Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-01-11
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THE LOUISIANA OUTRAGE AND WHAT
IT INFANT.

United States with as much propriety as
that Governor Kellogg possesses the
right to control the organization of the
Legislature of the State of Louisiana.
For neither have his partisans the au-
dacity to set up any such claim. There
is no foundation then for the p%retense
that Sheridan's interference was for the
purpose Of sustaining Kellogg in the
assertion Of his just prerogatives. And
equally groundless is the assumption on
the part Of President Grants a~pologists
that the presence Of division Of the Fed
eral army in New Orleans was necessary
TO preserve the public peace Of Louisiana.
There was profound quiet throughout
the State. No popular outbreak was
threatened-none meditated. Why, then,
was the State house surrounded by armed
men; the halls of legislation invaded by
federal soldiery; and citizens claiming
TO have been elected members of the
General Assembly, who stood ready to
submit the question Of their rights to the
only tribunal competent to decide it,
thrust forth at the point OF the
bayonet from the State house and other
claimants seated in their places2 Is it
by such acts of violence, such flagran.
disregard Of the rights of citizens of a
sovereign commonwealth that q wise
ruler would seek to preserve order, tran
quilize the people and restore peace and
harmony We think not, surely. On
the contrary. had it been the purpose to
provoke a revolt of q people already
gosded almost to desperation by the OPP
preston Of a local government which,
we're the support Of Federal bayonets
withdrawn but for an hour, would crnm.
BILE to pieces through its own ~rottenness
and corruption-to prec;pltste a COLI
sion between the citizens of Louisiana
and the army of the United States, no
better plan could have been devised than
that pursued by President Grant and bis
advisers, nor could any more fitting in.
strument have been selected for its exc
cution than General Sheridan. But,
thank heaven, through the prudence and
forbearance of a longsuffering people,
an appalling catastrophe has been
averted. Order reigns in Warsaw.
and the crimson feast, over whose
savory sweetness Sheridan smacked bis
lips in eager anticipation, has been post.
poned for a season, If not forever.
While we prefer to have it to turn to
discover its authors, and FIX upon them
the responsibility for the crime commit
ted against free government in the re.
cent outrage upon the people Of Louis.
lana, there is a point in connection with
the subject that may be well worth our
consideration. The friends cf Grant do
not deny that he desires the Presidency
for q third term. Others, claiming 10
know him better, are widely at fault if
he does not, in his heart of hearts, covet
even a longer extension Of bis lease Of
power. Had the President kept himself
more in accord with the people, snd less
with the military satraps that surround
him; had bis ears. always open TO the
whisperings of favning sycophants,
been less closed against the earnest
warnings Of the honest, liberty loving
masses Of the country, he would long
since have discovered that the r~esliza.
ton Of a desire in either direction is as
Wild a dream as ever crossed the most
visionary ambition. Bat INSCRIPTIONS,
selfish, silent, isolated; holding as enc
mics. all whose sincere advice is at
variance with his own imperious will, it
is but natural he should fell an easy
prey to designing tricksters, who, while
they fill his greedy ears with fattery,
plot their W advancement at the ex.
pense Of the public good, regardless Of
consequences. What more likely than
shat some such reckless adviser should
suggest TO the President that the
oecurrance Of a revolt in the
South, with the attendant horrors
of riot and bIoodshed, spd the
speedy and merciless suppression Of the
outbreak by the array lnder the Presi.
dents direction, would have the i~nevita.
hIe effect of arousing afresh the latent
preiudiees aRd hate Of the section, aud
sEaiu directing popular attention u
himself as possessing peculiar quali6ca
tons to hold 10 subsection The disloyal
dissatisfied and turbulent population o.
the States lately in rebellion? Or thai
the present was a favorable time, and
Louisiana a favorable subject, on which
10 make an experiment to determine
how Gar the people Of the United States
would submit, without resistance or pro.
test, to interference by the general gov
eminent in the purely local affairs of a
State; how far the people had become
accustomed to the idea of Capitalization
AZ oppored to the doctrine Of State
10 ether words, how nearly they
prepared to submit TO a military
i~sspotism. with Grant Is perpetual dc
Based upon either Of these by