The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1873-04-12
LOST LOUISIANA.

Gov. LEsLIE's message RECoMMENDING THE
LEGISLATURE TO PaoTEsr AGAINST THE REcEN1
FEDERAL UsuRYATIONs-A MANLY GRAPHING
WITH THE GREAT CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION:
AT 1ssUE-THE FIRST EARNEST APPEAL.
The following is the full text Of the
message laid before the Houses Of the
Kentucky Legislature on the lst by Gov
Leslie. concerning the present condition Of
affairs in the State Of Louisiana:
STATE OF KENTUCKY Executive DEPARTMENT,
.-s' Frankfort, March 27. 1873.
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House Of
Representatires-I herewith respectfully
lay before you a communication from his
Excellency John McEpery, Governor OF
Louisiana, incIosing an address to the peo
pie that State and Of the Union, issued By
authority Of a joint resolution Of the Gen
eral Assembly Of Louisiana, and invite
your serious consideration Of the s'iega-
tions which it presents.
The bitter strife which, characterized the
contest which succeeded the late Gub.rna
torial election in Louisiana, and the ca
Iamities which ensued, have for
mouths painfully occupied the attention
Of the whole country. and need
no recital here. The domestic troubles Of
our sister State may excite interest and
sympathy in Us. but they are beyond the
pale Of our censure osadvice. Whatever
Of alleged wrong and fraud may have at
tended this strife Of parties, it is no: for Us
to inquire into. Such evils State, which
is Of right sovereign and independent,
mus. deal with for itself. But the strug
gle in which Louisiana appeals to US now
is no mere conflict Of intestine faction; her
agony is a political crisis Of the nation
the constitutional liberty, the indepen
dencs Of every State is involved in the is
sue. To day species Of proconsul.r gov
ernment has superseded the elect Of the
people 10 that Ssate-a government cres
ted by the interIocutory decree of s'Uni
ted States District Judge. and which
would not live day but for the support
Of Federal authority maintained by Fed
sraI bayonets. A Federal District Judge
usurping authority in matters purely po
litical. over which he had not the least
jurisdiction, has presumed upon the allie
cations Of = bin in chancery to restrain
and set aside the legally spponted board
Of returning officers for the State Of Lou
isiana, and recognize others without au-
thority Of law in their stead, and to set
aside in like manner. the legally elected
Governor and other State officers and
members Of the General Assembly, recog
nizing iu their place defeated candidates
whom the illegal board had declared cleo
ted upon the pretended evidence of frsudu-
lent and fictitious returns.
He furthermore enjo;ned and restrained
the proprietors Of the New Orleans Re
publican, the official Journal Of the State
Of Louisiana, from publishing any official
notice or statement Of the canvass Of votes
emanating from the lawful Govetnoz Of
the State OF the board Of returning cfi:ers.
To complete his work Of us"::::;;,s,;vn this
sst.cr .suge issued from his private resi-
dence an order-not the mandate Of a
Judge in coart-bat vice roys; decree,
Of which the Committee Of the United
States Senate on Privileges and Elections,
saws '.out Of court, at his house, late at
night, December 5. without application
by any party, he made the following or
der, which is without parallel, aud it is
hoped will remain so in judicial proceed
ings."
By this order he commanded the mar
shai, with detachment Of Federal troops,
acting as posse comi,atu>, to seize upon
the building used as State House, with
to exclude the legislators
elected by the people aad admit only those
persons whose na:nes were on the lists
furnished by the pretended Secretary Of
State. on these Genera! Assembly was
who immediately proceeslrd to
impeach aud suspend from Office <he law
inl Governor Of the State, installing their
partisan. the Lieutenant Governor, in his
place. OF the order which authorized these
extraordinary proceedings the report Of
the committee Of the United States Sen
ate says: Il: is impossible to conceive Of
more ir,ega!s., ;ll~ga' and in every way