New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-14

LIBERAL commission allowed to those who SEN
~ climbs Of five more.
NOBLE DEFENSE OF president
CHANT AND GENERAL SHERIDAN.
The speech of Hon. Roscoe COnkling. o
New York, delivered in the United State
Senate on the twenty-eighth and twenty
ninth of January, has attracted larger
share of the attention Of the opposition
press than any other speech made in Con
gress during the last session. The REPUB
EDcaS sees much in it to admire, and if oul
space would admit, would publish it entire
Tar the benefit of the people. But as this
.an not be conveniently done, we have en-
'Qa,ayoTed to make room for extracts from ii
naat, while they can not fail to be interest
Eng because they disclose the approaching
presidential election to be the cause of the
agitation on the part of the opposition about
Z louisiana affairs, they Justly defend the con.
iG,ct of the President and General Sheri.
dan for their course in regard to them.
Speaking of the part these distinguished
patriots have taken as officers of govern.
saent they have ever been faithful to, Mr..
Gonkling says:
Dir. President, this debate reyolves on
que pivot-an occurrence on the fourth of
January, in a room in q distant city. In q
room in hotel in the city of New Orleans
which hotel is leased this year to the Gov.
ernor, the Lieutenant Governor and the
Speaker, tor public use-a transaction took
place which has Ostensibly melted all the
speeches to which we have lately listened
ly,vn nf L oorv fsnpt. th.t
sibility for the affair in New Orleans on the
fourth of January touches the President of
she United States. No blame for what was
ssone or said can be laid at his door, The
tirst information he received was stimuli
1ane0us with that of other citizens. The
newspapers Of the following day were his
first infOrmants. He had no expectation or
apprehension in advance. If there were
those In Washington, or nearer Washington
than the limits of Louisiana, who had no.
toe that revolution was to be attempted on
the fourth Of January. the President Of the
United States was not one Of them. He
therefore had made no provision for such
contingency, and no preparation for the
0dings of the event. Nearly fortnight
previously, and on the twenty fourth of
December, the President had requested
sHeneral Sheridan to make a tour of Obser.
vation, not in Louisiana alone, but in the
southern States-several States were
and all were included. No personal
conference was held between the President
and General Sheridan. The General was
IN Chicago, and the communication was in |
writing. 1t was forwarded to General |
Sherman; the General of the army. In it |
was suggested conference with General |
Mcdowell.
When General Sheridan was thus invited |
20 visit the South the President had been |
Ia oft Il 20, I;o%o,
al woe and entreaties tor protection to
which no man could be deaf. to which no
clief magistrate would dare be Indifferent
These cries for help did not relate to the
had passed. They did not
concern the ambition Of candidates; thew
concerned the lives, the homes and the
of men, women and children who
had never been false to their flag, and who,
lnder the shadow of that flag, were hunted
Sown as if they were wild beasts. These
summoned the chief magis-
rate to his feet; they summoned him to
aestlr himself, to inquire, to find out, to see
y It that he kept the oath, sworn before
he American people, which binds him to
wee that the laws are faithfully executed.
pne OF these warnings had reached him |
nat three days before. 1t came from one
,1o Tor twenty years had been resident
II Shreveport for twenty-eight years a |
e<s.1ent OF the South. In came from Judi
ial officer. not appointed by the President, |
l&t appointed by the court; an officer who |
'Tsted that he had read every word of his
'nin munlcation to the general commanding |
re department, AID that the general con-
ir-led it all.
Dir. President, General Sheridan ia equal.
y undeserving OF praise or blame for the
.cings in New Orleans on the fourth of !
anuary lie was not even spectator of | !
ne drama in any of its parts. He was. it |
. true, personally present in New Orleans.
nd at halfpast nine o clock in the evening. {
OURS alter the affair had ended he assumed | '
he command which alone gave him any L
ARE control than any other wayfarer in 8
ne streets. he states this fact himself: but g
nth that innate heroism which will be worn )
s one OF the brightest trophies of the a
q tlon when his traducers are forgotten. he Il
stGs that be is willing to be held responsi- Il
l% tor what others did to preserve the g
eace. He offered himself as victim to a
TORN in which older men, not trained TO b
rms alone, but to the law, had lost their II
yet. Not being however within the law of | W
yeucy which enables principal to affirm G.
le act OF his agent, Sheridan can not, nor D
81 the nation let HIM. make himself re- b
ionsible for acts which he did not and G
,uld not do. He sent to his superior, not W
Us or to the public, dispatches which b
Ave been widely misread and twisted from "
cir meaning; but Sheridan has not yet to O.
arn that one who stands as he does In the a.
are Of the public eye. will be misunder I
rod and misrepresented. :"
When cenfagration had swept the proud NJ
. city of the West; when homes, and Z
ltely edifces, and marble blocks, lay in hi
, ashes Of fire which devoured iron and &C
me: when relics and household gods, the Ell
arished store Of families, were exposed in vi
street, there was dissatisfied minority IL
patient of the forms of law, who in that to
! Of woe and flame, followed their op- oh
-tunity as the shark follows the pu
o. They did not seek the lives, all
only the property of others. ar
,riJan, in command Of the soldiers Of the LIE
;ted States, made with their bayonets a tel
DON around the places Of deposit. He tai
ed in the goods and chattels Of citizens tn