The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-10-09
VERY SIGNIFICANT.

We print in full the following editorial from
Harper's Weekly. Emanating from the lead
ing Administration paper in the country, i
may be regarded as extremely significant
| THE PRESIDENT AND LOUISIANA.
Notwithstanding all the sharp cansure O
the President in many quarters for his origina
recognition of Kellogg IN Louisiana, his duty
in the late events vas perfectly plain. It was
to suppress the revolution promptly and per.
emptorily. The one thing that was evident
was that we were threatened with the begin.
ming of Mexican method in our politics.
Had it received the slightest countenance, OF
any thing but the short and summary sum-
mons of Gen. Grant, with the instant move
ment of troops, the mischief would have been
incalculable.
! The doctrine Of 'home rule" might have
perplexed less sound head than that of the
victor over ''home rule" organized as secession
| and rebellion; while the kilograms sent to
Washington by Penn and various bodies in
New Orleans argued gnvely that because not
many officers Of the law had been killed, the
instruction should be acknowledged. In the
| Rhode Island case Dorr showed an undis-
puted majority of votes in favor of his consti-
| tuition, but the whole proceeding was irregu-
lar, and the Administration did not hesitate to
sustain the actual Governor.
The situation in Louisiana has been most
wretched; but let the President be Judged bv
the facts. After the election in 1872 both
Kellogg and McEnery claimed to be Governor,
and two Legislatures assumed to be valid
Appeal was made to the President, but he de-
clined to interfere until resistance was made
to judicial process.
The President says, nor is there any reason
to suppose that he deliberately tells false
hood in state paper, that he did not think
that he had any right to review the judgment
Of the court. This seems to us most serious
error, not only because the Constitution in the
view of the Supreme Court makes him the
sole Judge, but because under the act of 1870
he was made responsible for using the whole
force Of the Union, and it was clearly his duty
no. to use it until he WAS satisfied that it
ought to be used. Under the circumstances,
the judgment of court should not have salts
fed him. But there is no doubt that he acted
in perfect good faith. The courts have de-
cided the Lynch returning board to be lawful,
and action being imperative, the President
recognized Kellogg.
This he did, SO Tar as has been shown, with
entire honesty, and the proof Of it is that
when further investigation developed every
kind OF fraud, and threw the whole question
into the utmost uncertainty, he referred the
whole question to Congress, stating frankly
that If 1t did nothing he should adhere to the
government that he had already recognized.
Congress declined to act, Notwithstanding his
urgent request, and its refusal was regarded
by him as a virtual approval OF his action.
From that momen', obliged to consider one
of the contestants as Governor, he sustained
Kellogg; and an instruction against the Kel-
logg administration was ''the domestic yo-
lence' against which th. United States guar
antees every STATE. Meanwhile committee
of Congress reported, after investigation, that
Kellogg had not been lawfully elected, but
Congress refused to order a new election. 1t
has been wretched business from the be-
ginning, for which Congress is mainly respon-
slble. But the Mexican solution sought BY
the McEnery men and the White League made
it only worse, and it has been most satisfacto-
rily and promptly disposed of.
OF course the only remedy is an honest
election /; but Kellogg holds his Office for two
years more. The President. we presume, will
now insist upon Congressional attention to
Louisiana He may justly remind Congress
that his previous message was not uncalled
for And as even he, who recognized Kel-
whether he were cleo ed, and as the Congress
sional Committee declared that he was not
elected and as the instruction has shown
how slight popular support h. has, it may
be quite worth while to consider whether
there is nothing to do for Louisiana but to up
hold Governor whom nobody believes to
have been elected, and who is apparently sus-
Ealned solely by the national power.