The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-04-04
Louisiana.

States, To drive capital from the country,
to check the growth OF commerce, force
the merchant and the farmer To bank
ruptcy, depreciate the value of land,
and stop the tide of immigration, cannot
fail ut last to bring upon them the gen
eral Indignation of the people. Every
ku-Klux murder, every assault upon the
supremacy of the law, every threat of
violence and of usurpation, tends to pro-
duce infinite loss to the country, and
helps to reduce to poverty and decay a
region fitted by nature to TEEN with ma
terial wealth, and support in affiuence
an immense population. Lands in va
rious portions of the United States that
under peaceful government would
prove more productive than the rich
fields of Minnesota are left idle and I'M
titled. Farms are sold Mt prices so low
as to seem incredible to Northern cult
vators. The mineral resources of the
mountain chains are left untouched.
Railroads that would open up wide
districts of country to foreign immigra-
ton are stopped in their progress be-
cause the capitalist is afraid of spolia-
ton and open robbery. The commerce
of the Southern cities languishes, while
the cities of the great West press ON
with unprecedented strides. The mer-
chant, the honest laborer, the mechanic
and the investor shrink from the home
of the Ku-Klux, and avoid a region
where life and property are threatened
by brigands and revolutionists.
Louisiana has suffered as severely as
any of it's sister States from the cruel
deeds of its rebellious faction. The
great majority of it's people, no doubt,
desire repose but their Democratic
leaders will not suffer them to rest
The recent riots in New Orleans are only
the latest of long series of outrages.
The same faction that has never ceased
to threaten and i'll treat Republican
voters and peaceful colored men has at
last covered the streets of New Orleans
with bloodshed. They have been the
first to shed the blood of their fellow
citizens. They have not only defied the
authority of the State and national
courts, but have endeavored to seize the
Government by armed violence.
The particulars of this contest deserve
a general attention. Two governments
existed in Louisiana, each claiming to
represent the majority of the people.
The Warmoth and McEnery faction, sup
ported by the rebel leaders, and COM
posed of many men who had served III
the rebel armies, assert that at the fall
election they had large majority of the
votes. The Kellogg party, embracing
al the Republicans, insist that the ma
jority was on their side. The question
as to the validity of either claim was
submitted to the Supreme Court of New
Orleans, and also the United States
Judge, Durell. Both courts decided in
favor of Kellogg and his associates.
They were declared elected by the high
est legal decision. They entered upon
their offices, took passion of the public
buildings, organized the police, proceed
ed to discharge their proper duties, and
the national Administration, as it was
obliged to do, respected the decision Of
the courts, and acknowledged the State
government of the Kellogg party 1t
could have done nothing else it was
forced to follow the ruling of the courts !;
and, besides, the Kellogg government
was in existence dc fdctO as well as de
jurc. 1t was the only one known to the
law.
Meantime the McEnery party also or
gained government, assembled Il Leg
islature, and proceeded to perform va
rious acts annoying and obstructive to
its opponents. 1t next, as was most
proper, appealed to the President and
to Congress. The President had no
power to interfere, but Congress, per-
haps, might have determined the con-
troversy. 1t would seem, however,
rather question for the Supreme Court !;
and even Congress would scarcely care
to reverse the decision of the New Or
leans judges. But however this may
be, the plain duty of the McEnery party,
if they found themselves aggrieved, was
to commence such legal proceedings as
might expose the errors of their oppo-
nents and obtain justice for themselves,
prepared a large military force, and
made an attack upon their opponents,
which ended in the loss of several lives
and the wounding of fifteen or twenty
persons. Their object, it seems, was to
seize the court-houses and reinstate their
own judges they might thus gain a
show of legality on their side, which is
now wholly wanting. The rebels fought
with courage but their plans had been
revealed to the Kellogg officials, and
Gen. Longstreet, by his prudent dispo-
sition of the armed police, saved the
court-houses. Gen. Emory, the United
States officer in command, next ordered
the rioters to dispense, and, obeying the
instructions of President Grant, aided
in restoring order in New Orleans. For
this the President has been assailed
with extraordinary bitterness by the
friends of Warmoth and McEnery, by
the opposition press of the North, and
the enemies of the public peace. The
people of the whole country, however,
will probably approve of his conduct,
and show the rebellious portion of the
Southern population that they are re-
solved to check at once their constant
tendency toward bloodshed and crime
The chief, sufferers from the violence
of Warmoth and McEnery, next to the
dead and wounded, to whose fate they
have been accessory, will be the mer-
chants, mechanics and farmers of Louis
lana. Business has long been inactive
Mt New Orleans, owing TO the fear of
riots and political disturbances. Re
pubicans and colored citizens are
naturally alarmed for their lives when
they see their enemies armed parading
i'm the streets. and when they remember