The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-05-28
The Louisiana Troubles Proclamation
of the President. .

his proclamation in the Louisiana
difficulty, in which after reeiting
that the Kellogg Government is
the acknowledged State authority,
and as such tacitly recognized by
the last Congress i'll its failure to
take any action in the matter, and
that the United States Government
has been called upon to intcrpose
bv the State Executive, in the in
terral of session Of the the Leg
islature, commands certain tnrbu-
lent and disorder|y persons "to dis
perse and retire peaceably to their
homes within twenty days from
this date, and hereafter submit
themselves to the laws and const-
tinted authorities Of the said State"
By this proclamation the President
leaves no doubt as to his POSITION
and purposes, and pledges himself
to support the Kellogg usurpatlon
with the whole power of the Gov
ernment should it be necessary,
1t has been matter of surprise
that the proclamation should be
now issued, in a time of apparent
peace and supremacy on the part of
the State Government, and it Is
attributed, to a recent speech OF
Senator Carpenter in New Orleans,
which acknowledging and induced
him to invoke the aid of the Pres
ident. In this speech the Senator
denounced the present State Gov
ernmeut as usurpation, and ex-
pressed the opinion that Congress
would "order a new election and
put him OUT The case is thus
stated by the Senator:
"You had an election here last
Fall, CT pretended you had one,
and both Kellogg and McEnery
claim to have been. elected. This
was held under. the State laws.
You had an election which WAS in
opposition to the constitution.
Your law was unconstitutional !;
and after all was fixed You could
not decide which was the Election
Board. One had no returns [ap-
plause] e]-one had returns which
were declared frauds, and another
had returns which were, as you
think, legal, and by which Meme
~ was declared elected. TO de-
eide these the United States Court
took the matter in hand, out of the
State Courts, and attempted to set
tie question. IF this could be done
constitutionally mere Judge
could any time turn over a State.
[Applause.] The McEnery mea
did not believe in this. There were
two Legislatures and consequently
two Scnators-Messrs. Ray and
Mcmillan. We took up both OF
these cases and made fill inquiry.
We wanted to hear from everybo-
dy, and everybody was heard, and
the committee was satisfied that II
. the election had really elected any
body McEncry was elected. I'm
mensc enthusiasm and applause
But We were not we'll satisfied of
this. and tA@G IS what's the matter.
= the returns were truthful Me-
Emery was elected, but as the case
was presented to rs we were salts
fed Inc election was rot fairly held.
The question then was, What could
be done? Kc'loyg was not elected
at all, aud McEnery was elected, if
at all, by fraud. The logical
course, then, seemed to us, that
there had been no election. We
knew not how to settle the qres-
ton. We therefore sail the only
way to do was to send it TO the
people and have a new election.
TApplausc.] We were all States
rights men. I have been one and
always will be. Therefore the
United States could not give this
State government, ,sand the only
way for the United States to do
was to leave it to the people them
selves. But Alr. Morton said we
had no right to interfere with what
had already been done, and the
Election bin was defeated. The
question again arises, What is to
be done? I think Congress should
settle the matter. Now. can there
he IN honest election in Louisiana ?
! don't know, but Congress will
establish a government in some
1Yay, and if there cannot be an
honc1t government established,
rongrcas will give her a territorial
one, If tic people refuse to or
.anizc State government Con-
urGss vii! have to give them one.
Soy, 10 nay cojored friends They
Hfe, they say, afraid to vote. Wcl|,
II they aY4 from cagge, then GOV
HYt,aenf viii be furnished which
WI zl!0w them to vote, And,
@eadeaep. jf the Ke!logg govern
- --.- 4 a IL. tl,nt - n ninnf:nH, !