New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-01
ANEW STATE ELECTION ILLEGAL.

grievance against a stag, invited the inter
vention of man, and thereby conquered
his enemy. He subsequently found II
very difficult to dismount his rider, and
has in fact continued under subjugation
ever since. Our Democratic friends seem
animated by a similar luminosity. Not
being able to defeat the Republican party
by strength or stately, it has resorted to
the intervention of superior power, and
would, upon Democratic doctrine, muir
der the rights of the State to secure the
defeat Of its enemies and % for1oyn chance
at the spoils.
! We have never admitted that Congress
has the legal right TO order new election
of State officers in the Louisiana case.
It can not do SO without adopting the
doctrine that the war overthrow the con-
stitution. and that this is to be govern
ment Of expediency altogether. Those
who would like to see new form OF FED.
eral government as well as a new election
may favor such central supremacy as may
be involved. but those who would prefer
to preserve the institutions tina: have
worked SO well for nearly % century
deprecate any act so revolutionary and so
radical Let Congress beware 0: this
doctrine of unlimited discretion. Il is
not advocated by the friends Of . repubs
| lie. 1t means CIsarism or O. dissolution
Of the Union.
We need only to re-state tie argument
| that Congress has no power to interfere in
the affairs Of State SO long as it has "a
republican form CT government" and ask
no interposition. We care not if
State government be as evil as that OF the
city of New York under the regime Of
Tweed, Congress has no power to pass
upon the moral character or election quail
ifcations of official incumbents, or change
the personnel Of State government be-
cause it may not accord either with the
political or social standard Of Congress.
We speak Of State officers alone. Congress
has the right to inquire into the qualiiica-
tons, moral and legal, of its own mem
bers, but can not go beyond that limit.
The State representative is, upon theory.
such man as the majority of his con.
stituents prefer. If the majority be
corrupt and incompetent, then State
representatives and officers are liable TO
be men like those who elect them. With
this Congress would have nothing 10 do.
The Mormon people have an institution
hateful to all the mora! world. 1t Utah
were a State Of the Union the Governor
might have O. harem and Congress would
hay. no responsibility; and no power 20
interfere with the State government: SO
long as j: was & representative republic in
form. II different doctrine had existed
we wou!d like to know how long the insti-
tuition Of slavery would have stood against
the predominant disapprova! Of the free
States? Congress might. upon allegations
that slavery did not conform to xeppb.
iican principles. have sc: aside enc e!ec.
ton after another until the people OF the
sfaye-hoiding States would have been wor.
RED into freedoms. The clause Of The con.
stitution Which limits the Intervention o:
the federal government % guarantee %
.ac., State government republican in |
.o.n saved slavery from fedora! Invasion !
I. WAS abolished as q measure Q: militia:
at the last. The reasoning o.: i.
I'll. abies: .ederalsts who defended this !
clause agains: the ;ea!ou; suspicious Q:
the Republicans Is conclusive. Their !!
defense was chat Congress was allowed 70 |.
guard against the intrusion Of ,norar. !!
siicai State into the republican house.
hold. suppose" says = commentator.
...te great State Of New Io.i should
adopt nonarchicai form 0: government.
it might undes 81 enterprising and arb!.
tious king, become formidable 10. i no:
destructive of, The safety of the Union.
Hence the reason Of the power The very
pertinent question is asked, ''whether the
exercise Of this power of intervention
may not form pretext for other abuses
in the State governments without the
concurrence of the States themselves?'
1T is implied that this power extends no
further than guarantee of republican
form Of government Gas long, there
fore, as the existing republican forms are
continued by the States, they ere guaran-
teed 10y the constitution. The only re-
strictions imposed on them (the States)
IS, that they shall not exchange republic
can for anti-repubhcan constitutions a
restriction which, it is presumed, will
hardly be considered a grievance.
We do not choose to argue the impolicy
Of proyokin renewal CT strife which
has with great difficulty been allayed.
We do not think proper to remind Con-
gress that the regular session of our Legis-
Lature terminates in March; that the cleo
ton returns would not be counted before
the summer season set in. within which
40 Legislature could be expected to sit IN
New Orleans: that the regular election for
legislators takes place in November next.
when all political dissent can be repre-.
sented on the hustings and at the polls. The
State officers will hold Office for two years
longer upon their present credentials. We
10 not choose to argue new election upon
The grounds of impolicy. because we deem
4 new election illegal. If Congress chooses
to abandon the constitution and steer
forth upon this new departure of expe.