The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1875-01-23
LOUISIANA.

Governor Tilden, In q stirring,
hieh-tonei message to the Legisia-
ture Of the great State Of New York.
communicated the news OF the re-
cent outrage upon the Legislature
of Louisiana. The mass meeting
Of citizens in New York City upon
the same occasion was grand At
fair. and was emphatically an
" American Peoples Meeting;"
eloquently addressed by such inhu-
entail aud staunch Republicans ~
Evarts, Bryant and others.
But OF all the many utterances
that have been called forth by this
dispersion Of q States Legielnture
by the military, aud with which
the. columns Of the press e over.
running, the speech Of Senator
Schurx will 60 farthest towards
srOusing the people to . true realI-
xatiOn OF the M0mentOus signtn-
canoe of the act. We herewith
publish an extract from It, replete
In every line with truth and logic:
at is said in the extenuation Of
tho interference Of tho military
power of the United State that the
persons elected from the Lcgisla-
ture by the Federal soldiery were
not legally elected members Of
that Legislature. Suppose that
had been SO ?-but that 10 not the
question. The question 10, Where
Is tho constitutional principle,
where the law authorizing United
States soldiers with muskets In
their hands to determine who IL .
legally elected member Of = State
Legislature and who not? It 10
said that the mode OF organizing
that Legislature was not II accor.
dance with the statutes Of The
State. Suppose that had been 90!
but that is not the question. The
question is, Where is the constitu-
tional or legal warrant for the bay
0ncts Of tho Federal soldiery to In.
terpret the statutes of States and
to decide for and In q Legislature
points Of parliamentary law : II
Is said that the Governor reques-
ted the aid of United States sol.
dicrs to purge tho Legislature oi
illegal members. That may be- 90
but that is not the question. The
question ia, Where 10 the law au.
thorixiMg United States soldiers "a
do the bidding of q State Govern
or who attempts to decide who are
to be tho, members Of . Lcglsla,
turc regularly convened at thu
place and ut the time fixed by law
1t Is said that trouble was threat
encd between coutcnding partlol
in Louisiana. Suppose that hue
been SO? But that Is not the qncs
tiom. The question IL, Where Il
the law from which tho Nati0na
Government IN case Of threatened
trouble IN q State derives its pow
er to invade Legislative body b,
armed force to drag out PERSON.
seated us members Of o State Leg
islaturc that others may take thcil
placcsg Where 10 the law ? l ask
You will search the Constitution
and the statutes in vain. 1t IL m!
deliberate Judgment, conscicn
tionsly formed, thnt the deed dom
on tho 4th Of January in Louisi
ana constitutes gross and NANTES
violation Of the Constitution an,
laws.
"Ald yet General Sheridan ]
not only kept IN Louisiana, as tn
| instrument Of the Executive will
but, after all that has happened
he los been encouraged by th
emphatic approval Of the Execil
tive branch Of the National Gov
crnmcnt. Iconfcss all these thing
have alarmed me. Not me alone
for in all parts Of the country tn
press Is giving voice to the sam
feeling. What l lcarh by privat
j information convimccs INC that tn
press is not exaggerating the
ALARM OF THE PEOPLE.
son all sides we hear the qucl
ti0ns asked: If this can be don
in Louisiana, If such things b
sustained by Congress, how Ion
will 1t be before It can be done
Massachusetts, and Ohio? Ho'