The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1874-08-08

accuse Of Interfering" with them, to
charge the city and State with cooked
IMP accounts of fictitious expenditures;
to draw Eve dollars a day for peri-
od OF sixty days Previous to the cleo
ton, and to pay their ianjzaries BASH
'0osooks or "constablcs." for election
services during three days, although.
the election takes place on one sin.
gle day.--(N.; 0. Bulletin,
We make tive followiu; extracts
from, the New York Suns report Of
the impeachment Of Durell, tho vice
gerent. We commend them as sig.
niiicant Of bis guilt, and we may safe
~ add the parte ceps criminis Of tho
y. S. Congress, ip meeting the ques-
ton with honor and dignity:
Washington, July THE Judi
ciary Committee of the House Of Rcp
tesentatives, charged to investigate
the accusations made against Judge
Durell, having by vote Of six to five
reported adversely to him iu terms
the most severe, and submitted to
the House resolutions providing for
his impeachment, the question arises
why no action was taken by the lat
ter body in accordance with the re-
port and recommendation Of its com
mittee. Witt. whom rests Il respon-
|sibility 80 gravel Before entering
into this question I propose to quote
for the information Of the readers Of
the Sun certain passages from the re-
port Of the committee which have not
yet been given to the public.
The committee first say that "tle
charges Of drunkenness and the i'm
proper procurement Of money by
means Of his judicial office aie not
sustained by the testimony, and there
fore wi not be further noticed" They
then take up the charge relating to
the manner in wl'ich matters in bank
'ruptcy have been disposed Of by Judge
Durell, and submit q summary Of facts
asccrtaiued by them touching this
charge, with the following as their
conclusion thereupon: @....a p
These facts, 80 notorious, in regard
to- the management Of such iMpor.
tant trusts as those Of tho bankrupt
estates, when taken in connection
with the order llereinbeforo referred
to, lead to the inevitable conclusion
by your committee that Judge Durell
must have boon, cognizant of them,
and, therefore, a corrupt party there
to, Or that no was grossl; negligent
ID the discharge of bic official duties,
10 that, quocumgne rio data, he comes
under a like contemplation. t
s.. nia, THE MIDNIGHT ORDER. -.,si
The committee then state their con-
clusion upon the remaining charge
that Of issuing what is ordinarily
known as the ''mid6ight order"
After revie wing the facts Of the elee.
ton in Louisiana in November, 1872,
and the proceedings before Durell,
instituted by Kellogg against War.
moth, McEnesy, aud others, the com.
mittee say. 'g. ai T.. u1 Hrt
d For a Federal Judge to seek, there
fore, to exercise such power by indi.
rectiou, to promulgate an order in a
case where he had neither julislic.
ton Of, the subject matter nor of tho
parties in pursuance Of which the
Federal army and Executive were set
in motion to take possession Of the
Government Of a State, seems to us
to be- the most fragrant offence aud
abuse Of power aud authority j.at =
Judge could commit; one which,
whether well or ill-intended, was'd
structive ofevery principle and right,
in the highest degree dangerous to
republican government, and high
CRIME and lnisdemeahor under. tie
Constitution Of tile United States.
io = ~. -
Such action, from whatever mo-
tive. il at variance with every princi-
pie of good government, is calcnla-
ted to cOnfound and subvert the dis
1tinction between the State and Fcde-
lral Governments aud TO overthrow
tue Constitution itself, without which,
neither Judge Durell nor any other
Judge has' any riehtful authority
whatever. II conduct 40 dangerous,
80 fragrant, SO Unauthorized, 81, wholly
without color of right, and followed
by such serious consequences, does
not constitute a high crime and mis-
demean0r, for which the Judge guilty
| thereof should be arraigned and, tried
lit seems TO us that no conduct can
The respect for the judicial office and
the sacred character Of judicial an.
thority throughout this nation make
it more essential that such usurpa'
tons should be 'ebuked, and such