The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-01-09


under the table, or Into the. fire. and said
nothing about > it. Instead > Of that,
General Belknsp telegraphed back to Sheri.
dan, ana said: "The President and all OF us
thoroughly approve your courses" which
was one of the most unnecessary and foolish
bunders ever committed by the present
Government. We hope that The Presidents
forthcoming message Will be a'listle more
creditable to himself, his Cabinet, bis party,
and 10 the people of the United States, who,
if they thoroughly approved of Sheridan's
course, would stand disgraced before the civ.
ilized world" e1 ~ gas
From Our Own Correspondent.
rSpeciai telegram to the Dispatch.J
WAsRINGroN, January S.-The Senate to.
day, after agreeing to Conklng's amend.
ment, which leaves it discretionary with the
President, passed the resolution requiring
as to the authority for military
interference in the affairs of Louisiana, and
another amendment, by Mr.. Morton, re-
questing the President to transmit any in
formation be may have as to secret organi'
cations in Louisiana, hostile to Louisiana.
with the intent TO overthrow it.
The debate to-day took very wide range.
The Radical side again raised the old cry oil
southern outrage, by which they hope to
obscure the real question at issue, but in
which they will assuredly find themselves al
disadvantage. -.......
The friends of the President assert that he
will answer the resolution Immediately.
T1MoN.
The Louisiana Discussion Resumed IL,
the Senate. 49,. .sa5 ,..s 4
WASHINGTON, January S.-During the dis
cussion in the Senate to. day on the Louisiana
troubles Mr.. BAYARp said two years ago be
introduced resolution calling upon the
President for ;nformation in regard to tie
conduct OF Major Lewis Merrill OF the Uni.ed
States army, in South Carolina. Thep,s as
no ", the Senator from New York (Conkling)
offered an amendment leaving it discretion
airy with the President to answer it. That
resolution, with the amendment, passed the
Senate on the Sd Of March, 1878, and to this day
the President had treated 1t with contemptu.
Gus silence, with the full knowlege of the
conduct of Major Merrill in South Carolina.
He had been sent to "green fields and pas
lures new" in Louisiana. Never since the
time when the American colonies had sepa-
rated themselves from Great Britain had the
people Of this country been brought face to
face with greater questions than those of to.
day questions needing the most careful
consideration. The issue was whether we
should have free government or military
dictatorship.
The remarks of senators from Indiana
(Mortop), Vermont (Edmunds), and Illinois
(LogaD), were calculated to obscure the
question, aud by partisan appeals to divert
the minds ofthe people from the true merits
of the case. He (Bayard) then spoke OF the
circumstances attending the organization Of
the Louisiana Legislature, action Of the Re-
turning Board, &C., and said in States of
three and four times the population of Lou
iSiana election returns were tabulated and
promulgated within week after the cleo
ton. In great cities with the popu.
ation equal to that of Louisiana
they had been tabulated and promul-
gated within forty-eight hours after
the polls were closed !; but in Louisiana
the Returning Board was occupied in can.
vassiug the returns nearly two months, and
in every case of dispute or doubt they de-.
cided in favor of the Kellogg party. He
read from the Constitution OF Louisiana, and
argued that there Was an organization of the
House Of Representatives of that State on
Monday last by the Conservatives that
there was quorum of the House present,
and the organic alton was under the Consti-
tuition. He asked the Senate and the Ameri-
can people if President Grant had the legal
warrant to interfere in the organization Of
that Legislature, and declared that this de.
bate would close and no lawyer would be
able to produce any statute showing the
warrant for any such action.
Mir. BAYARD then quoted from speech
delivered by him in the Senate on the 9th
of February, 1873, in which he argued that
the dangers which were menaclng the llber-
ties of the people of Louisiana then were
also menacing the liberties of the American
people. Had the policy of the President
been modified or moderated since then
No, sir; it had been doggedly lnten'
sified. There was not one case where
the displeasure of the President had been
sgnifed by the removal Of an improper ott-
cial-not single instance Of rebuke. Sherl-
dan had been sent TO New Orleans secretly
to dragoon the peopleof Louisiana. Hear
rived there only three days before the meet
ing of the Legislature. He conferred with
none of those who had the welfare
of the State at heart, but only with
Kellogg and his adherents, and then
produced from his own pocket the au-
thority to assume command. Other Off.
GERS of the army, higher and lower than
General Sheridan, had been passed over, and
he was personally selected to interfere thus
with the organization of the State Legislature.
He (Bayard) did not wish to delract from
the glories Of this officer. They were won
in career of rough war; but be was an 9th.
Ger of the army Of the United SATISFIED
and clothed by the people, and servant OF
the people, and 10 no way their master. de
then read from the Constitution Of the United
States, and said that if this cavalry officer,
with whatever glory he may have attained
by his sword, is stronger than our guaran'
tees of liberty, then let us know it. The
issue cannot be raised too soon.
MIR. BAYARD then quoted from dispatches
of Sheridan to the Secretary of War, and
asked who would say that this officer lSherl'
dan) was fit to breathe the air of a republican
government? He next quoted from the dis
patch of Sheridan urging that certain per-
sons be declared banditti, and said if there
was now the tone in the Executive Depart
ment OF this country that there once was,
Sheridan would never sign his name again as
Northumberland OF the United States army.
If that officer had been in q hostile country
be could not have made a more brutal or
bloody threat. Such language as that used
in the dispatch was like that used by the
captain of q band Of Janizaries asking iol
instructions from some Oriental. despot,
General Sheridan had~no one quality to q
him for the duties to command in Louisi
ana. His first quality should be good wit
of the people Of The state. s5..,.a IS