The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-03-06
THURSDAY EvEN'G. MARCH 8. ls'
Tbo G,ouisiana TangIe.

and have done so that we might lo'io" "'
intricate proceedings and complicated re- u
suits far enough to enable our readers to ?
grasp and partially comprehend them.
we do not undertake to unravel the
tangled skein; but only to follow out
such ineligible threads of inquiry as
may lead us out Of some OF the laoy-
,i,thian mazes into which events nave
rather drifted than been forces by any
popular sentiment. In doing TINS we
take the facts as they appear upon the
face of proceedings, and not as they have
been distorted by personal prejudice and
passion.
And first. the Louisiana election was I'M
deniably marked by gross frauds. In the
election itself the frauds were mainly OF
altogether on the Fusion side. They con-
sisted in excluding some ten or fifteen
thousand negroes from registration, ana
most of them from voting. Thus conduc-
ted. the election undoubtedly gave Fusion |
majority. The election officers were War
moths tools. 1t is believed that on lar
vote. the State would have been decidedly
Republican, but that does not positively
appear, except by partisan evidence.
Next. two different Returning Boards
assumed to canvass the vote and declare
the result. That which was known as the
Lynch Board existed in conformity
with law at the time, and was on inc
Kellogg or Republican side. Warmoth
undertook to revolutionize it, and, Tor TINS
purpose, after it had partially completed
it's work. took out of his drawer Dill
which had passed year before and signed
It. Under this bill the Board known as
the De Feriot Board was constituted. This
was on the Warmoth or Fusion side.
Then the Lynch Board declared the kel-
logp Government and Legislature elected.
The De Feriot Board declared the McEn'
cry Government and Legislature elected
There is no doubt that the latter had the
official returns before it. The Lynch
Board picked up the returns upon when II
decided in various ways. Some of them
were gathered from newspapers. Some O
them were mere estimates. Some OF thell
we're based on afiidavits as to the exclusion
Of voters from the ballot-box, and on
party finally confessed that fifteen hundred
of these afIidavits or signatures had beel
forged. THIS gave bad look to the las
named board.
The question was then carried before tn
Circuit Court of the United States, an
Judge Durell rendered decision that IN
Lynch Board was the lawful board, an
the government it declared elected the Law
ful government. It was upon this declsio
that the President acted. His authorl'
being invoked to prevent disturbance,
recognized no other course but to folio
and sustain the Judiciary. The decision
Judge Durell was, however, unanimous
condemned by committee Of the Unit
States Senate as a piece of usurpation, a.
void for want Of jurisdiction.
Then the question came up before
Supreme Court of Louisiana, and that
bunal also pronounced the Lynch Boa
the only legal Board and sustained I
Government which it declared elects
THIS decision was relied on by Sena'
Morton as establishing the validity OF
Kellogg Government and as properly p
GLIDING any Federal interposition, exec
upon the call of the established local u
eminent to preserve order. The major
of the Senate Committee, however, ma
tanned that the question was not lega
before the Court and that the decision '
void for want of jurisdiction. 1t
contended also that the Court
moulded through questionable ?
ceedings; that Narmoth was
posed and Pinchback made ACT
Governor by the Legislature recognized
the Lynch Board; that Pinchback t
appointed the Judge. and the Judge
appointed declared the validity OF
Board out of whose action his apo
ment came. On the other hand, it is
ted that the Judges Of the Supreme O
were chosen four years ago, and that
above story applies to District Cour
Upon this array of tangled facts,
United States Senate ordered an inVes
ton. A majority of the Committee
ported in favor Of setting aside the ele'
and providing for new one. Ser
Morton reported in favor of uphol
the Kellogg Government, and Ser
Trumbull IN favor of sustaining the NJ
cry Government. The Senate itself,
ing to take any action, virtually apr
the action Of the President in recogr
the Kellogg Government. Meanwhile
Government is in actual possession
the McEnery Government claims rig
authority. McEnery, assuming to be
ernor, has called for militia and II
ened civil war--a course not calculat
commend his cause. And this is the
in which matters now stand.
Politically, it is about as tough prt
as can well be presented. 1t is m
with contradictions and intricacles at
point. We have studiously let it
thus far, because we had no DIES
thread the Cretan labyrinth. Bu
requirements of journalistic duty dc
L. ,.I.oal ~, raaord