New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-04-19

am insane about it; it may be that hay
dwelt SO long on this subject that hav,
come to be entirely unsOund. know how
man may become so Interested in any on,
thing that he may be so; but do not go,
how any Senator can sit here Indifferent
upon this subject, because if we are to ga,
in this case that we can grant no reliet VI
shall thereby say that whenever in tn.
future, near or remote. any State govern
ment shall be seized by usurpers. seized
through force or fraud, Congress will no,
interfere in the matter; for if the
Republican party now refuse to inter
fere in case where their friends
hold the State by the throat, we can
not interfere TO release any State from a
similar grasp by the Democrats. 1t seems
to me that We are now to make, and can
avoid making, the most important prece-
dent that was ever made in this country, so
far as regards the institutions of our cOun.
| try in the future. We are placed where not
to act is just as much of precedent as to
| act; and if we say now with the facts as
they appear, or as they are claimed to ex-
ist, that Congress can grant no relief, we
| do, in effect. say that Congress can grant
no relief IN any case OF usurpation. how
ever fragrant. We say to the lawlessness
OF the country, 'Seize upon State govern
ments where you will and Congress is pow
| erless in the premises
| Mr.. President, if this matter can be taken
| up, discussed, and considered fully; il the
Senate shall be of opinion that the usurpa-
lions sdO not exist, as the testimony
| taken before the committee tends to show:
| is no authority in the government TO relieve
a State held by usurpers, or for any other
reason that this bill ought not to pass, the
| country will be satisfied But do not
| think the people will be satisfied with less
| than this
was in New Orleans in May last, soon
! after the Grant parish massacre, when
| there was great excitement there, and
| when the President issued his proclamation.
| In public speech l was invited to make in
| New Orleans by people of both political
| parties, pledged myself to them that if
| they would stop violence and submit to the
| government of Kellogg until Congress met
| l would do what l could TO present their
| case fully to the consideration of the Sen.
| ate, and to pass bill for their relief They
have kept their part O.. the contract. No
| violence has been committed that I am
aware of since that time. l certainly shall
| keep my word, and although the Senate
| may vote the bill down. l will perform nv
agreement by putting it in an attitude
which will call for vote from the Senate
| upon the merits.
Mr. Sherman-Erery Senator in the
| whole body viii admit that the Senator
| from Wisconsin has redeemed his pledge
| faithfully, elouuently and ably. No one will
| gainsay sthas; but l think it is equally
clear, if any one will read not only the
newspapers but the Indications that we
| have from persons from LOuislana-and |
! have also been on the ground in Louisiana
| and heard from both sides-that large
| majority of the people Of Louisiana have
| acGuiesced in the existing condition of at
fairs 1t is as plain, as palpable to me as
the light of day that it is wise that they
have so acquiesced They will have an OPP
pOrtunity at the next election in November
to redeem their State government if it has
fallen into the hands of usurpers. The
power will be again restored to them, and l
think it is the wisest thing in the world to
pass in silence all that has occurred in
Louisiana, with the certainty that the peo-
pie themselves will correct any evils that
havsebeen done there.
l sympathize with my friend from Wis
consin, but at the same time do not believe
he is pursuing the course best for the people
of the United States or for the people of
Louisiana. believe Congress had better at
tend to their ordinary legitimate business,
leaving matters IN Louisiana to right them
selves, and they are now being rapidly
righted, and at the next election we may
probably have Legislature elected by the
consent OF the governed ready to pass laws
to suit their wishes without difficulty. The
very election law now pending has been
passed, perhaps by the general consent of
all, and is declared to be fair law. There
is no practical difficulty in the Louisiana
matter. If we will let things alone in Lou
isana, the popular will. as expressed in a
legal election, will undoubtedly prevail.
The only result of this movement now to
overthrow the government of Louisiana
will be to derange and disorder the condl-
ton of affairs there and turn out of Office
two or three State officers whose terms
happen to extend beyond next fall.
Therefore l shall oppose taking up the
Louisiana case. At the same time do not
speech or to deny any courtesy to any
Senator; but when the time comes hope
we shall have the sense of the Senate on
the general historical facts known to ALL
whether it is wise to consume the time of
the Senate in a prolonged debate. The
question has already been ably presented
by both sides, and we are no to determine
whether we should not go on with our Or
binary business and let the evils OF the
past in Louisiana find their remedy in the
acquiescence of the people and the RENE
dies that the people themselves shall pro.
pose.
Mr.. Carpenter-When the Senator talks |
about the ac1uiescence of the people of |
Louisiana. am somewhat surprised. What |
is that acguiescence! The Governor of the |
State, the State authorities, are supposed to |
have certified to the President that they |
could not maintain themselves in that State |
in consequence of the disatfectiOn of the |
people, and the President has issued his |
proclamation and stands behind that gov
eminent to-day. The acGuiescence of the |
people OF Louisiana under that government |
is its submission to the authority of the
United States, and that continues to this |
hour and troops are now upon the ground,
where, If any attempt was made upon the
part of the people of that State to over
throw that government. those troops would
be put instantly into action.
One word as to the election which the
Senator from Ohio refers to. We all know
how the condition of things was produced
in Louisiana. The law was so devised as
to authorize the Governor to make all the
which wo' Id control the cleo
ton. 1t was therefore in the power of the
Governor to carry the State either way,
Just as he pleased. Governor Warmoth
having invented the schene-I suppose
he invented it, at all events having protited
by 1t, and got the State completely into his
hands, had the grace to repeal it; he had
sufficient sense OF shame to repeal it by the
act OF November 90, 1872. This usurping
government, which came into power by
with federal judge, is no sooner
established than it re.enacts that law
which WarmOth was ashamed of and re-
pealed, and to morrow, if an election should
take place under the State law, Mr.. Kei
ogg could carry that State by twenty or
fifty thousand votes, just as he might deter
mine to do.
Mr.. Morton-I will ask the Senator from
Wisconsin if he is not aware that the last
Legislature repealed the act of last winter
md that law of 1872, and that that power