New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-24
"SO-CALLEUU AND "IEGaL -

We do not know that it is any special
concern of ours, but we think the time
has come to cease employing these terms
in speaking of our State officers and their
would be rivals. A contemporary yester-
day morning refers to the Legislature,
which will meet On Mechanics Institute
on the first Monday Of next month, as
the ''so-called," while to the almost faded
away concern that vexed the corridors of
Odd Fellows Hall is ascribed the appella-
ton of illegal" By its own showing our
contemporary recognizes the well estab-
| lished, incontrovertible fact that the IL
regular body to whom it processes allie
glance is misty exhalation Of political
aspirants, who have no standing as
Legislature anywhere. 1t is body which
not even the Senate of the United States
can galvanize into life, and which, more
over, that august branch of the general
government has no intention of favoring
in any manner. The great Spanish castle
which was erected in this State last year
has passed away, like dissolving view,
and left not mark by which it may be
known. As We have SO often stated,
there is no such thing as Louisiana case
pending before Congress, nor any question
before the Senate that can possibly affect
in the slightest manner the status of our
State government.
How futile then to indulge in the vain
hope of reversing the condition of things
which was SO firmly established by the re-
lection last winter of the report of the
Senate Committee on Privileges and Elec-
tons. The vote that laid that report on
the table was the knell to the hopes of the
Fusion schemers, and they can not call
them from the grave by miscalling things
year after they have become dust and
ashes. fl
A large number of gentlemen are called
up by name to receive instructions from
those who possess neither the authority
nor the intelligence necessary to give force
to the assumption. The Fusion fuglemen
may as well cease calling the roll of their
live and dead pretenders. Their fate is
fixed until the next election at least when
they may make another effort if they
choose to do so, OF disband their forces
and take service under another flag.
Many of the owners of the names which
are placed on the italic roll have forfeited
their right to seats in the Legislature and
been formally expelled. Others, who
treated the General Assembly with con-
tempt by denying its authority and join
ing an insurrectionary body, have laid
themselves liable to the same penalty. 1t |
is possible they may be admitted, however,
if they come in q proper spirit, and ask |
for their places in a proper manner. But !
not in body. Each individual should |
stand on his own merits, and admitted or
rejected, without reference to what any
body else has done or said. 1t is even
probable that some will be invited to come
back to duty and good sense; but there
will be no distress caused by refusal of
,ny or all of them to respond. In case
hey persist in their contempt of the Leg
stature, their places can easily be de-
dared vacant and at once supplied by 1
Election. These, however, are questions
o be decided by the two Houses, each for |