Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-09-25
JUSTIFICATION OF LOUISIANA
A Complete, Candid and Carefully Pre-
pared Resume OF the Causes and
Consequences Of The McEn-
ery-Kellogg Contest.
Northern Impressions COrrected-UniOn
and Confederate Soldiers in the
Ranks Of 0gden's Army to
Resist KellOgg's Tyr
aany-NOVember
Election.

The work OF vim dication and correc
| ton Is necessarily slow after such exciting
last week. IL IS due 20 our people and then
] righteous cause that this work should nov
proceed In a temper OF moderation ana stern
/ regard TO historic truth. The natural be
/ wilderment prOdu by the uprising OF Mon
| day led the whole Iftn into the widest va
garies and misrepresentation OF the causes
| the character amt objects of the late move.
nlent. II is TOO severe a labor 70 correct and
| expose all of them. We can only refer 10 the
main errors, on which a large adverse sentl-
nlent has arisen against us. We beg from
| our northern friends a just and impartial con
| sideration Of the facts which nave been 50
perverted and misunderstood, and OF the
| even graver suppressions and omissions Oi
1 truths in all the versions OF the northern
press. The INST of these errors we have al
ready referred 70: we aequ3t Our n9lIheIh
| 1t originated here in the malignity of the
government which was overthrown.
This was the misrepresentation OF
the uprising OF the whole people as a mere
military operation OF the white League.
Nothing could be more false and unjust. 1he
White League organization embraces small
portion OF our people, and but one of fifty or
ders and associations which were represented
in the grand uprising. They did most gallant
" their share OF duty which the whoie pOpu-
lation were ready 10 perform. 1t happened
that the only assault made upon General Og-
den's lines was at point occup ed by some of
the companies OF the League. Those cOmpa-
nies were composed largely of men who had
been under fire before, In the Union and Con-
feuerate armies. InSro was out lltIle Olul-
Guilty in a far Inferior force of men repulslng
the mercenaries who had been hurled against
them. The next erroneous assumption IN the
northern theory OF our so-cRlled " 1nsuTIee-
tion," is n most gallingly offensive one. II is
that we had no just cause for our uprising
that we should have exercised patience, and
awaited the lawful and constitutional solu-
ton Of the case; that IL was a mere po-
litical issue to be determined by congress,
and that by appeal TO constitutional
processes TO use the TiBles'S phrase,
| and demand the haIiOf m y bf
ually and securely obtain the relief we need
ed. This theory rests upon strange ignor-
ance of our condition and Of the faeis Of he
case. II was not merely TO overthrow tue
usurpatiOn, 10 cut the Gordiau knot Of the
Louisiana case" that the people took up
arms II was not simply 10 Oust Kellogg and
put McEnery in his place. The people were
willing to abide the slow processes Of the con-
stitutioD, TO achieve those objects. They
would not have taken up arms on that ques-
ton alone. But IL was because OF new and
present acts of the greatest wrongs. oppre--
sion and tyranny, which destroyed all posi-
btiity of the legal solution Of our case, and
made the ruin of our state and the expulsion
OF the white people a near certainty, that the
people appealed to this last resort. Let II be
clearly understood Whist these facts were,
whica no one win deny. The only organ
lied and armed militia OF this city were
negroes, commanded by notorious and
most corrupt negro generals. There was
the city al the command of Governor Kellogg
The Metropolitan police were band of high
lN-palu II eICtnaflGS, Il regular
army, under the tlimsy pretext of doing police
duty, which they did not do, but were CHIEFLY
employed 10 defend the person of the usurp-
ing government. These two bodies-tne ne
gro militia and the Metropolitan janissaries-
possessed all the aTsenais and arms belonging
10 the State. They were continually exhibited
in hostile and menaciDg attitude to the peace
full white citizens. And when, for defensive
purposes, the white people raised by subscrip-
lion means TO buy arms, and they were i'm
ported TO the city, orders were issued and ex-
ecuted for their seizure and appropriation by
the State authorities. In other words, the
most audaciOus attempt 10 disarm people
ever made on this continent was set on foot,
and but for the resistance of the owners of the
Saiu arms, would have been accomplished.
Il was this resistance which precipitated the
conflict OF the fourteenth OF september
Now we put to any community Of Amer
lean freemen to decide whether such re-
sistance was not only justified, but a duty and
right OF self-defense. Had not the MetrOpou-
tans advanced upon the citizens and opened
an artillery fire on them TO prevent their pro-
ceeding in a body 10 receive from the ship the
arms which had been purchased by them,
there would have been no conflict on thst
day. But why, il is asked, not wait for the
election in November, which would nave az
fOried us an opportunity TO correct the evils
and wrongs under which we suffer? It is
short time 70 wait. TIE ignorance or the self
ish indifference which suggests this inquiry
is amazing. Have these persons ever read
the registration and election laws, which Mr..
Kellogg, in violation Of his solemn pledges,
refused 10 have repesledc DO they know that
this state are mockerles, that the rolls OF the
registered voters are placed absolutely under
the control of the governor and his partisan
tools, that they add to or strike of whom they
please, that the whole operat on OF regis
tering is supervised and manipulated
in secret, that the returns of the election are
made and agreed on in party caucus, with no
responsibility to The courts or 10 anyone else;
that under the rules OF registration any negro
can be registered, whilst the white citizens,
including the great body of the natuTslized
white citizens, are practically exc uded; that
the whole business OF controlling the suffrage
unscrupulous partisan jObbers, who could not
obtain employment in any position in society
requiring trust and moral capacity. And that,
finally, for any wrong done-for the refusal TO
register a lawful voter, or for erasing from the
list the name Of lawful voter, or for making
any false return, or doing any other act vlo-
lative Of the rights Of the citizen and Of the
law all appeals to the courts or other tribu-
nails are prohibited; and, in fact, any action
of Judges thereon subjects Them TO prosecution
for a felony or misdemeanOr. And this Is one
Of those constitutional processes which, We
are told by the Times OF this city aud the
northern journals, Will be found an adequate
means of obtaining relief from the burdens
and viilalnies Of our State government. But
these are only two of the wrongs which led TO
the popular demonstration of Monday. We
cannot embrace a tithe OF them in the com
pass Of our article. But are not these ample
causes for resistance and revolution when all
other remedies have been appealed to IN vain p?
This Is the question which we respectfully ad-
dress 70 those journals that launch their fear
ful deuunciations at the laWleSs 1mpaiience
and turbulence OF our people.