New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-03
STATE OF LOUISIANA.

speech of Hon. J. r. West, of Louisiana,
I'm the United states Senate, Wednes-
day, April Is, 1Ss4.
having under consideration the bill Senate
No. 446) to restore the rights of the State OF
Louisiana, Mr.. West said:
Mr., President---What is termed the Louis
lana question has been prolific source OF
agitation before Congress and before the
country ever since the presidential election
of 1879. 1t may be expected that renewal
of the discussion of this question by the
only representative in this body that that
State is permitted to have VIII Dc under
taken with view either to denOuDce the
sopponente of the cause which he maintains
and extol the merits of those who act with
him in its support, or with the other pur-
pose of replying seriatim to all the argu-
ments that have been adduced in favor OF
setting aside the government now existing
in that State.
Until am compelled to do 80, I shall
speak in no unkind terms of the me- who
have engaged in the outrages that have
been perpetrated of late gears in Louisiana.
Others may feel warranted in denouncing
them in terms that are not only painful for
me to listen to, but would be more painful
to me to proclaim. / shall therefore not
seek to vindicate one class OF the citizens OF
Louisiana at the expense of the shame and
exposure of the other. Ishall deal to some
extent with class of politicians who come
up here and represent to the Congress OF
the United States that they are "the people
of Louisiana" will discuss their claims
to be considered our people.
am honored by representative posi-
tion Of both classes here. l shall speak,
therefore, IN no unnecessary unkindness OF
the class to whom am politically opposed;
nor shall / claim anything more for the
party friends now controlling the govern
ment in my State than the credit to which
they are entitled for the efforts made by
them since their incoming to power to re-
trieve past errors and alleviate the burdens
which distress her people.
In replying to the arguments so tar made
in favor OF congressional interference, l
shall confne myself to one proposition to.
day; and that ID, that all the information of
which the Senate is in possession goes to
the form of the election ineid in November,
1872, and does not relate to the fact Until
yesterday, by the Senator from New Jer-
sey, Mr.. Frelinghuysen], the issue had
never been made in this chamber and in
Congress upon the rights of the voters, on
the broad and popular ground Sa Of choice p
me in many of the points shall make, they
contain facts that can not be repeated too
often.
BY the report of the Committee on Elec-
tions and Privileges of last session we are
confined to the consideration of mass of
testimony taken, submit, not to establish
who was elected Governor Of louisiana;
but both produced and taken altogether to
establish the right of one or the other OF
two contestants for a seat in this body. The
instructions of the Senate to that committee
were:
"That the Committee on Privileges and
Elections be instructed TO inquire and re-
port to the Senate whether there il any ex-
listing State government in Louisiana, ETC."
To that same committee were also re-
ferred the credentials of John Ray and
William L: McMlllen, each claiming to be
elected to the seat made vacant by the resig-
nation of William Pitt kellogg as Senator
from the State of Louisiana. Now, in order
to view the estimation in which that very
considered the points submitted
to them, look at the typographical execu-
ton Of the report. They emphasize one
other. After saying that they had devoted
weeks to the investigation Of the subject
referred to them, they say:
"a "The Senate must. therefore, determine
whether either McMillen or Ray, and if
either, which, is entitled to said seat. TO-
No one can doubt in reading the test.
mony that the object contended for by Ray
and McMillen respectively, was seat in
this body, and hence each one of them
sought only to establish the legality of the
of the Legislature whence he
derived his credentials. Gould either of
them have established that their credentials
were in legal form, they would have been
into this body upon q pri0ta facie
case: and, therefore, the whole gravamen
Of their labOrs was directed to establishing
that fact. The term was about to expire;
there were but few short weeks OF IL still
and, if either OF them cOuldhave
made out PriD'G ytacie case. he would have
been admitted TO the Senate, and the Senate
never would have gone into the merits OF
the case at all.
In examining into this contest the COM
mittee comparatively lost sight of the other
I'd more important branch of the subject,
% at least entered into it in manner SO
Imperfect as in NO degree to warrant Con-
gress In assuming to exercise, for the first
time since the reconstruction of the South,
the power to order an election for State Of
Ulcers under federal legislation and control.
MeMIlen on one side and Ray on the |
other, each conducted his case, not the case
OF Louisiana. LOuisiana's case has never
been heard here, and until it is heard L |
shall rest with perfect confidence upon the |
good sense Of this body, knowing that it |
will not overturn q government until it |
Knows that it was established in defiance |
IF the wish and intention Of the people of |
lie State. .8 /
The Senator from Wisconsin (Mr. Car
,entsrl, in his last appeal to the Senate, on |
The Louisiana question, has asserted that
both sides agree upon sundry propositions |
Herewith. In furtherance of |
his assertion, however, he assumes one
position Is mutually agreed upon that is By |
10 means sssented to BY myself, and do
lot believe that he will find another be
ever Of his assertion in this body.
He says in his speech delivered on the
,urth Of March last, and printed in the
lscord Of Nay 10: -
II ask the attention of the Senate to the