The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1873-01-25
,oS. S.xeENERy's ,NAUGURAL ADDRESS

! y y
|stances. Returned as your elected Gov
ernor, in the manner and according t.
all the forms Of law hitherto recognized
i'll this and in the other States Of the
Union, I find my right to this high
office disputed on grounds altogethe,
An actual majority Of the votes of the
lpeople, ascertained and reported by the
lawful election officers OF the State,
duly returned to the Governor and
Secretary Of State, canvassed and de-
! clarcd by i; board of legal canvassers
! having possession and control Of the
only lawful evidences OF such returns,
has been uniformly regarded heretofore
las comforting on tho candidate pro-
claimed as the one receiving such ma
jority, the indisputubIc right to occupy
tho Office to which he has boon elected
and to exercise tho duties thereof. The
! right to hold and continue in such Office
! may be questioned and contested by
another claimant upon certain grounds.
But from the nature Of our government
and OF all civilized governments, it has
been found essential, to prevent Il iliu-
tus therein, that tho claimant holding
the certificate of having received the
| largest vote, possessing the prima f,cic
| evidence Of a title, should be accepted
and recognized rs the lawful incum-
bent, and should hold the same. until
| it be shown in an issue made that tho
vote received by him was not a legal
or honest one.
Even the tcchnicnlitirs and forlnoli-
tics of the law are frequently tlisregar-
tletl, in order to ascertain und riyr
effect to tho clearly expressed will Of
the people. Aud under no circumstan-
ccs is the voice Of tho majority permit
ted to be hushcd by mere informalitlcs
or doubts us to the legal authority of the
officials proclai,ning the same. Such
inforn,alitics may sometimes Justify
the setting aside an election and the
ordering q new one, but they were
never before regarded as giving to any
tribunal Or authority the right and
power to elect Il minority candidate to
office, and to Jisurp the power whic,
belongs tt the people of choosing their
own agents and representatives.
These just and simple rules, this uni
form practice, under our republican
system, have been entirely ignored by
the wicked conspirators who seek to
set aside the election returns OF our late
State election.
y candidate who docs not pretend
that lie received minority of the votes
cast, but expressly admits that the re-
turns Of tho legal officials exhibit the
contrary, sets up a claim to the office of
Governor of Louisiana.
He bases this claim upon certain
statements that a large number of quail
fled voters were illegally excluded
from registration or from voting, which,
If registered anu permitted to vote,
would have reversed the result.
These are mere &C l)0ytc Statements,
allegations, which have ncycr bern
examined, and rest upon Nero surnli-
sea, spcculations, loose rumorJ and
partisan fabrications. No opportunity
has been afforded to expose their f,Isc
ana hiInsy c}iaractCr.' IF entitled to
any consideration or weight ut all, il
certainly viii not be pretended, by :nv
just aud Intelligent mind, that thcy
would authorize the denial of the right |
to enter upon an Office of tho person |
who holds the prinla facic cvidcncc-thc |
broad seal Of the officers who have been |
designated by tho law to ascertain and |
return tho result of the election
And yet, upon such Vague and M |
supported aVcrmcntS Of interested par
tic,,, ana under the dcrcitsul gui5c Of u
chancCry proceeding, a United States
court has undertaken to avoid and srt
aside tho regular returns of the lawful
officers OF tn" State and proposes TO in |
duct into it1 high Offices The minority |
therefor. And this i4 done |
without an investigation or trial bythc |
;tid Of The military power of tho Lodc- !
raj government. That aid hus been
given on the technical ground of the |
duty Of th" Federal Executive to en- !
force tho Drdcr- Of q judicial tribunal, !
without inquiry ~ any regard To the !
legality "r equity al -u"lt orders
Wl." eminent military cilicftain who