New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-05-29
ENFORCING THE Law.

We may az well add a few words about the
excuse now offered for the Louisiana usurpa-
ton, that the President had no resource but
To respect the decisions of the local courts, and
enforce them with all the power at his COM
mand. There are three answers to this. In
the first place, the President anticipated the
action of the courts. The first scene in the
Louisiana usurpation was the interference of
the troops under orders of Marshal Packard,
TO prevent the assembling of the Warmoth
Legislature and put the Kellogg party in pos
session of the State House. Judge DurelIs
extraordinary and wholly Illegal order COM
manding this to be done was issued late in
the night of Dec. 5, and Mechanics Hall,
which was used as the State House,
was occupied by Packard and the
soldiers at 2 o'clock on the morning of the
9th. Up to this time there had been no dis
turbance, no resistance to any law, and no
call upon the President for assistance. War
moth indeed was the Governor, recognized by
all parties, and the duty of keeping the peace
rested on him. But it appears from the testi-
mony before the Senate Investigating Com
mittee that Gen. Grant had already ordered
troops 70 New-0rleans in anticipation of
Durels writs. Capt Jackson of the list Ar
tillery reached New-0rleans with two bat
teiies and eighty-six men on the 5th of De-
cember. Durell's order was issued at the
Judges private lodgings, between and II
O'Clock the same night, and Capt. Jackson
seized Mechanics Hall few hours afterward
and held it for six weeks, admitting nobody
except on Packard's order. Capt. Jackson
testified "that he was not stationed in the
estate House to prevent riots, but to hold
"the building, and that if riot had occurred
ain front of the building he would not have
"interfered" The result Of this action was
the assembling of Legislature which had not
been elected, the deposition of Warmoth with
out such trial as the laws of Louisiana pro-
vide for, and the installation SUCCESSFULLY of
Pinchback and Kellogg. Here Gen. Grant
was certainly not governed by the decisions
of the local courts, for he acted first and the
court decided afterward.
In the second place Gen. Grant went be-
yond the requirements of the courts. Pinch
back and Casey urged him to place troops at
the disposal of the usurping government for
| the sake OF the moral effect of such aid and
countenance, although there was no domestic
violence to be resisted, as Pinchback freely
confessed in his telegram asking for assist
ance. Casey explained the whole matter.
After assuring the President that Durelps
decree "was sweeping in its provisions, and,
eff enforced, would save the Republican ma
"jority and give Louisiana Republican Leg
"islature and State Government" he tele-
graphed Parties interested in the success
"of the Democratic party, particularly The
Neto- Orleans Nmes, are making desper-
ate efforts to array the people against
Gus. Old citizens are dragooned into an
Opposition they do not feel, and pressure is
"hourly growing; our members are poor and
"adyersaries arc rich. and offers are made
"that are difficult for them to Withstand.
There " danger Nat hv wiH break 04r