New Orleans Republican., 1873-05-03
LAYING THE BLAME ON CONGRESS.


Congress is in some manner to blame fol
the inherent wickedness of their political
allies in Louisiana. And even Republican
papers of the skinned milk order, like
the New York Tribune, the Philadelphia
Press and several Of the Boston daiiies,
join in the crusade that Las for its object
to find a responsible party for scapegoat
for evils that originate in the inherent
wickedness and selfshness of our Fusion
lists. Congress, therefore, is saddled with
the responsibility for the Colfax massacre,
because it refused to depart from all pre-
cedent in the Louisiana matter, overrule
the decision Of the President, nullify the
DEGREES Of our State courts, set aside the
action of the United States Circuit and
Supreme Courts, and declare the Nc
Emery administration elected in spite
of the overwhelming evidences of
fraud that we're presented to the Senate
Committee on Privileges and Elections.
For the demand upon Congress by the
political allies of our Fusionists that Con-
gress "should do something" implied
that that something" should be active
Intervention in the affairs of the govern
ment of this State in the interest of the
N1cEneryites. Without the powerful aid
Of Congress they would be powerless
against oui legal State government; and it
was conceded that no action at all would
be equivalent to a decision in favor of
Governor Kellogg, who, with his friends
was firmly in possession, and could not
be dislodged except by the power and
influence that could be derived from an
act Of Congress. The national legisla-
ture wisely refused to remit the interests
of this State to the custody of the old
rebel Democracy, and the result has been
an abortive attempt in this city to capture
by force what they had failed to secure by
fraud, and an organized assassination of
the defenseless Republican citizens of
Grant parish by way of revenge.
There are two ways by which Congress
might have prevented the Grant outrages,
neither of which was proper measure
for national legislation: l. To direct the
President to send strong force of troops
up Red river to police the country
2. To require him to recognize McEnery
as the Governor. The adoption of the
first named proposition would have been
the signal for all the opposition fuglemen
from one end of the country to the other
to raise the cry Of federal usurpation Of
the rights of a sovereign State, which it
would nave been. The second would have
been just such an act of injustice as the
Democracy have continually charged upon
Congress since the war, but which it has
never yet committed.
A Washington correspondent of the
Philadelphia Press, who signs himself
Mae" attempted on the twenty-second
of April to enlghten that paper upon the
causes which led to the Grant massacre.
He starts Off with the ballot box stufing,
,epeating ana false registration, but upon
that the poor murdered negroes
lad no hand in these villainies, and labor
ng, probably, under deep sense of his
'wn imbecility initiates the example of
lis fellow hired correspondents, by throw
NC Yp his hands and frantically exclaim-
ng, Congress is to blame" The editor
If the Press publishes this letter with the
'ery appropriate remark that his CORE
pondent's ''style is piquant, but his judg-
nent often erroneous" The piquant but
rroneous writer states ''evidence was not
Wanting to show that unless something
we're done such scenes as that en-
cted at Cofax would become
ommon." Suppose the evidence was at
and; what then? Is Congress to change
be whole policy Of the nation because a
ew disappointed aspirants for Office, in
Il outlying country parish, threaten a
rusade Of larceny and assassination |
congress, perhaps, looked at the ''evi-
ences' and then at the Ku-klux law,
'hich it had already enacted, and let
hings take their course. While, there
Ore, the Northern copperhead papers are
elaboring Congress for not having done
the Southern rebel Democracy
re whining because ''peaceable citizens"
re in danger of being dragged from
leir homes on the warrant Of United
tates commissioner. These complaining
entry will all be satisfied if they will
ave patience. 1t will be shown that
ongress has made provision for tie very
that has arisen in Grant par
h, and that if ''peaceabie citizens" are
} be mo!asted their prosecutors will have
, so out OF Grant parish to find theme