The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-03-06
Government by the People.

General Tox THUMB might occupy bed
as large as that Of the giant DC; but nc
could not GIL II. General GRANT occupies
chair once f;lled by JEFFERSON. MADISON, ahd
MosRoE, bat only to show what a dwarf nc
is in politics. Dir. LINCOLN has reec''eo
much credit for little demagosi'ai scn'c"'e
Of his. in which be spoke of government
by the people, for the people" &c. lie u'-
tered this demagogical sentence at a time
wbet, he was using the whole power OF the
Federal Government to force millions of free
people to live under a government which
they bad almost unanimously repndia'ed,
and to conquer territory much larger than
that Of Great Britain, France, Spain, and Italy
combined. SoGeneTal GRANT, one of the in
struments employed in the sutjugation OF
all these free people, and in the conquest OF
all this territory, enters upon the second
term OF his presidency with the following
declaration upon his lips:
cit Is my firm conviction that the civilized
world is tending towards reputicanlsni, or
government by the people, through thflf
chosen representatives, aud that o'fr own
great Republic is destined to be the guidln>;
star TO all Others"
And received and treated with contempt
the same day petition sent through two
hundred of the leading citizens Of Louisiana.
represcnting nearly all the taxpayers OF that
State, praying him to allow them to govern
themselves in their own way according to
the Constitution of the United States. The
President was as innocent Of intending to in
duIge in satire as those men arc Of brains
who still imagine that the States have any
rights which arc not held at the option of
the Federal Government. lie himself does
not know that the States still enjoy certain
rights only because neither he nor Congress
has chosen to deprive them Of the same.
IF so many rs one man in ten could per-
ceiye the tendency Of things in republics,
these would not always run down into nor
arches. If so many in this country had
sense enough noW TO understand the existing
state of things, the republic would be saved.
But as IN former days so in these there are
so many kpaves and fools TO cry out "pcacc,
peace, when there is no peace" that the
masses, bcwildercd by The conflicting cries
of danger and of safety, sulcnIy refuse TO
turn out the political villains who are de-
ceiving tbem and raininS their country, and
stand silently and inactivcly by whilst the
Government is drifting into despoti>m.
We have heretofore expressed our own
opinion pretty freely as to the treatment
which Louisiana has received at the hands Of
the Federal Government. We give below
what distinguished Republican senator Of
the United States says on the same subject.
We ask every intelligent reader 10 reflect
upon what CARL ScHuIz said in his place in
the United States Senate, and then say, if he
can, that there is any government by the
people in This country. We quote from
speech made last week:
"Certain things are established. There
was IN election held in Louisiana. That
election Ind certain results; some persons
received a majority of the votes. The per-
sous who received majority Of The votes
are entitled primd face TO the Offices for
which they were candidates. The people If
the State also have clear right to have those
men for whom they cast majority Of their
votes placed in Office. But difficulties arose.
The defeated party charged fraud. TO prove
fraud and to make good the claim they pre-
tended TO have, they had right to go 10 tie
State courts. But other means were feSoItcd
to. A Federal Judge is applied to for inter
ference. Overstepping his jurisdiction he
does interfere; he restraints all other return
ing officers but those recognized and dcsig-
mated by him from returning the vote. BY
an act Of usurpation still more palpahle and
fragrant he orders that the State-housc be
taken possession of by troops. lie virtually
orders who shall be members of the Le%isa-
t,irc; nay. think it is not an ineycusable
eXaggeration when gay he virtually makes
or creates that Legislature.
ain executing these gross and fragrant
hsurpations he is supported by the military
force Of the Federal Government. Ii is con-
sumn.ated under the protection Of Federal
bsyonets. The Legislature 50 created by the
interference of the Federal court conyencs
What was the title of the members Of that
Legislature to the seats which they occupied ;
There was, believe, not a single one OF
them who was returned by a Board that had
the official returns of the election in its hands
or had ever seen them. BY virtue of VIVA!
then. were those men put i'll the Legislature
Not by virtue OF votes, not by virtue of re-
turns, but upon the ground of newspaper
reports, of wild Sucsscs, of forged ailidarits,
of the usurpation Of Federal Judge, and OF
Federal bayonets. That was their whole
title to the legislative capacity which they
assumed.
"What was their first act? They i'm.
q pcacbed the Governor. Throwing aide all
the forms OF impeachment prescribed by law,
they impeachcd and suspended the Cover
nor, If summary decree Gun he called I'M
parchment and suspension. They who had
not a shadow of right based upon law, upon
votes, upon IN election, upon legal returns,
preceded to undo one Governor and to make
another. That second Governor was Pinch
back. The National Government recognized
him as the Governor Of Louisiana. Then
they proceeded TO what they called the can-
yass of the votes in the Legislature, not can
wasting legal returns of voters in any legal
form, but q canvass on the ground of news
paper reports, wild 9uaSscS, and forged afli-
dayits. What say here is by no means an
exaggerated assertion, for it is distinctly
proven by the testimony, and think it is
denied by no one. Then they declared the
man Of their choice, Kellogg, Governor, An
tome Lieutenant Governor, and SO on all the
State officers of Louisiana.
"7hus the usurpGtion as cOnStn7nadtcd q
usurpdRon acithout the ShddOeo Of lac as
an excuse, rofth nothing tut .Tfaua aaa force
10 stand upon; a usurpati0n palpabie, gross,
shameless, anu utterly Su6rersice Of all prtn-
ctples Of republican government; a asu'pa-
ton sach as Ibis country has Meier seen, and
probably no citizen Of the United STATES hos
erer dreamed Of"
General GRANT " conSummated this usur-
ration -; he did so "Mithout the shadow of