The daily gazette., 1875-01-18
From the N. Y. Sun of Saturday. ~
LOstisian0 ut sGhnisas.

AOttsStttHU f3t fCfseytea6. -.
The question no longer is what Presi
dent Grant thinks about Louisiana. but
what Congress proposes to do about that
utterly prostrate State. at ~
II las been under the harrow of fraud
and military domination ever since tho
drunken vagabond Durell, Gen. Grant !
Judge, furnished legal pretext for the
PRESIDENT TO take that State by the
throat. AT the late election the people
oi LOUISIANA Thought the public indig-
imous cry Of shame over the INSTALLATION
and perpetuation Of the Kellogg Gov
efnhent, Were sufficient to deter their
.oppressors from a further prosecution OF
tneir desperate schemes to rule a great
state by force and fraud. They there
lore went into another election, TO see If
that would not end the vulgar ond afro.
clous despotism which had for 40 long n
time ruled over them. i''7
ms election, as appears upon inycs.
tlsation, was a fair ono, and resulted in
4 triumph OF the Conservatives By n me-
lorlty OF four or i've thousand votes ir
the state. But instead of honestly sub.
nnttlng to the result of the canvass, the
'ruiing rogues, unabasheG by previous
pubic criticism, and undeterred by fear
VI Iuttfe consequences, knowing them
selves to be backed by Congress and the
United States army, set about to d.scov.
er way to prolong their infa nous dom.
inatiop. After two months plotting.
they finally determined to falsely coun.
the votes given ID the election, so as 10
give themselves majority of the Legis-
lature. And thus they very deliberately
counted out five members Of that body
who mad been clearly chosen, in order
that they might supply their places with
others Just as clearly defeated.
Out OF this Infamous fraud has grown
all the agitations, all the difficulty. ali
the excitement, and all the usurpations
which have again put Louisiana. under
the feet OF the villains who still hold her
In chains. The people Of the State have
been again baHied in their attempt to
recover their rights and their liberty Of
seif-government.. They have been once
more put down BY the bayonets Of the
army; and though Gen. Grant in his re.
cent message disclaims having given the
order to purge the legislature Of so many
members as was necessary to Siye the
control to the political brigands, he neY.
ertheless does not condemn their pro.
ceedings or propose to rectify the out
rage they have committed; and thus he
avows himself an accom- mplice.
IL Is Gen. Grant, therefore, who has
his foot on the neck of the people oi
Louisiana. 1t is he who has dispersed q
le gally elected Legislature; it is he who
upholds the organized mob" who have
usurred their place. 1t il he who is res.
ponsible for the military coNp detat
which has ovorthrown the legally elect.
ed Legislature of Louisiana, and sup.
planted il with bogus body of his fol
lowers, who are officiating in its stead.
This, be it observed, ID a living, practi.
cal matter. 1t ID not a thing accomplish.
ed, it is merely thing begun. A mes.
sage and few speeches do not in the
least end the controversy. They merely
describe, expose, denounce, or defend
the usurpation. But the thing itself re-
mains. The usurpation stands. 1t is a
piratical capture, and tho pirate holds
his victim. He keeps his grip upon his
looty in the face and eyes Of the eoun-
try, and OF the whole civilized world.
He stands in open defiance Of the laws
he has trampled under foot. The spolia-
tion he has committed he defends with
the same weapons by which he accom-
plished it. The usurper is in hagrant,
insolent hostility to the laws, to the
Constitution, to liberty, and to the man.
ifest. unquestioned rights Of the people
Of Louisiana. Thig living. active usur-
patton eonfronts Congress- to-day, and
challenges its recognition.
The supreme question now is not what
GRANT thinks or LOGAN thinks, or any
other one of the whole crowd Of mal-ad-
ministrators who are fast driving the en-
tire country into anarchy by their wick
edness and their shallow incompetence,
but what do the Republican majority Of
Congress intend to do? Do something
they must They have got to approve
or dlsapprove of what has been done.
They can neither shirk nor shun this ne
cessity. The Presidents Message does
not settle the question, or touch upon its
settlement. 1t does not grasp but avoids
the real issue. .ss-s
patton, Which now holds a State in
chains and fettcrs, be treated? A
State has been robbed, prostrated, des-
poiled of her political rights by a mill
tary cogp'detat She remains in the
iron grasp of those who have throt-
tied her. What is to be done? Is the
usurpation to stand d? Does Congress
propose to look quietly on and see this
outrage on constitutional rights and
popular liberty consummated, and do
nothing in the way OF vindicatlng the
claims of honesty, justice, and decent
government? Are we reduced so low
that pronunciamcnto Of the military
against popular majority of a State,
even though endorsed by the Presi-
dent, is strong enough to stand against
the civil power? Are We already
MexicaniZed?
However much the majority may
desire it, congress cannot escape its
duty and its responsibility in this
juncture. 1t is equally amenable to
criticism whether 1T acts or refuses to
act. The whole responsibility of a
daring usurpation of the military
power rests upon its shoulders, and it
must approve or disapprove. We call
upon it TO act at once, An enormous
crime has been committed, and it de-
mands instant trial and instant deci-
sion.