Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-01-04

Our eovernmcnt's interference In

The cry Of "Federal usurpatlon has
30 frequently been raised in relation to
acts which a majority Of our people con
sidered but the legitimate exercise OF
national authority, that II has greatly lost
is force; bus unless we are to march for
ward to such Capitalization Of power at
Washington as will practically obliterate
State lines and destroy the rights Of com
muniiies TO self government in matters
affecting themselves alone, the present |
condition Of affairs in Louisiana calls for
some effective protest from the people and
definite action on the part Of the peoples
representatives in Congress. The spectacle
of a subordinate Federal Court unseatlng
one set of State officers, and seating an
other In their place, is one which may
well cause apprehension to those of us
who are not extremists in regard to State
rights. but who nevertheless believe that
the organized plan Of our Republic, with
a central government for national matters
and State governments for affairs of more
limited or local concern, is the only one
adapted to a people spreading over terri
tory so vast as that of the United States.
There is doubtless much truth in the
off repeated statement that those COM
posing the two factions now eontoudinr
for supremacy in Louisiana are scurvy
scallawags, at hest, and that the State Is
but reaping the fruit Of Its own crime and
folly, but as soon as We, or the govern
ment which represents ne, becomes the
partisan of one or the other of these fac
tons, we get as deep in the mud as they
are in the mire. and share in their crime
and disgrace. And this, It seems to us, is
precisely the position into which our gov
emment has been dragged by its indscree'
(ifnot worse) Representatives in Louisiana
1t will not do to say that the National
Government has simply interfered to pre-
serve the peace between two warning
factions. It's interference has been such
as to give one of those factions all il claims
and to strip the other Of all the power
which a great number Of the leading people
of the State declare rightfully belongs To
it. and no other Interpretation Of such
interference is possible Than that the great
power Of the National Government has
been lent to one faction against the other
And the incidents which have attended
this action have been as alarming as ,h'
act Itself. The State House has actua lN
been seizel by United States troops and
here is at least grave cause to suspect
that the United States Judge who has
maraged this whole affair has Deliberately
sought to silcrce criticism of his action 10y
assisting in a plot to crush the newspaper
which had most boldly attacked him.
80
Change In the Wilmington Institute
wedirect the attention of the members o
the Wilmington Institute TO call, in on
advertisement columns Tor meeting o
the members Of that body on Thursday
evening. January 9TH, to consider propo
siiion Of the Executive Committee TO pro
cure change in the charter of tina
body. by which It shall become a stool
company. II Is proposed To issue 3.OW
shares of stock, each worth $40, ana a.
vide such shares among the members III
shall in turn dispose Of them, and by thi
means It is believed that the membership
can be increased to probably 5000 w
are not sufficiently familiar with the detail
of the proposed scheme to state them NOR
fully, but this much is sufficient to shoy
that il is OF the very highest importance
that there shall be fun meeting Of tn
members, as the question is one of vita
interest to the Institute,