New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-29
MILITARY 1IEWs OF THE SITUATION

No part Of the documentary history OF the
Louisiana case is better worth reading than
the correspondence of military officers on duty
in that State, recently transmitted to the SEN
ate by tho Secretary of War. A full abstract
of these documents is printed on our ninth
page to-day. No one can rise from their
perusal without a more vivid realization of
the delicate and often thankless duties of the
officers of the army, whose misfortune it is to
be stationed in the South, and of the terrible
burden of misgovernment and misrepresenta-
ton which the people of Louisiana have borne
so long
Major Merrill and Lieut.-COl. Morrow pre-
sent their views very fully, and the letters of
each are so Characteristic that there will be
little difference of opinion as to whose judg
ment is entitled to the greater consideration.
Major Merrill had only distinguished himself
since the war by taking partisan part in the
management of political disorders In South
Carolina. As soon as he reached Shreveport
his voice was raised for war; and he succeeded
in stirring into active hostility political ele-
ments which had been quoted by the judiclOus
administration of Gen. Emory and the wise
counsel of the Conservative leaders. Like Gen.
Sheridan, he pronounced judgment upon the
people before he was fairly out of his saddle,
and has ever since devoted his energies to the
task of proving that hasty judgment well
founded. In this correspondence he appears
as the constant fomenter of dIscord !;
at loggerheads first with the citizens, then
with Gen. Emory, then with a State
court, then with Capt. Head, then
with the attorney to whom he
intrusted Lieut.. HOdgsOn's case, and even
with his rash subordinate, Lieut.. HodgsOn
himself. In every document to which his
name is attached there is display of par
tisanship and bad temper, showing his entire
unftness for the command of a military force
in that district Of Louisiana, IL which there
was the greatest occasion for a policy Of
Cancellation.
Col. Morrow is lawyer by profession, and
was a Judge in Michigan before the war; his
political sympathies before, during, and since
the war have been Republican. He went to
Louisiana from Utah. where he had distin-
guished himself by an intelligent management
of the cases constantly arising between Nor
mons and Gentiles, in which the military is
obliged to give more or less assistance to the
civil power. As, to use Gen. EmOry's Ian
guage, che had been frequently intrusted by
"the Government with important and deli
"cate commands" that officer sent him to
make an inspection of the state of affairs in
North West Louisiana. He found many friends
Of the General Government but no enemies
many enemies of the State Government, but
no friends, except the ollce-hOders Under
his direction the HOdgsOn case was set
tied without disparagement to either civil
or military, State or Federal authority, and
everybody except Major Merrill was satisfied
with the result. His report is written dispas-
sionatcly aud iudiclally, keeping in view the
preservation of peace as the main object of the
presence of the troops. His conclusions differ
in no essential respect from those of the Foster
Investigation Committee and the whole story
is told in the words, "The State Government
"has not the confidence OF respect of any por-
"tion of the community"
If Congress is disposed to settle this Louisiana
question fairly, we believe a careful reading of
Col. Morrow's report and his testimony given
before the HOar Committee yesterday. will place
il in possession of profitable hints III that direc-
ton. Moreover, we have reason to believe that
there is hardly an army officer of high rank in