New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-12-09
LIZ. OGDEN'S ALTERNATIVE,


has provided the manner in which the
republican form of government guaran-
teed to every State in the Union NAV be
maintained The necessity for interposi-
ton on the part of the general govern
ment only arises in cases where the local
authorities are unable to maintain them
selves. gentleman now in WASHINGTON
who sets up claim to being the delegate
from the people Of Louisiana and the
special counsel for General MclIillen, has
filed plea before the Committee on Privi-
leges and Elections, in which he makes
the following startling allegation:
| am prepared to show tina. the Senate
must either recognize and seat Mr.. McMiI-
len, or proclaim the fact that there is now
no government in Louisiana.
| no government elected bv the people of the
| State, and further, no government tn "
through the ordinary ana legitimate gov
efhlheht machinery Is able to sustain itself
This from MIR. Ogden. if he succeeds
IN showing this he will show an m
doubted case Of revolution, which it will |
De the duty of the national authorities to
control. This declaration means, when
reduced to simple assertion. that tbe
people whom Mr.. Ogden claims to repre-
sent are prepared by force of arms to
nulilfy the effects Of the fifteenth amend
ment, as soon as the power for which
they entertain a wholesome fear, shall be
Withdrawn. That if they can not defeat
the Republican party at the polls they
can drive their officers from their posi-
tons by mobs. That there is so little
respect for the law in this State that Gov
errors, legislators, judges, sheriffs, militia
police and all the agents and officers of
the State government would be turned
over to self-elected vigilance committees.
were not the bad elements restrained bv
the strong hand Of the United States
military power. How far such an are1-
ment will go toward influencing the com
mlttee OF the Senate or the Senate itself
IN accedlng to the extraordinary de-
mand we are not appointed to say, {
but we expect it viii have a
totally contrary effect from the one hoped |
Tor by Mr.. Ogden. It will be regarded in I
Washington as menace It is as much Q
IS to say to Congress, if you refuse to let {
Is (the people represented by Mr. OGDEN a
nave our own way i'll this matter, we will l
esort to our old practices of violence, l
We have 10 respect for the laws of Louisi- a
ma, nor any fear of the officers who have
'een chosen by the negroes and white Re-
'ublicans; nothing but the fear of punish
nent from the United States government :
eeps our hands off them now. For -
hough the Republican party is vastly the l.
nore numerous, all the best fighters are !,
4 the other. /.
On behalf of the colored people of this Il
tate, We say to Congress that the ff. !,
zenith amendment may as well be repealed -
once as to be defeated in such wav. 81
was given to the people for their protec- i,
on, andno one here wants to go through J.,
le farce Of voting for and electino an :.
Ulcer and then having him turned out bv !,
Democratic mob and his place supplied p
an enemy. 1t may or may not be true Ia
lat the Democracy would succeed in i;
ieir attempt to capture by violence what ce
icy failed to secure by fraud, but we give /,
as the sentiment of peaceable citizens. or
at it is quite as well for all concerned to T.,
I'VE the national police force remain on o.
'ty for little while longer, say till such
ne as the oppressors of the colored peo-
e learn at least to talk Of law. a