The weekly Louisianian., 1874-02-28
THE LOUISIANA CASE.

AN y w Ii Ii n IL / .
THE LOUISIANA CASE.
The presentation in January,
1873, of the credentials Of Hon.
John Ray, Senator elect from the
State Of Louisiana for the short
term, brought to the consideration
Of the United States Senate, the
question Of the legality of the pre-
sent State Government, and said
question was continued before the
Senate by the subsequent presents
ton of the credentials of Hon. p.
B. S. Pinchback, Senator elect for
the long term beginning March 4th,
1873, and remains to-day unde-
cided.
The delay, attending the decisions
IN this matter, has given rise, not
only to public anxiety, but ono little
misrepresentation as to the causes
that produced it. The question
grew out Of a bitter party conflict
and has been complicated and en-
barrassed to a considerable extent,
by party aims and animoaitiea
Another minor cause of delay has
been the personal attacks made by
envious, but pretended friends,
upon the Senator elect.
Not content with the circulation,
in the public journals, of anonymous,
scurrilous, but oft refuted SANDERS,
they raised the question as to the
regularity Of his election, and by
er parte statements, attempted to
cast suspicious upon the question
of his qualifications.
Under the influence of these in
situations, while his case was being
considered on its prima tacia char
acter, the Honorable Chairman of
the Committee asked the recon-
initial of the case to the Committee
for the purpose Of enquiry.
This mode of procedure is in
conflict with the precedents of the
Senate in similar cases, it being the
custom of that Honorable body to
act, first, upon the prinaG tfacia case
and subsequently make any enqui-
ries as to the regularity or irregu-
larity of the election.
In the meanwhile the question
halts. Pending the discussion of
the Louisiana case, in this direction
Senator Carpenter introduced an
election bill, looking to the solu-
ton of the questions involved by
submitting the same to a vote of
the people of the State, cast under
Federal supervision.
Herein and from causes cognate
to this has arisen the most serious
complication attending the SETTLE
ment of the case. .
Irregularities conceded to attach
to the Louisiana case by oil parties
and from every standpoint, the
novelty and delicacy Of the ques-
ton to be solved is felt painfully by
each Of the great parties of tho
country, and no matter what solu-
ton may be reached, a precedent,
in reaching it, must be established
new in its character, and. grave in
it's influence upon future Congress
ional action in all questions inyolv-
ing the integrity and legality of a
State Government.
Considerations of the delicacY
and gravity of the action to be taken
by the Senate have mainly contri-
buted to hold Shis matter undeter-
mined and unadjusted to the pre-
sent time, and compared with the
effect of these considerations the
personal attacks of secret enemies
upon Governor Pinchback, have
exerted little, and scarcely any ap-
preciable effect upon the question
at issue. The difficulties have upon
all hands, been felt to lie, not in the
personal but the substantial quail
ties Of the matter to be adjusted.
1t is proposed to solve the ques-