The weekly Louisianian., 1874-06-20

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peculiar. The gentleman from Mississippi
said that this report proposed to kill
Sheridan. but did not intend to seat me.
Now, I car scarcely conceive that that
is correct, and yet I know from the re-
marks, Of tho gentlemen that I have heard
gentlemen probably who did not know
me-that there is some kind of an under
current ct work in this House. I heard
one gentleman say that he intended to
vote against me; but I will not tell the
House the reason he assigned, because it
istoo ridiculous. But He assigned q very
extraordinary reason why he proposed to
vote against HE dnd for Mi. Sheridan.
Irepeat,I am not arraigning the COM
mittee, because ithas done just the thing
I desired. / want a ADMINISTRATION.
But I do hope that no republican will
for any reason allow himself to be pre-
JUDGED against admitting my claim at
least on the Prinaa facie case. I say
that to do 20 is unmanly and unjust,
not only to me as an individual, but
to the State of Louisiana. It is unjust
to Louisiana, becadsc as long as these
contests are kept up both here and in
the Senate I am made the instrument
by which the sovereign State of Lou
isiana is deprived at this crisis OF her
life of two votes in the national Con-
gress. Iprotest against it in the name
of the whole people of Louisiana. !
soy that q speedy solution of these
questions ought to be had without any
respect to my personal inclinations.
This House must not be biased by
anything that may HAPPEN at the
other end of the Capitol. and which
in no way concerns the question here.
The question here is, Gam I entitled
to a seat ?" IF so, it is the duty, I take
it, Of republicans here to 90 declare
and allow me to be admitted to repre-
sent louisiana, o. else let me go about
my business.
Gentlemen apparently fail to under
stand that I have some individul
rights in regard to this question.
Such of them as have spent much
time here know what it costs to live
in the city of Washington. They
know what it costs to travel on rail-
roads unless yon have q free pass,
which I do not happen to have; I
never have had one in my life, and 1
never expect to have one. There is
something due to me as a humble in
dividual, a citizen of this country. I
want you to determine this question
upon its merits and in the interest of
fairness and justice. I hold that inas-
much as you, have seated every
other member fro n the State of Lou
isiana upon the self-same paper which
I present you are in Justice compelled
to seat me. There must be some party
fealty and some fair play.
One other very important point was
made by: the gentleman from Missis-
sippi. He stated that no party can
sustain the iniquity, the, rascality, the
corruption, and the fraud of the
southern governments. Now, have
the members of this Congress, have
the people of this country, ever
stopped to consider what was ate,
all the true cause of all evils that are
now the subject Of complaint in the
South. know not what is true of the
other Southern States; but I can state
here, without fear of contradiction,
that in the State of Louisiana the re.
sponsibility is largely upon the demo:
cracy. I can show here by irrefutable
facts that in the first election held un.
der the reconstruction acts the demo.
cracy Of Louisiana, entertaining the
Einsane idea that. sey,nnnur and Blai,
could be elected, treated the recon,
struction acts as a nullity, and il
many portions Of the State instigated
and thrust forward the most ignorant
colored men that could be found fo1
election:to:t the constitutional eonvcn.
tiopp, with the view of making that
conventiionn! q farce; and in order to
make success certain they put nc
competing candidates in the field. OF
course these men were elected, held
seats in the convention ,:in which they
voted with their friends. The consti.
tuition was framed, submitted. to the
people, and ratified. .aliterate men
returned home successful statesman.
and from that day to this nearly every
man in. Louisiana has felt himself