The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-01-21
President Grants Message on Louisiana
Affairs.

President Grants Message on Louisiana
Affairs.
| WASHINGTON. January 13.-The President
sent the following message to the cenale 70
| day:
ToHe Senate of the United States: have
the honor to make the following answer TO q
Senate resolution Of the 9th instant asking TOT
information as to any interference by any NIL
| itary officer of any part OF the army OF the
United States with the organization or procee.
dings of the General Assembly@of the state OF
| To,lisiana. or either branch thereof, and also
inouiring in regard to the existence OF armed
ORGANIZATIONS in that State hostile to the gov
eminent thereof, and intent on oyerturninS
such government by force.
10 say that lawlessness, tprDulence, ailu
| bloodshed have characterized the political az
| fairs Of that State since its organization under
the reconstruction acts is only to repeat What
has become we'll known as part OF its unhap-
| nv history but it may be proper TO reler TO
| the election of 1865, by which the Repnlalican
vote of the State, through fraud and violence,
| was reduced to few thousands, and ne oioouy
riots of 1866 and 1868, to show that the disof-
ders there are not due to any recent causes Oh
| to any late action OF the Federal authorities.
Preparatory.to the election Of 1872 shame=
full and undisguised conspiracy was formed 10
! carry that election against the Kepupl1cahs
without regard to Law or right. ana 70 that
end the most glaring frauds and forgerIes were
| committed in the returns, after MANY colored
citizens were denied registration. ana ';tllets
| eterred BY fear from casting their oaliess.-
When the time came Tor na CANVASS " ny, ~
votes. in view of the foregoing facts William t.
Kellogg. the Republican candidate Tor lover
nor. BROUGHT suit upon the facts in the United
Sta ! ;,,i,u,t court OF Louisiana against war
| mot and others who had possession OF the nc,
turns Of the election. representing tnat severls
thousand voters of the State had teen ueptlseu VI
the elective franchise on account oi SelI eplol,
and praying that steps m'git W tsNolI W nv
said votes counted, and for general rellef. 10
enable the court to inquire into the truth OF
these allegations a temporary restraining ofuer
was issued AGAINST the defendants, which was
at once wholly dsregarded ana tfealea With
contempt by those to whom 1t was addressed.
r ,,sc proceedings have been widelyEdenopnce,
as an inwarrantable interference oy Inc e. feu--
eral jadicary with the election OF otate oilieels'
Rut # is TO be remembered shat by the Hfteenti
n ,.ndment to the Constitution OF the United
s ties the political equality OF colored citizens
is secured, and under the second section Oh INA
am .ndment providing hat congress shall
ha . mower to enforce its provisions by appro-
pra ) legislation,an act VS. passeu on the ols
of Nav, 1870, and amended N io'i. 1he op5ece
of which was to prevent the GENIAL Oh al,iluse-
ment of sutfrase to citizens on accau NJ OF race,
color or previous condition Of servitude; and it
has been held by all the judges before Wholn
the Question has arisen Including Justice
Strong. of the Supreme Court, That ti.e pfotec-
ton afforded by this amendment and these acts
extends to State as well as other electloiis.-
Tn 1t it is the duty of the deral courts 10 en-
free the provisions of the Constitution VI the
United States and the laws passed in pursuance
thereof is too clear for controversy. Section 10
| Of said act, after numerous provisions thefeii
| to prevent an evasion of the fifteenth amend
ment, provides that the jurisdiction OF the en-
cult courts Of the United States shall extend 10
all cases in law Or equity frising under the pro
visions of said act and the acts amendatofy
| thereof. Congress seems to have cohtenlpAaIed
equitable as well as legal proceedings to pre-
vent the denial of suffrage to coored citizens.
and it may be safely asserted that ii Kelogg's
bill in the above named case did not present
case for the equitable nterpositon OF the court,
then no such case can arise under the act
That the courts of the United States have the
right to interfere in various ways WIN Sta'e
elections so as to maintain political tquailty
and rights therein, irrespective Of race OF col
or is cOnlparatiyely a new, and to some seems
to be startling idea; but it results as clearly
| from the 18th amendment to the Constitution
and the acts that have been passed TO enforce
| that amendment as the abrogatioE Il State
| laws unfolding slavery results from the tnlr-
| teenth amendment to the Constitution Winnie
the jurisdiction OF the court iii the case OF hel-
| logo against Warnoth and others Is clear to
| nv mind. if seems that some of the orders
made by the Judge in that and the kindred
case of Antoine were illegal; but while they
are so held and considered. it is not to be for
| gotten that the mandates OF his court mad been
contemptuously defied and they were made
while wild scenes of anarchy were sweeping
| away all restraint of law and order. Doubt
! less the iudge of this court made grave mis-
| l. t%l,o 10 oil the chancellor GREAT
| latitude not only in furnishing those who con-
tenn his orders and injunctions, but in pre-
| venting the commission Of the wrong which
| he has judicially forbidden Whatever may De
| said or thought Of these matters, 1t was only
made known to me that the process OF the Uni
| ted States court was resisted; and as sald acL
specially provides for the use OF the army and
| navv when necessary to enforce judicial pro-
| cess arising Hereunder considered it my duty
to see that such process was executed accor-
dino to the Judgment of the court. Resulting
from these proceedings, through various con-
troversies and complications the State admin
stration was organized with VIM. Z. Kellogg
as Governor, which, in discharge OF my duty
under section 4, article 4, Of the Constitution,
| have recognized as the government of the
State. It has been bitterly and perslstently al
legged that Kellogg was not elected. Whe her
| he was or not is not altogether certain, nor is
! # any more certain that his competitor (McEn-
ery) was chosen. The election was gigantic
fraud, and there are no reliable returns OF It's
result. Kellogg obtained possession OF the
office. and. in nv opinion, has more right to it
than his competitor.
| On the goth of February, 1S73 the Commit
tee on Privileges and Elections of the Senate
made report in which they say they were
satisfied by testimony that the manipulations
of the election machinery by Warmoth and
others was equivalent to 10000 votes; and they