav General GRANTS tone shows that
he knows no more about the Constitution
than his fivorite horse does, and cares about
as little for its requirements. He is mere
tool in the hands Of designing men. AS
such he was first nominated for President,
the men who selected him feeling nothing
but contempt for him as statesman, and
choosing him only because they were afraid
the Democrats would nominate and elect
him If they did not. He will enforce Judge
DuKELL's DEGREES, right or wrong, and keep
bis brothcr-in-law's party in Office. Shall
we add any reflections upon the noble form
of free government" the best the world
ever saw"-which prevails in this heaven
favored land? Not we. We arc content to
enjoy privileges SO unspeakably exaltng to
a free people without Boosting too much of
them.
The President says that the members of
the two Houses of the Louisiana Legislature
are the sole judges of the election and
qualifications of themselves. This is truth
which some of us have long attempted to
press upon the attention Of the authorities
at Washington. The same is Of course the
case in Alabama; aud yet we have seen a
Federal judge there arraign two members
of the Legislature for dereiction of duty.
The same is the case in Virginia; and yet
here we have seen Federal district attorney
claiming that the Federal courts have the
right to punish certain persons for being
members of our Legislature, thus in effect
declaring that Judge RIvEs was the proper
Judge of the election and qualifications of
the members of the Virginia Legislature.
This once sacred prerogative amounts to
nothing if after their election and qualifca-
ton Federal satraps may punish the men,
beers of the various State Legislatures for
their acts as such.
The President does in effect tell the I'M
principled Radicals in Congress that if they
desire to see the rule of their corrupt party
perpetuated in Louisiana all they have to do
is to keep their hands off. What better So
luton of the Louisiana troubles could or
will any true Radical desire? And what
convenient thing it is to. have President
who knows nothing of constitutions and
laws when such questions are to be dealt
with. Who cannot predict that the present
status Of affairs in Louisiana will be main
tainedr
We were about to omit all mention of the
Presidents reference to the State courts Of
Louisiana. His respect for those tribunals
seems to be unlimited One might take him
to be Statc-rights man, so swectly does he
sound the praises of these courts, and so far
in the foreground does he place them in his
picture. But the fact is, we believe, that the
State court he has reference to is the one pre-
sided over by judge appointed by the ne
gro PlNcHBAcK, who removed the rightful
judge because he would not recognize the
validity Of the KELLOGG usurpation Such
respect for State rights must excite the ad.
miration of Judge UNDERWOOD.
. ----
Tho Pofa of INT