Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-20
THE LOUISIANA MIDDLE
VIEWS OFTHE SENATE CONIMITrEE.
Mr.. Carpenters Report

The Senate committee on privileges and cleo
tons, to whom was referred the case of Ray and
Mcmillan contestants from Louisiana, have
taken over one Thousand printed pages OF testi-
mony. The report OF Mr.. Carpenter, of the COM
mittee submitted to the Senate to-day is very
long. II reviews the testimony at length and
gives coPious extracts from the testimony, from
the statsles Of Louisiana and from the enforce
ment act of the United States. 1t takes the
ground that the whole inference Of the United
States court inshe organization of the legisla-
tuae Is gross usurpatiOn. 1.-The committee
fails 10 find words with which to express their
ablserance Of che action of Judge Durrell.'' IL
new becomes necessary for Congress to decide
which of two courses shall be pursued. First,
to declare the result of the election returned
By the Lynch board illegal; second, to declare
that no republican government exists in the
state are about equally divided in sem
timent in regard to the two pretended
goyernsents. The people OF New Orleans,
the McEnery government two to one, and it is
believed that, If federalsuppOrt were withdrawn
frcmShe Kellogg government. it would be sup
days. The people of the state, as a body, neither
support nor submit to either government;
ne1ther government can collect taxes, for the
people have no , assurance that payments to one
Business is interrupted and public confidence
destroyed, and should Congress adjourn without
making suitable provision for the case one Of
two things must result-either collision and
biOOdshed between the adherents Of the two
governments, or the President must continue
the support Of federal authority to the Kellogg
government. The alternative Of civil war; or
the maintenance Of a state government by mill
tary power. without the pretence of an election.
is exceedingly embarrassing, and in the opinion
OF your committee the best solution of this diff
Guilty is for Congress to order reelection, a nd
provide for holding it under authority of ID e
United States. to the end that government
may be elected by the people, to which they
will submit or which, i'm case Of disturbance
the United states can honestly maintain. Your
committee have prepared a hill whick thew
believe Will insure an honest election, and re-
of government i'm that state, and yeur commit
tee recommend its passage We think the mel
anchOly condition of the people OF Louisiana
who are substantially i'm state OF ANARCHY
premises. Therefore yOar committee recon-
mend the adoption Of the following resolutions:
Resoleed, That there is no state government
at present existing in the state of Louisiana.
Res0lred, That neither John Ray nor ". l..
Mcmillan is entitled to seat i'm the Senate
neither having been elected by the legislature
Of the state OF Louisiana.
senator sIorten's Report.
Senator Morton's report contains a very ieng
and carefully proposed history of the trouble in
Louisiana, and an elaborate review of the legal
and constitutional questions presented While
sitting in the circait court of the United States,
cannot be justified or defended and that sshe
grossly exceeded his jurisditiOn. and assumed
sne exercise :, OF powers TO which he could lay no
for the United States marshal or for the Presi-
dent to review the decisions and order of Judge
Dureli, and determine whether he had exceeded
his jurisdiction" The report concludes fol-
lows The Kellogg government is q fact, and
Its legality Is sustained by the judicial tribunals
OF the state, and it is in active operation in all
its departments without actual resistance any
where. The McEnery government exists only
on paper. McEnery, and all those claiming
office under it, have never been returned as
the laws of Louisiana. Every offense COM
planned of on either side i'm this case was against
the constitution and laws Of Louisiana, and the
now presented broadly whether the
fere to correct violations Of the laws of the
state and to redress wrongs for which
re- ,s is prS,ided By the st:te tribunals
it is alleged that the election on the 4th Of No
vember was so grossly fraudulent as to make it
void; that If it had been fair, Kellogg and the
have been elected by large majority. With
out concurring in the opinion that the election
was void, entertain 10 doubt that it ives an
that decided majority Of the people Of Ion,s-
lana sympathize with the Kellogg government
and earnestly desire 10 sec It maintained.
should Congress declare that Louisiana has no
2 new election, it would establish precedent
up new ones, under which the government o.
As controlled BY the passion Or EFFICIENCY Of par
ties; Deploring this condition Of things in
I;scuisians, end earnestly hoping that the peo-
pie VIII take warning, and with ono accord in
sist upon honest elections and the faithful OBJ
seryance q the laws, Il Is my deliberate judR-
ment that 10 70 better for them 10 bear the ills
they have ana seek reformation and relief I'M
Der their own laws and tribunals than to Invoke
tne national government to the assertion Of .
power under which state aovcruments vould
exist hereafter only By snIefance.'