New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-02
BY TELEG CIR APH.
LOUISIANA.

WASHINGTON. February I'm the Senate
to-day, when the Louisiana resolution OF
Schurz was called, Mr.. West, of Louisiana
said. that having already occupied the time
of the Senate on this question, he felt some
hesitancy in again speaking, but come
features not yet touched upon forced him to
do 30. He proposed to show, if it had been
designed by the government OF the United
States to overthrow constitutional govern
ment in Louisiana, and establish in its place
military despotism, as had been charged
here, there had been earlier and better
opportunities to do it.
He then referred to the report OF the sub.
committee of the House, of which Mr..
Foster was chairman, which recently
visited Louisiana, and said that document,
frequently quoted from by the Democrats,
was eimply Democratic brief. and pre-
sented conclusions without the evidence TO
sustain them. In 1868 there was q unver-
cal scene of murder, violence and pillage
throughout the South, and, in Louisiana,
the. State authorities feeling themselves
unable to suppress them, had appealed,
under the Constitution, to federal power TOR
aid. He read from testimony before the
committee OF the Senate, two years ago,
and kilograms which passed between him'
self and the Governor at that time'
and said he advised the Governor then
that he was placing himself in false posi-
ton to call upon the President for troops
until he should exhaust the power OF the
State to put down violence. The Democrats
were now making a great outcry against
military interference, bat in 1872 they called
upon the President to dispense the Legisla
ture of that time. The Democratic mem
bers of the bar of New Orleans a Demo
cratic mass meeting, Democratic judges
upon the bench. all besOught the President
to dispense that Legislature; but what was
the answer of the President then2 He
said troops could not be used except under
provisions of law. The President was not
responsible for an act of his subOr-
dinate in the recent interference. as he
was not aware of it, and had said in
his message that it was not his desire to
have United States troops Interfere In the
affairs of Louisiana, or any other state he
argued that it was inconsistent in the Demo.
Gratis now, after Andrew jackson had ar
rested judge in 1914, after the Kansas
Legislature had been dispersed by Demo
cratic administration, and the members of
a-Maryland Legislature arrested by one
whom they atterward sought to make Presi
dent, and after they had themselves asked
for federal interpOsition in New Orleans, to
say that the pillars of constitutional liberty
were tumbling down. Mr.. West then sent
to the clerks desk and had read the terms
Of capitulatiOn between Grant and Lee at
Appomatt0x Courthouse, and said all records
refuted the superstition that President
Grant would ever seek by force to
Aubvert the constitutional privileges of
Che country to military deepotism. Any
effort to make the people Of this country
believe that was about the ARREST bubble
which ever filed an empty head or head
OvercrOwded with ambition. He next re-
ferred to the Supreme Court of Louisiana,
and said the judges thereof we're natives of
the State, and no disrepute had ever at !
tachad to them. The Democrats at one |
time wanted to make the chief justice of |
that court the executive of the State, but
he declined the nomination. The attacks |
now made upon the judges OF that court |
wero made because they were men who had |
courage to construe the law according to |
right and justice and the oaths by which |
they were bound. He then read an |
affidavit of Messrs. Todd and Hunsaker, |
who were members Of the Mechanics
Institute Senate and afterward went over
to the McEnery Senate. to the effect that
the returns which made it apper McEnery
was elected had been canvassed before they
came into the possession of the board, aud
that sone of the signatures thereto were
f0rgeries. and further q fair count of the
returns would have shown that Kellogg
was elected Governor in 1872. He next
referred to the statement of the Senator
from Ohio (Thurman) to the effect that
seventy-one votes were cast when Wiltz |
was elected Speaker, and said it was a typ
ographical error in one OF the papers which
showed that number of votes. There were
only fifty-eight votes cast.
Mr.. Thurman said admitting there were
but fifty eight, that number was quorum
Of the House.
Mr.. West, resuming, said intimidation
did exist in the South, and especially in his
State, though it did not commence with the |
election OF 1872. 1t commenced after the
at AppOmattox Courthouse, and
since the days OF reconstruction there had
been nothing but intimidation and murder 6
In his own State since 1866 there had been
line great butcheries for political purposes.
In 1868 there was deficiency Of 36 900 Re.
publican votes on account of intimidation | q
to the administration of Governor !.
Kellogg, he said he challenged any member =
II the opposition to show any act of Kel- =
ogg's administration in Louisiana to which :,
J reasonable exception could be taken =
The Democrats had complained that -
he securities of Louisiana had fallen to
cents. The cause of it was the .,
evolution and warfare kept up by the "
Democratic party. Ii these troubles were =.
ontinued by that party the securities 81 81
.ould go down to zero; Again, they COM =;
lalned that the securities of the city of - =.
ew Orleans had fallen from eighty or a.
lnety to thirty or forty; that was only q,
mother evidence Of violence and intimida- d,
on. Those securities had fallen under ~ =.
10 Democratic administration of Wilt, ~
no WAS mayor of the city. He again re- :.
rred to the report OF the Foster commit 49,
e, and said he must confess his indigna- .,
on at such a report, made by men who r
I'D an opportunity to know better. 10
In conclusion be said there might be ~
m orr . TOD I,y,x h. /
emit, but so much time had been occupied ~ ~
defending outside attacks it was almost ~
lposelble to reform abuses inside. He ~
ndemned all wrong, and said if there was "
party OF thieves, which he denied, no sr
)uld support the thieves against the muir r.,
rers. "
Mr. Morrill,, of Vermont, eaid he regretted oh
is prolonged discussion had been in a pr
rty spirit. The whole artillery of the an
position had been rolled in 70 the field 10 sh
'e General Sheridan q raking fire, and it th
rned out he was not within their reach, on
he was not in command on the fourth
limo, when the events complained of took ad
ace. All this debate was upon the resO- | In,
lion of the Senator from Missouri (Mr. an
hurz), which did not propose q remedy for nv
trouble, but instructed the Judiciary All
to do go. That committee could on
nothing until the resolution should be
ssed, but no Senator seemed disposed to a :
1t pass without loading it down with
1t appeared to him (Morrll) the
It the few days left of this session should rec
devoted to business. He referred to the tha
'ech of Mr. Schurz, and said that Senator ga
d out the idea nobody was in the wrong mi,
the Republican party, and called upon
party to turn back in its dangerous the
lrse while it was vet time. Was the Re tan
olican party responsible for the Penn a.,
ellion, or the massacre Of the fourteenth "'
September! Was it responsible for the
ushatta outrage, and the wholesale