The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-04

Loufsfana-The Overthrow OF Repuh
lican Government.
The Inauguration Of the Governor of Louisi
ana elected at the general election in Novem
Der last takes place at New Orleans on Monda
next. The election passed off in an orderl
and peaceabls manner. Despite the excte'
condition of party feeling, the closeness of tn
contest and the irritating division in the repub
lcan party, not single act of violence OF any
important character occurred at the polls IL
any district in the State On the counting OF
the votes by the proper election officers IL was
found that the Greeley electoral ticket had
carried the State, and that the fusion otate
ticket headed by McEnery for Governor and
majority of the fusion candidates ior the
Legislature had also been duly elected. The
result was announced by oil parties, agreed in
by all parties, and not q voice was raised
against it. 1t is certain, therefore, that, so far
as the votes actually cast are concerned, Mr..
McEnery is the regularly elected Governor of
Louisiana, and the fusion Legislature is the
legal Legislature of the State.
Our special dispatches from New Orleans,
published in to-day's HERALD, represent that
the people Of that city and Of the State are re-
solved to inaugurate their duly elected State
officers in accordance with the constitution
and the law, and that the present usurping
State governmental ''pinchbeck' govern
ment in good truths as firmly determined
to prevent the Inauguration by violence, and
to complete its outrage upon the rights and
liberties of the people by installing United
States Senator Kellogg, the minority candidate
at the election, in the chief executive Office.
To accomplish this the Pinchback party have
emptied the State armory Of arms and ammu-
milton and placed them in the hands Of
negroes, while from three to four thousand
federal troops, including cavalry and artillery,
have been concentrated in the city to back up
the armed negroes, if necessary, in their assault
upon the new State government A mass
meeting of the citizens of New Orleans, with
out regard to political divisions, was held on
Thursday evening, to express the indignation
of all honest and law-abiding people at the
revolutionary and criminal action of the
usurpers and at the cruel tyranny Of the
federal administration, without whose aid the
regular State government could not be over
thrown. Yesterday it was evident that the
| feelings of the masses had been deeply stirred.
! A dangerous undercurrent' was observable
in the rolling waves of popular indignation,
mination on the part of the best citizens to
brave every danger-even death at the hands
of federal troops and Infatuated negroes
rather than to see their constitution trodden
under foot their laws disregarded and their
rights and liberties destroyed, without oppo-
sition. A physical conflict is seriously ap-
pretended, and men who are not apt to
indulge in exaggerated fancies are earnest in
the expression of their fears that the inaugu-
ration Of the officers peacefully elected will be
marked by a fatal collision between the federal
forces and the people.
We desire, in advance of this disgraceful
and cruel butchery, to warn the federal
authorities that they are treading on perilous
ground. There are facts which no amount OF
plausible sophistry and no bold falsehoods in
partisan organs can alter or conceal. The
republican State Convention in Louisiana
was presided over by the head of the federal
Custom House at New Orleans; its members
were, three-fourths OF them, federal Office
holders; its doors were guarded by federal
marshals and their deputies. The nominees
for Governor and Lieutenant Governor were
o United States Senator and United States
Custom House Collector, and large portion
of the legislative candidates were federal
officers. When defeated at the polls federal
judge, in violation of law, OVERRIDE the State
courts issued orders sweeping away the
Legitimate State government, placing bogus
Returning Board in authority, scattering the
State Legislature and proclaiming State
canvass without having a single official return
on which to base it. To enforce these orders
a federal Marshal called in the aid of the
pie from the State House grounds, the halls
of legislation were made the camping ground
of federal troopers and the doors Of the Capt.
tol were guarded by federal bayonets, so that
none but the usurpers and their friends might
enter These are stern facts, and no American
worthy the enjoyment of free government
no Christian man who loves justice and hates
oppression-can afford to ignore them or to
hold blameless On administration that lends its
authority to sanction such reasonable and
tyrannous acts. The people are slow to move,
but it would not be safe to brave their indigna-
ton in such case as this Louisiana infamy.
Should any bloodshed occur in New Orleans
on Monday next-should the federal troops
be ordered to fire on defenceless citizens, who
seek only to do those acts warranted by the
constitution and the laws of their State;
should the federal power attempt to decide by
brute force a contest that belongs to the
Courts and that must be settled by the test o.
| law-the American people will exact reckon