New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-26
gHSTFT q1FlFs aIpBIlcA MgDAy AFHF g WM 60


the constitutional; compact'to the FEEDER,
government would nsnrp the very substant
to the federal government, and leave onl
tic sstorm1 or shell Of rspublican goverl
ment to the States
a Tho Senator from Wisconsin submitte
this we'll considered sentence to the Senat.
IF am right in saying that it is the vits
element of republican government that il
rulers are chosen by the people, it follow
that the present governmt mt OF. Louisiana
lacking this, is not a republican govern
ment."
do not object to his definition. Repul
lican government is one the vital element G
which'is that rulers are elected by the PEI
pie. Ten years ago majority of the peOpl
Of Louisiana had no voice in eleeting tn
rulers. Was it republican government
do not say that it was. 1t certainly wa
not, under the definition stated. But a
Congress had no right except over the fOrI
OF government, it was never claimed that
under the guarantee clause of the constitu
ton, Congress could give the right to vot
to the disfranchised majority of the peOpl
of that State. 1t required an amendmen
to the constitution before that could b
effected.
This word ''form" is not a matter o
chance as it occurs in this constitution
The people of the Southern States, whel
they entered into this compact, knowing
that large portions of their population
were DISTINGUISHED, and not intending tina
they should have voice in the election O
rulers, would never have agreed to inser
in the constitution that the FEDERAL govern
nent should see to it that their State gov
ernments should not only be republican il
form, but also should see 70 it that the rulers
were elected by the people. They stipulated
that all the people should be considered
and counted in the apportionment of repre-
sentatiOn, but not so in the election Of
rulers. If we turn to the history of this
that it was carefully selected. l read from
volume two of the Madison Papers," On
the twenty ninth Of May. 1857, this resolu
ton was introduced by Edmund Randolph
as part of the plan for the constitution,
page 734:
''Resolred. That republican govern
ment' using the words the Senator
from Wisconsin insists oni sought to be
guaranteed by the United States to each
That resolution came up again on the
eighteenth of July, when the change took
place, (page 1882
"Res0lred, That republican constitu-
A very difficult thing; now it is being
changed to matter of governmental frame
work
''Resolred, That republican constitution
ought to be guaranteed to each State by tt Q
United States"
On the same day Mr.. Randolph ION page
ll4O) caught the idea and changed his prop.
Osi ZION in this wise:
''Resolred, That no State be at liberty to
form any other than republican govern
msnt"
This is a guarantee against despotism,
against aristOcracy, against democracy.
That was considered awhile, and eventu-
ally Mr.. Wilson moved that which was
inally adopted, no one dissenting:
= "Resolsd, That a republican form of gov
'rnment shall be guaranteed to each State"
IL Ia the very substance of republican gov
that we give them order, tran
utility, peace, government; that we see to it
hat it is republican in form, and that we
cave it to them to regulate their own af-
airs.
My friend may ask whether 1 am content
hat the people Of Louisiana shall be the
ictims of fraud, and that their rulers shall
70 elected by chicanery. No, Mr.. President,
am not content. l am not content that re-.
ublican government does not exist in Tur-
,ey or in Russia; but we have no power to
wv onOSO Aduiouo lOPuuucdA SONoTuuouU.
We have more power, it is true, over the
tates than We have over those kingdoms,
ut we have no more power over the States
han is granted to us in the constitution,
which is to give them government and that
epublican in form. We regret to see men
waste their estates and destroy their health
q dissipation; but the value of individual
reedOm prevents such legislative restraints
8 might prevent the evils. Better have
freedom with the evil than de-
troy it by chafing restraints. So better
1t the State election be free with the evils
han impose restraints and supervisors
hat impair the freedom of the State.
Mr.. Carpenter-I want not to answer the
enator, but simply to ask him a question,
$ he did me the other day, SO that 1 may
istinctly understand him. Does he main |
ain that in case the three branches of gov
in Louisiana today, that is, the |
len holding those three branches of gov |
shall collide tOg sther, the court |
D decide all questions in favor of the two,
he other departments to administer every |
hing in their common interest, to keep |
themselves in power under the present ex- |
sting republican constitution of that State |
uring their natural lives. and they should
o so for fifteen years, would Congress have |
ny power to interfere, the fOrm-that is |
10 constitution-beingc conceded to be re-
ublicana
Mr.. Frelinghuysen-That is not a case
efOre us.
Mr.. Carpenter-It is two years before us.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen-I think 1 will show
10 case supposed is not before us at any
ne. 1t is difficult to solve questions put
this manner out of the order of debate;
1t my answer is: That if after repeated
ials in State where we have performed
If duty OF giving them order and govern
emit, and of seeing to it that it is repub-
AN in form, it should turn out that the
ople are 80 depraved, ignorant and de-
an government, that they abused all
cir privileges, suppose it would then be
cumbent upon us to fulfill that guarantee
the constitution pro tanto, to fulfill it just
far as we could, and to give them gov,
nment, even if it was under a military
mmissiOn. But, sir, we will never be
lied upon to resort to that extreme meas
Q unless the extreme case which my
end has supposed, of the executive, legis-
tive, judicial branches of government,
d the people themselves, all combining
one dire conspiracy to destroy them
YES.
Mr.. Carpenter-Let me correct my friend
to the effect of my question. My question
,ant this Where the judges of the
preme Court, the members OF the Legis-
'ure and the executive department, the
'vernor and other officers, should combine
long themselves to hold the people under
cir government, and the people should be
course resisting that, and the govern
mt should apply to the President to sus-
n it, and the President should interfere,
d then the question should be presented
US whether, after that thing had continued
: ten years, and they had avOwed their
rpose OF continuing for life, we should
We any power whatever to interfere! The
rticular case is only put to test the SEN
,r's argument of the distinction between
T guaranteeing republican government
what he calls republican form of gov
,ment.
Mr.. Eralinghuysen-I think have |