Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-01-14
Louisiana.

THE MORE IMPORTANT PORTIONS OF THE pREsI-
DENTS MEssAGE.
The President states that lie first learned of
the proceedings at the organization Of the Leg
stature, on the 4th, from the newspapers next
morning, and says;
II did know that any such thing was all
tcipated, and no orders nor suggestions were
ever given to any military officer in that State
upon that subject prior to the occurrence. am
we'll aware that any military interference by the
officers or troops of the United States with the
organization of state legislature or any of it's
proceedings, or with any civil department OF the
government Is repugnant to our ideas of gov
ernment. i can conceive OF no case, not inyolv-
ing rebellion or insurrection, where suck inter-
ference by authority of the general government
ought to be permitted or can be Justified. But
there are circumstances connected with the late
legislative mbroglio in Louisiana which seem TO
exempt the military from any Intentional wrong
IN that matter. Knowing that they had been
III Louisiana to prevent domestic violence and
aid in the enforcement of the State laws, the
officers and troops of the United States may well
have supposed that 1t was their dnty to act when
called upon by the governor for that purpose.
Each branch OF legislative assembly is a
iuage OF the election and qualifications of it's
avn members. But If a mob or body of un-
rnthorlled persons seize and hold the Legislative
hall III Il tuuultuous aud riotous manner and 30
prevent any organization by those legally re-
turned aA elected, 1t might become the duty Of
the state executive to interpose, If requested by
u majority OF the mombors elect, to suppress the
disturbance and enable tho persons elected to
organize the house.
'Any xorcse OF this power would only be
jistiiiable u Ter the most extraordinary circum-
stances, and it would then be the duty of tho
Governor ~ call upon the constabulary, or, If
necessary, the military force of the State. But
with reference to Louisiana II IL TO be borne III
mind tnat any attempt by the Governor to use
the police force of that State, at this time, would
have undoubtedly precptated a bloody conflict
with the White League, as it did on the l4th or
September. There doubt but that the
presence of the United States troops upon that
occasion prevented bloodshed and the loss of
life. Both parties appear to have relied upon
them as conservators of the public peace. The
first call was made by the dom ocrats to remove
persons obnoxious to them from the Legislative
hall and the second WAS from the republicans
TO remove persons who had uslirpel seats in the
the Legislature, without legal certificates au-
thori1ing them to seats and in sufficient number
TO change the ma jority.
Nobody was disturbed by the military who
had legal right ut that time to occupy a seat
III the Legislature. That the Democratic minor
ity of the House undertook to seize its organi-
2aton By fraud and violence; that in this a.
tempt they trampled under foot law; that they
undertook to make persons not returned as
elected members 30 as to create majority;
that they acted under preconcerted plan and
under false pretences introduced into the hall a
body of men to support their pfeenslons by
force, il necessary, and that conflict disorder
and riotous proceedings followed, are facts that
to be.well established, and l am cre1ibly
Informed that these violent proceedings We're a
uart of a premeditated plan to have the House
organized in this way and recognize what has
been called the McEnery Senate, aud then to
dispose Governor Kellogg, and 80 revolutionize
the State Government.
whether it was wrong for the governor, at
the request of the majority Of the members re-
turned elected to the house, to use such
means were in his power to defeat these law
less and revolutionary proceedings is, perhaps, a
debatable question but it is quite certain there
would have been no trouble il those who com
planned of illegal Interference had allowed the
house to be organized in lawful aud regular
manner. When those who inaugurate disorder
and anarchy disavow such proceedings, it will
b, time enough to condemn those who by such
means as they have prevent the success of their
lawless and desperate schemes"