New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-24

the persuasive influence of Belgian mus
kets The Times was not invited to par
ticipate in the latest phase of attack, or if
it was, it declined, as up to within two or
three days Of the riot, it opposed resort
to violence, or threw cold water on the
movement. When, however, the day
seemed to be lost to the State admins
tration, and its responsible conductors
could not conveniently visit the office,
owing to circumstances over which they
had no control, the reporters and inter
viewers fell into strange habits, from
which they were summarily yanked, as
soon as General Emory arrived, and salts
fed US all that he was able to escape cap
ture from the White Leaguers. Since
our contemporary has been again placed
upon its accustomed tack Of Journalistic
independence, it has manifested fool
ish yearning for every wild proposition
which the political wags have started, and
labeled compromise" or adjustment. :"
While political jack-knives We're being
snapped every hour in the day, the self
constituted organ Of the trimmers mani
tested very lively interest in everything
that Was going on, and published the re-.
suit of one of the conferences about a
week after it was given by the REpUB-
L1cAN, and devoted its energies tor week
afterward to the hopeless task Of proving
that it had been day ahead Of every
body else. But this is DEPRESSING from
the point.
Not long ago wiseacre conceived the
idea that he had discovered solution for
all our political difficulties. His plan con-
sisted simply in resuscitation of that old
deadfall, the election returns of 1872.
Knowing ones pretend there are papers in
existence entitled to be so called, and that
they can be unearthed and made to testify
if any one can be found silly enough to
believe in them. These returns, be it
known, have been in the custody of un.
official and irresponsible parties ever since
they came from the hands Of those who
forged them. They were for a time kept
in room in the Mechanics Institute; then
they were taken to the St. Charles Hotel,
whence they were dispatched to Washing
ton in three trunks. Failing to meet with
much success in the capital, they were
sent for season into Kentucky. after
which nothing authentic is known of them.
Previous to setting out on their travels,
however, three several returning boards
the Da Ponte- Wharton, the Isabelle-De-
Ferret and the Mitchell Forman, attempt
ed to interpret their meaning, and all
arrived at different conclusions. Some.
one who happened at the time
TO be compiling figures for the "New
York Tribune Almanac examined
these returns and found they gave
McEnery nineteen thousand majority for
Governor. We have never been able TO
learn where this guileless youth encoun-
tered these veracious returns-whethey at
the Mechanics Institute, the st. Charles
Hotel, the committee rooms at Washing
ton, where Senator Thurman. OF Ohio,
saw enough to convince him they We're
or in Kentucky.
Such is the character OF the witnesses
which the Times now gravely proposes to
in the trial Of case that is
not before the people. The English Of it
is square proposition TO euchre Gov
ernor kellogg, Auditor Clinton, Attorney
General Field and all the other State Off.
GERS claiming under the election of 1872
out Of their offices. Enough is known Of
these returns to satisfy everybody Of
their character. They were compiled for
the express purpose Of returning all the
Fusion officers as elected. and the work
was done by men who understood what
was expected of them. and the way to
satisfy the expectation. The Times, which
was the first to publish these returns in
1872 and baptize them calculated" now
pleads for them in the following insinu-
ating style:
Our people want peace, but they can not
obtain 1t except through compromise, re-
count and thorough examination of the
returns Of 1872, or through an election held
under federal auspices. 4 compromise,
under existing circumstances. seems i'm
possible. An agreement to have the vote
of 1872 recounted as far as possible. and the
returns thoroughly recanvassed, would
be equitable, and might prevent
confusion and bad blood from running into
The suggestion is a wise one.
That is, if the Republican claimants re.
fuse to submit to the pleadings in case
which imply a confession Of judgment,
that dire calamity. new election. will be
ordered as an alternative. They must
either consent to a course which they
know will Dust them, or pass again the
popular ordeal We can not admit the
alternative. though perhaps the Repub-
[ican party has little to fear from
new trial. If Congress shall think
proper to order new election, We
suppose We shall all have to submit
to the decision. There would be some
hope for the present incumoents in the
second alternative presented, or perhaps
we should say threatened by the 7:,.es,
while they would find the other a per-
feet deadtall. Or. in the language of the
Times itself, an organized fraud. II we
are compelled to choose between: an arbi-
tration founded upon the election returns
Of 1872 and new election. we say give