Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-01-10

the President as the lawful Executive
of Louisiana, and the body assembled
at Mechanics Institute as the lawful
I,egislature; aud it is suggested that
you make Proclamation to that effect
Proclaim to the people, says the
Federal Attorney General, that the
President of the United States recog-
nizes you as the Governor, and your
creatures as the legislators Of free
and sovereign State, and let them
accept that as settling the question of
their State government, or submit to
the consequences of Their rebellious
defiance of Federal power -.
Governor McEnery, elected by the
people of Louisiana as their Governor,
and DESTROYS of protecting the rights
Of the State that had thus honored
him, telegraphed to the President, i'll
response to this pronumciamento of the
debating Attorney General, respect
full prayer that neither State govern
ment might be recognized at Washing
ton until a committee of the people
had been afforded All opportunity to be
heard in defence of their freedom as a
State, and to lay the facts in the con-
| troversy before the administration. TO
this dispatch the Attorney eneral for
warded the following pert, reply
! "Ycur visit with hundred citizens
will be unavailing, so far as the Presi-
de1it is concerned His decisiOnis made
and will not be changed, and the sooner
| it is at quiesced i'll thesooner good order
! and peace will be restored. " No mat
ter whether, you were elected by the
people Oh not, Mr.. AIcEnery !; no mat.
| ter how strong the proof, how convin
cling the facts with which the outraged
| people, cheated. out of their rights, are
prepared to back up their appea,
for justice, the President of til,
United States has decided how the
/ State of Louisiana shall be governed
and who II shall be governed by, and
! us you cannot change his decision, the
| less fuss you make about the nsurpa
ton the better, And how, according
to Attorney-General Williams, was this
of a free State: This decision. which
! changed the whole complexion an6
policy of State government; tins de-
! cision which affected theproeress, pros
peritv and happiness of nearly eight
hundred thousand people; how was
this decision reached? The astute At
! torney-General himself furnishes It's
the answer:-''The Presidents deci
sion as to recognizing Pnchback was
based upon the conviction and belief
/ that there vas a majority of the voters
in favor Of the Republican ticket.
! The President certainly had not can.
Vassed the votes in Louisiana: he had
/ his information no doubt, from
the Custom House party; vet his
. convictionI and belief is, in the
/ opinion of the United States At
torney-Ge better than official
! Et>tttlllS, dlitt SttlIlClt1t
] ton of the contested election. Proba-
bly, the Attorney-C General himself help
! ed to create this conviction and be-
lief, and the unbiased and impartial
character of his Judgment can be nn'
derstood from his allusion to the Gov
/ ernor OF State as q man who had APP
pointed ga fellow by the name of JACK
! Wharton" to the Office of Secretary OF
/ State, and from his general conduct to
wards Governor Warmoth, whom he
treats no better than if he were the
keeper of Baltimore penitentiary
We invite the attention of President
Grant to these facts. He has certainl,
been already placed in q false position
! by bad advisers Let him look to j
that the same men do not involve hin
III the crime of using Federal bullet:
and Federal bayonets to butcher tht
loyal people of free State, which arr
engaged i'll peaceful and constitutions
! act.