New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-10-02
Governor Kellogg and .-rsurpaties. -

No Northern man of any claims TO com
| mon sense, and not many SOufherners, will
| attempt to justify the New Orleans insur
| gents. But there is large class through
I out the country who insist that tine uprising
had strong proyocation. While it would
! he 4 manifest breach of candOr to claim fol
J Governor Kellogg and his associates imlnu
nifty from all blame, We are persuaded that
there Las been nc ''usurpatiOn," and that
the opposition is tar more responsible than
the party il power fer the mistOrtunes from
which the common wealth has long suffered.
Goyernor Kellogg e known in Illinois.
His youth and early manhood were spent
here. He is very far from being a great
man. and % he is FROM being q monster
of iniquity. He had served the coun.
try in several important capacities pre-.
yiOus to his election to the office he
now holds. Abraham Lincoln thought we'll
enough of him to appoint him Chief Justice
OF what was then the Territory Of Nebras.
ka. He was quite young for the position.
and did not prove very good man for the
place, lacking. as he does, q judicial mind"
Is the phrase is; but he was neither cor.
rupt nor despotic. Good intentions and
honorable motives were conceded to him.
He did good service in the war as Colonel
of an Illinois regiment. He next filled the
post of collector of customs at New Orleans.
To that position he was appointed very soon
after the war closed. His enemies charge
corruption upon him in that capacity; but
no proof Of the accusation was ever adduced.
and no specifications were ever made in con.
nection with the charges. Considering the
number and malignance Of his enemies. this
fact amounts almost to absolute reIutatiOU
Of the charge. From the Cust0mhOuse
Kellogg stepped into the Senate Of the
United States. He was elected for the full
term OF six years, and nearly served that
length of time when he was elected Gov.
ernof and resigned his SenatOeship. A COED
many 'jobs'' were put through Congress
during his Senatorial services and many q
previously fair reputation YVES smirched, il
not blackened indelibly; but at Washing.
ton. as ct Nebraska, William Pitt Kellogg
was free from the faint Of corruption. What
were The swindles, If any. which he helped
on by voice, vote or influence of any kind!
We do not pretend to know just what he
did as . Senator, never having paid any
special heed to his course, but we do say
that Notwithstanding the intensity with
which his enemies hate him, they have
not SO much as Swallowed with q
suspicion the purity Of his career as
United States Senator. is it reasonable to
suppose that man with such record has
suddenly developed into the very arch
of political deviltrys There is nothing what
ever to base such a charge upon. his "'Of.
Tense" is simply this: A Republican conven.
ton nominated him for Governor in 1872.
and he received q majority Of the lawful
votes cast, according to the decision Of the
legal authorities competent to decide. Hav.
ing been duly declared Governor elect Of
Louisiana. he was inaugurated in due time,
and has steadily exercised the functions of
the gubernatorial Office ever since. The in.
surgents demand that he shall ''step down
and out" not for the abuse Of power. but
for it's 'usurpation." Even if ma.
jOrity OF the votes were cast for Nc.
Emery (which was by no means the
easel. that would not. Of itself be decisive
SO far as concerned KellOgg's individual
duty in the premises, for who ia to decide
the question: It is not for Pitt Kellogg or
any other candidate to sit in Judgment upon
his own election. He must accept q final
decision Of the authorities clothed with the
power to determine the matter. That is
precisely what Governor Kellogg and his
did and are doing. Therein, we
repeat. is their only ''Otfense." If there
ever was a less justifiable revolt than the
one now raging in Louisiana. we are at .
loss to say when and where it occurred.
Hon. w. p. Kellogg may or may not be
good Governor, but it is certain he is no
more . usurper than is Governor Bev.
eridge or President Grant.-CAicago Jour
,1Uy