New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-05-21


tons involved. Mr.. Chester courte0Gs
thanked the Senator for the expression o
his opinion, with which. however, he re
| spectfully differed, and after paying warn
| tribute of admiration to Judge Durel.
made way for State Senator lngraham.
Mr.. Ingraham inquired, if the decision OF
| Judge Durell was likely to be set aside b.
! the Supreme Court, as stated by Senato
| Carpenter. what wOald become OF the de
| cison of the Supreme Court of the State
Mr.. Carpenter-That question never can
| come before the federal court. 1t is Sc
| purely local question shall have to leave
that entirely to yOur lawyers here.
Mr. Ingraham-The Supreme Court is ad
m;tted by all parties to be the de jure as
we'll as the de f0cto court of last resort in
Louisiana. Its decisions to-day regulate
the mercantile interests Of the city. IL con
trolls the lives and property Of the citizens.
It has given decision in this controversy
that. under the laws Of the State, the Lynch
and Longstreet returning board WAS the
only legal returning board. Even ii
the decision of Judge Durell is swept away
this decision will stand, and. as a matter
of course. the Legislature and the State
officers returned by that board will be. to
ali intent. and purposes. the government OF
the State.
Mr.. Carpenter-Thas il a pretty large
subject. Of course your State court has
undoubted jurisdiction TO decide any case
brought between any two citizens. il Me.
Emery should bring suit tomorrow under
your intrusion act. alleging that he was
Governor of the State and that Kellogg had
usurped the Office and issue should be made
in that suit. on that question. and on its
merits il should be decided II favor of
either Kellogg or McEnery, there would be
decision which would settle the question
hot <uyN ind Lua Ia witt ari
to that right. But ,he trouble with
the decision OF the Supreme Court
as 70 the Lynch board is. that do not see
how that question was involved in that
case. or rather how the Supreme Court had
any Jurisdiction. The suit was breugh. in
the court below BY one board against the
other under the intrusion act, and was de-
cided in favor of one board. Your Supreme
Court mas no appellate Jurisdiction in any
$500. and as there was no salary given by
law to either of these boards. the Supreme
CourtrOuld have no jurisdiction.
Mr.. lngraham gave succinct history of
the troubles in Louisiana, dating them back
to the administration of j.. Madison W ellis
IN 1866, when he turned over the whole in.
1uence Of his government to the unrepenc-
ant rebels, and drawing parallel between
his conduct and that of Governor War.
moth. He stated that just after Judge Du'
rel's decision was rendered there was an
evident intention on the part Of the Nc.
Emery people to abide by that decision, but
Governor. .Warmoth. Judge John A. Camp
bell. George A. Sheridan. and the six recu'
san: Sena tors. who left the Legislature to
Join the Odd Fellows Hall gathering.
formed combination and planned an ap.
peal to the United State. Congress. They
had no expectation or hope o: securing a
reversal Of that decision or any mcdltica.
ton of it. They felt defeated at every
point until the report of the committee OF
the Uaited States Senate in regard to the
Louisiana matter. That report lMr. Ingra.
ham continuedl has done the colered peo.
pie of the STATE Of Louisiana and Of
the South more harm than any other act OF
ths national Congress. II was even worse
than che decision in the Dred Scott case.
Tha: simply asserted al idea. theory OF
the government thAt negroes had no rights
which white men were bound 10 respect.
The very moment that the bitter un-epen:.
ant rebels OF Louisiana read that report
and digestei its pUrport they made up their
minds then and there that they were free
to Oppress the colored people of this State
more SO than they had ever done before.
In fact. Senator Carpenter. though ! am
sorry TO say these things. believe that the
Grant massacre was the Outgrowth Of .hat
report Of the Senate committee. Bat for
the encouragement: thus received they
never would have dared to murder our
brethren up there: they never would have
done as they did IN the parish of Catahoua.
Meeting a cOlOred man ON the coad. who
had been born deaf and dumb. they ad'
dressed him '.Are yol; Republican, NJ
answer. did you vote toc Kellogg No
answer. IBID you vote for AntOine" No
answer. 1.-The c. d. Niger won't au'
swer: let's kill him." And for no other
reason they killed human being whom
God had deprived Of the power OF speech.
Mr.. Carpenter Now have been cross.
examined pretty thoroughly. want to ask
you a question. 1t you were sitting on a
both sides. and you spent three weeks tax.
ing testimony. and on that testimony you
we're satisfied Of certain state OF tacts.
and you were also satisfied if you reported
them as they were that your report would
do harm, would you report them falsely to
prevent mischief.
Mr.. Ingraham-No. would not.
Mr.. Carpentef-It is never better TO do
wrong. never better to lie. never better to
perjure yourself. on the bench or anywhere
else, to attain a temporary good. You OF
all people ought to discOuntenapce ic. If
You set these examples of overriding law
and usurping Jurisdiction. don't you thin k
that these white fellows round here will be
as sharp as you when they get into power.
Mr.. IngraAam-There has been some idea
in Washington of a new election in LOulsI'
ana. new election in Louisiana would be
one Of the worst things that could happen
to us at this juncture. There could be no
peaceful. quiet election in Louisiana now
unless every parish in the State was gar
risoned by federal troops, with cartridges
iy,t thnir f,-d hNv nd
their muskets.
Mr.. Carpenter-Do you think majority
of the legal voters o: this State are Repub'
licans,
Mr.. Ingraham-l do. sir.
Mr.. Carpenter-DOn't you think the
United States has power enough. money
enough and men enough to draft 100000
men into Louisiana if it is necessary to Sc.
cure q fair election!
Mr.. Ingraham-But will the government
do it!
MIR. Carpenter-Thas is wha. We have
been trying to do.
Mr.. Ingraham-There have been over
5000 men murdered in this State since 1865.
for NO other cause on Gods green earth
but for their attachment TO the Republican
party. They have been hunted through
field and flood and shot down for 40 other
reason.
Mr.. Carpenter-That is a thing which no
government can entirely prevent. A gov
ernment can pass laws and declare it shall
not be done, and punish the men who do 1t
when they are convicted, but selfprOtec.
ton is an individual right If a man took
after me because | was Republican
should carry revolver. and the first man
that took after me should get the first
bullet. The government could not protect
me. l should draw revolver upon him.
Why should not you.
Mr., Tucker-It we did it would be called
"a war of races
Mr.. Carpenter-1 am inciting no war of
races. Whether the man who took after
me was white man or cOlOred man
should shoot him. and | advise you to do