New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-16
What Will Congress Do with The Leuisi-
-I ana Casef D. b..


This seems very current question with
some just at this time, but we think it 10,
at all legitimate one. A State election
which has been decided by majority OF
the voters and ratified and confirmed by the
local courts, we hold, can be no legitimate
question for the national Congress to act
upon. or consider at all-more than to dis
miss it as not coming within its reach. This
would be our view and decision as an Old
Line Democrat-and the more so as a mem
Der of the great live Republican party of
the State Of Louisiana, having clear and
fair majority Of some 70, 900 votes. &
But, strange to say, this is not the view
taken by the few restless souls in Louisiana
who Claim still to belong to or rather form
the remnant of a once grand and powerful,
but now GisOrgani2ed and virtually dis
banded, if not disgraced party. After hay
ing sought, in the late election in this State,
to carry the day Through all manner of
local fraud, and in direct opposition to and
defiance OF those great and liberal princi-
pies of common freedom and equality before
the law as thoroughly engraeted upon the
organic law of the nation by the national
Congress in its plan of reconstruction for
the disorganized Southern States, this rest
less, discomft ID, but still impudent, Bour-
bon fossil element-these broken and dis
honored vessels of split vii hat was never
very good-turn and ask Congress for re.
lief Yes, they ask Congress to put them
into power over and in the face of every
principle of honor and safety to the nation
which Congress itself has advocated and
Endorsed for the last ten years, and in abro-
cation and reputation of every principle of
State sovereignty and State policy which
these played out, reckless and totally un-
principled politicians themselves ever be-
fore advocated or professed in all their un-
profitable lives!
nu~v .a a%~ av,1 watt 80 ,k.f
but it would be were not the material in
volved known to be SO utterly contradictory
and worthless. But our feeling of surprise
is overpowered with contempt when we
bear in mind that this strange and I'M
reasonable and self-stultifying request of
our begging and duplicating opponents
comes with an attempted taunt and menace.
Like serpents, they seem to have fOrked
tongues, and while with one fork of the
Shiny member they ask for help. they would
with the other fain tantaize and bid def
ance. This only shows that the fable of the
adder warmed into life can be as true with
men as with snakes. But how injudicious
and foolishly reckless these men are. They
ask Congress for help, and in the same
breath tell Congress it is an infamous body
and upholds fraud and usurpation. They
falsely and NEST arrogantly charge Con-
gress with having already done precisely
that which they most humiliat,ngly and
beggingE ask it to do in their own behalf.
How far and how much Congress will
help supplicants and mendicants Of such a
character, remains to be seen; but we pre-
sumo it will not long SO remain.
And what would be the amount of the
matter were it possible for Congress to hear
and grant the prayer OF the Bourbon and
Fusion element of Louisiana in this case 7
1t would be to place into power the enemies
Of liberty, AMI the enemies and haters of
the national government, and the perse-
cutors and murderers OF its friends and
supporters. Ii Congress chooses to do 80,
let 1t so act; hut whenever such interference
and such policy is adopted, we have no
more nationality in this country-no mere
national safety-and can not, in the very
nature of things, any longer have that ma
tional love and respect which are absolutely
essential to the very existence of the ma
tional government and the national unity.
But we are supposing that which is i'm
possible-as much so as it would be and is
impossible for wrong and error to triumph
where reason and truth are left to combat
them.
We have abiding faith that Congress will !
speedily do us justiee-will do the cause of
truth and right justiee-and at once, as
Senator West has well suggested, leave the |
"Louisiana case" where it belongs, and |
where 1t has already been properly decided |
and settled. cA |
And what could the people hope to gain |
in the establishment of Democratic or Flu |
sion rule in Louisiana! We mean the masses |
of the people, both black and white. |
And we assert that the masses of the peo- |
pile, neither white nor black, are in favor |
of any such thing. They are sensible
enough to see and know that it could |
result in no good to them, and they are
enough to confess the truth. |
They see and know that all this wolfish |
howlagainst the Republican State govern
ment of Louisiana comes from those who |
are both too proud and too lazy to labor for
4 living, and who want office as a relief. |
The honest masses know this, and as gen
,ral rule openly confess it, They zee and
Know and feel that the " Kellogg govern
nentnin Louisiana is not . prospective gov
,rnment, does not hunt men down and
prescribe and Cypress them because of
,ither Grace color, or previous condition."
md at the same time they see and know
md feel that the I" McEnery government
see and know and feel that it
eeks to get into power for that special if
ot sole reason, coupled with the hope and
urpose of personal and individual aggran-
npon these same honest
a asses increased and constantly increasing
axation.
The people of Lonisiana-the honest
no change in their State go
eminent Blackburn' Homer Had.