The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-11
TELEGRAPHIC.
Senator Bayard's Speech.

Senator Bayard's Speech.
When Judge Thurman's S resolution call
ing on the President to know If the army
was being used to break up the legally
lelected legislature of Louisiana, was
before the senate, Senator Bay
ard made a powerful appeal for the
rights Of the people. We regret that our
space enables us to give only the following
brief synopsis: - -
Mr.. Bayard said that two years ago he
introduced a resolution calling upon the
President for information In regard to the
conduct of Maj. Lewis Merrill, of the u
5. army in South Carolina. Theu, as now,
the senator from New York (Conkling) Of
fered an amendment leaving it discretion
ary with the President to answer it. The
resolution with Its amendments passed the
senate on the Sd of March, 1873, and to
this day the President had treated it with
contempt and silence With full knowl,
edge of the conduct of this Mai Merrill
in South Carolina. he had been sent to green
| fields and pastures new in Louisiana. New
er since the time when the American col
onies had separated themselves from Great
Britain, had the people of this country
been brought face to face with greater
questions than those of to-day. The issue
was whether we should have a free gov
ernment or military dictatorship. The
remarks of the senators from Indiana.
Morton) Vermont (Edmunds), and Illinois
| (Logan) were calculated to obscure the
i4uestion by partisan appeals to divert the
minds OF the people from the true merits
of the case. Mr.. Bayard then spoke of
the circumstances attending the organiza-
ton of the legislature of Louisiana. the ac-
ton of the returning board. ETC. He ask
ed the senate and the American people if
President Grant had legal warrant to in
terfere in the organization of that legisla-
ture, and declared this debate would close
and no lawyer would be able to pro
duce any statute showing warrant for su h
action. Mr.. Bayard then quoted from IA
speech delivered by him in the senate on
February n, lS73,in which he argued that
the dangers that were menacing the lber-
ties of the people of Louisiana thea.were
also menacing the liberties of the Ameri-
can pc pple. Had the policy of the Presi-
1 dent been modified since then? No. sir,
it had been doggedly intensified. There
was not one case where the displeasure of
the President mad been signifed by remov-
al of an improper official not a single in
stance of rebuke. Sheridan had been sent
to New Orleans secretly to dragon the
people Of Louisiana. He arrived there
only three days before the meeting of the
legislature. He conferred with none OF
those who had the welfare of the state a,
heart, but only with Kellogg aud his ad-
herents and then produced from his own
pocket authority to assume command
Other officers of the aruy higher and low
er than Sheridan had been passed oyer,
and he was personally selected to interfere
thus with the organization of the state
legislature. He (Bayard) did not wish &c
detract from the glories of this officer
They were won in career of rough war
But he was an officer of the army Of the
United States, fed and clothed by the pen
pie, and servant of the people, and 10 no ay
their master He then read from the con
stitution of the United States and said i
this cavalry officer, with whatever glory HI
may have attained by his sword, is strong
er than our guarantees of liberty, then lie
us know it now. The issue cannot be raiset
too soon. Mr.. Bayard then quoted trou
the dispatches of Sheridan to the secretar,
of war and asked who would say that thi
officer, Sheridan, was even fit to breath
the air of a republican government? III
next quoted from the dispatch of Sheri
dan, urging that certain persons be de
}. clared banditti, and SAID if there was nu1
o the tone in the executive department q
this country that there once was, that off
Ger, Sheridan, would never sign his nam
again as lieutenant general of the Unite
States army. If that officer had been in
hostile country, he could have made q
@ more brutal or bloody threat Such lar
guage as that used in his dispatch was lik
that used by the captain of band OF jan
zaries asking for Instructions from SOM
Oriental despot Gen. Sheridan had NJ
one quality t., fit him for the duties OF con
J. mander in Louisiana. His first quaiil
should be goodwill towards the people
the state.
Mr.. Bayard next read the dispatch
secretary Belknap, approving the cour
y of Gen. Sheridan and said the disgu
" which he (Bayard) felt at the langua.
of Gen. Sheridan was rather increased t
Is. wards him who would pen such an answe
He believed the American people won
: repudiate Belknap and ali those who u
dertook to indnrse this action OF Gen. She
ils idan. The proposition was here presents
VIZ VIZ tor the first time that the President of t
,rk United States could, of his own vnlitio
adjudge the fact that such domestic v
lence existed in state as would just
Use him in interfering in the organization of t
Ind state legislature The powers of the sta
eth legislature to judge of the qualification "a
election of its own members were just
secure as the powers of the congress of t
rm, United States to judge its members.
OF congress allowed such power as this to
exercised by the President IN louisa
to-day,it might be exercised in New Yu
air, to morrow, Massachusetts next day, and
:. the congress OF the United States on I,
''' 4th of March next A single brigade col
-ltake charge of the capitol on the 4th
for March next, shut out tie people and &
a,er seats to friends of the dominant par
6es To-day was The anniversary Of the battle
mr. New Orleans. battle which cover
the A mericaD arms with glory, Should
Ia% laye glory OF 1915 ne dimmed or cluuded by
re shame nt SIS? Was it to be that tn
and who fought against such fearful odds'to
axe AK. tend that city in 1915 fought for nnthir
,usi Il may have have been that mistakes W
aud made; that misjudgment and high pa
lSG, IN, san feelings all crhnbiDed led the Presid
and to take the action he did but he, Bays
li-h, hoped that the American people VIZ
,uce Isn give command by which he would
What forced to obey the laws and take his arL
lress ! hand from the throat of Louisiana,
Grants Impeachment Dem andet