The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-01-09
Night Dispatches,
LOUISIANA.
Letter 70 HON. CharIes Fosler.

ical reforms, as II has been the policy Of
this Government to effect. Consistent and
conscientious in this course have no re-
grets to express and no further explains
lions 10 make, But, to-day, looking at
the situation in Louisiana from higher
standpoint than that indicated by my past
relations to the Government; considering
the troubled state Of affairs, not as u par
tisian, but as u citizen Of the common
wealths, | feel constrained to offer to your
Committee the following suggestions.
II seems to me that Congress and the
country ut large will be unable
to solve the problem presented
by the Louisiana case, unless they
consider that everything that has
occurred in this State since the election
Of 1872 has been revolutionary and utter
ly beyond the due process Of law, and ~
violation Of those fundamental rules and
principles which underlie Republican
form Of government within the purview
Of the Constitution Of tho United States,
In ntemplating this question, twill not
do to lose sight Of the extraordinary con-
dition Of political society In this State In
1872, resulting from the sudden change
In the relation Of the two races, and the
somewhat crude and altogether partisan
effort at reconstruCtion an effort which
was more or less failure, because It con-
templated the establishment Of govern
ment upon abstract theories, and lost
sight Of the actual social, political and
economical surroundings. There ex-
listed at that time, and has since the close
Of the war, u spirit Of intolerance toward
the blacks and towards white Repub'
licans. This intolerance, which too often
found expression, unhappily, In acts Of
intimidation, oppression and violence,
had produced lts counter result In the
enactment by the Republican Leglsla.
ture elected under the Reconstruction
acts, Of those harsh election, repatriation,
constabulary and Metropolitan police
laws which have been 80 severely,
and in some respects so Justly animad'
vcrted upon by the Republican press
throughout the country. These measures
the Republican party, had vested In the
Governor Of the State, a. degree Of power
scarcely exercised by any Sovereign In
the world and yet the passage Of these
laws was justifable In degree, aS afford.
Ing protection 10 the weak and untuLOred
blacks, whose political rights were con.
stantly threatened by the more powerful
class and larger portion u the whites,
The Governor elected under the recon.
struction laws was, and continued to be
until his detection, the trusted leader Of
the Republican party as represented In
the General Assembly. Up to the time
he abandoned his aiEiliation he continued
to have the unusual authority to which !
have referred. Therefore, when he de-
termined 10 unite with the opposition, he
took 10 them that which made his acces.
sion valuable to thenl-almost absolute
executive powers. The Republican lead
era In this State, and among them, sin
cerely and truly believe that our party
had d large majority in 1872, and that
Governor Kellogg and his associates or
The State ticket would have been elected
by such majority had the election been
fair and honest. But they were actually
chosen, by the votes actually cast, by n re.
duced majority. We charged then, and
have ever since continued 10 charge, and
we have conCluSively proved to the SER
ate Committee that Governor Warmoth
In alliance with the Democracy, used hiE
unusual executive power in the appoint
ment Of officers who manipulated the regis
tratiOn and the election so as TO chang
and alter The results. To crown all when
the election waH closed he attempted 10
pack the Returning Board, and to effect
this end he oyerthfew the local judiciary
by violence. These first measures and
sibseduent acts we're beyond the conStltu'
tion and beyond the law. They were
revolutionary In the fullest extent Of the
term. II was during this period that
said from the bench, while examining al
issue which arose out Of the disturbed
condition Of affairs, that the coup detdl Ia
not an American institution. Since thai
time, surrounded as | have been with 40
much violence and wrong doing, have
sometimes lost faith In our civilization
But now, when | solemnly and hopefully
look to the future and contemplate tle
time when The Louisiana troubles sha II be
remembered by Republican people only a.
horrible dream, / still believe that truly
comprehend the spirit Of our Republican
government. Revolution and violence
begets counter revolution and other vio'
lefce. Out Of these efforts to Sttangle The
voice Of a majority ofthe people Of theState
spfahg extraordinary and not less tevOlu'
ttonafy proceedings which resulted In the
installation Of the administration Of Coy
Kellogg. Had the first effort succeeded
there would have been established gov.
ernment by fraud and revolution. The
second effort did not succeed, and a gov
etnment was established by a revolution
and the armed Intervention Of the powers
Of the federal government. In this view
I believe am consistent. i have never
looked upon the existing government In
any other light than a revolutionary gov.
ernment-tecogniaed, however, by the
President, by the House Of Representa-.
tiyes Of the United States, and by the Ju.
dietary Of the State. | believe itS acts
should have full force and effect, and pet.
sonally / have rendered II cheerful obedi-
ence and support. because conscience.
ously believed II was the choice Of a ma
ioFity Of The voters. Passing to the events
ot 1874, we find there were repeated the
revolution and Counter.revolution which
attended the election Of 1872. During
this interval Of Two years the administra.
lion Of Kellogg carried on the govern.
ment, making and executing laws. To
this government the Republican masses
gave their support, while the oPposi.
lion yielded only a sullet obedience.
The spirit Of intolerance toward their
opponents began again to manifest itself
and IA the period for the general elec.
lion approached and found expression In
sincere and bitter hatred, Gov. Kellogg
and his associates had done what they
could. II was Of no avail. They had re-
duced the taxes. They had checked the
indiscriminate appropriations tot private
purposes, which had characterized pre-.
vious assemblies. They had carried on
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