Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-01-26
LOUISIANA.
The Bill for n New EIectiOn-What the
President Did and Did Not Say AbOut
Louisiana Ahafrs-A Message I'm
Preparation.
He CIIngs Tenaei0tasIy TO the Opinion
that Congress has Nc Right TO Order
New EIeciien because OF
Social Conflict.

WASHINGTON, January 25.-The bill
proposing a new State election In Loals
lana is in the hands of Senator Carpen
ter and General Butler. SenatOf Thur'
man disavows any formal consultatiof
with them regarding the features OF the
measures. Numerous paragraphs have
recently appeared in the newspapers,
stating what the President would on
would not do in relation to Louisiana or
other public matters now attracting
general attention, and the President is
sometimes represented as having eX-
pressed views which he certainly does not
entertain, and which would be contrary
to the course he has heretofore pursued.
Reports prevail that the President has
difference of opinion with his political
friends, and is disposed to act altogether
independent of them. But it is known
by those more intimate with him that
the report is unfounded, nor Is it proba-
BILE that any difference Of opinion is
likely to oexist, excepting such IS may be
inseperable from the views the President
may himself take of his constitutional
duties and official responsibilities which
attaches to his offices. Acting in ac-
cordance with the constitutional require
ments, ''That the President shall,
from time to time, give con-
gress information of the state Of the
Union, he is now engaged in the
preparation of a message which he will
submit to the cabinet before transmit
ting to congress. This message will, ac-
cording to the present understanding,
be confined to plain but elaborate state
ments of the facts attending the feder-
al proceedings in Louisiana in support
of the United States judicial decisions,
which he had no authority to disregard.
Whatever may have been his own opin-
ions upon the political questions offered
by them, it is positively known that
the President has not interfered in any
way with the Louisiana questions
relating to seats in either the
senate or house Of representatives.
To Louisianians of both parties who
have called upon him, he has repeatedly
said that such questions properly belong
to congress. The constitution makes
each house the judge Of the election re-
turns and qualifications of its own MEM
bers, and that the consideration OF such
questions involves the subject OF the
legality of the authority under which
the certificates of election are issued.
So the one question necessarily affects
IQ6 Olu6Tt duu UOlu COulu at TIC oaL1C
time be determined. This, in substance,
is the reply he has unreservedly given
to those who have interrogated him on
the subject of the bill proposed TO be
passed by congress ordering new cleo
ton in Louisiana. He has discouraged
such legislation, and while opposing
congressional interference has had no
hesitation in saying to visitors, as he
repeated yesterday, that there was no
doubt the late election in Louisiana was
an organized fraud from beginning to
end for the benefit of those now in pos
session of the government OF that State,
and that there has never been yet fair
count of votes, the results having been
reached by dishonest means too well
known to be repeated. 1t is, therefore,
not probable that he will interfere in his
forthcoming special message or make any
recommendation for new election, his
opinion, as recently privately expressed,
being that congress has no more right
to order a new election in Louisiana
than it has in any other State, because
of local conflict. All the States now
being in the Union are as much en-
titled to the same general protection
from illegal or unconstitutional inter-
ference by any branch of the federal
government as they are against inva-
sion or domestic violence; and besides,
there are means to settle the Louisiana
and all kindred cases without resort to
congressional action or ordering a new
election.