New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-16
WASHINGTON.
Speech of Senator West on LOufsian
Affairs.

Speech of Senator West on LOufsian
Affairs.
| WASHINGTON, April l5.-Senator Yves
TOOK the following grounds in his speech OF
| Louisiana affairs:
That all the information the Senate is il
| possession OF Is N regard to the form O
| election held in November, 1872 and doe
rot relate 20 the tact. The issue made, s,
| lar, has not been upon the nights of th,
| voters. bat on The broad ana popular
ground If choice Oy the people. The resti
mony taken before the Senate committe.
was not to establish the fact as to who wal
| Governor, but as to which one of the two
| contestants, Ray or McMillen, was entitled
TO g seat IN the Senate. THE legality of the
| Legislature was the point al issue. The
| testimony is so imperfect as not to warrant
| any interference of Congress.
Congress can not Overturn a State gov
ernment until it knows it was established
IN defiance of the wishes, Intentions and
voices Of a majority Of the people. The
right OF Congress to interfere must be based
upon general grounds: First-whether it is
conferred by the constitution. upon any
given state of facts; and second, whether
uch state Of facts exist.
The Senate does not know that William
=. Kellogg was not elected Governor. The
information laid before the Committee on
Elections relates entirely TO what was done
by certain returning boards.
The question for the Senate to determine is
how did the people of Louisiana really votel
Congress must determine this before it has
any right to interfere. In the broad seal
case in 1870 in New Jersey, Congress took
direct method OF ascertaining the facts.
1t is the voice of the people that cousti-
tutes a government under our institutions,
and Congress has not in its posse ssion any
evidence worthy of regard that w. p.
Kellogg is Governor in violation of the con.
sent OF the governed. 1t would be an ar
bltrary assumption OF power, without pro-
per knowledge OF the facts, for Congress to
order new election. Since the war
Louisiana has always been Republican.
In April, 1868, WarmOth was elected Gov
ernor by majority OF u 900 votes In the
fall OF the same year the Seymour and
Blair electors were returned with majority
OF IL 200 votes. The scenes OF bloodshed
that took place IN louisiana during that
campaign are horrible to think OF. Par
lshes that gave q large majority for War
moth returned only few Republican votes.
Inc negroes were intlmidated; when they
mace any pretense to vote they were as
sauIted and beaten. In Novemb Der, 1870,
wnen everything was again quiet, and a
wholesome respect for federal authority
prevailed N the country, when the negroes
had some protection, the Republican candi-
date for Auditor was elected BY q majority
OF "a 500. He agreed with the Senator from
Wisconsin that the State of Louisiana is
largely Republican.
swallow up the testimony, taken step by
step, and we ind that the returns we're
manipulated and falsifed. The confiden
tial circular issued by the State registrar of
voters to the supervisors Of election looked
toward the prevention Of fair vote. The
testimony taken before the committee shows
a system of fraud unblushing and unDar.
slleled on the part Of the Fusionists. and IL
is upon these fraudulent returns that the
Senator from. Wisconsin declares that
AcEnery appeared to be elected. By refer
ence to the testimony We find that these lie.