New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-16
ADDRESS OF REyERDY JOHNSON.


ADDRESS OF REVERDY JOHNSON
FELLOW CITIZENS: sincerely thank you for selecting me "a
preside this meeting and for the cordial IN which NJ
presence received The meeting composed of members Of
both the political parties into which the people Of the country
have been divided and many who until now have been zaoli
and uniform supporters Of the Pr sdent and h admntra
They unable however 10 their approval Of what he h
authorized be done in Louisiana ami convinced that
what there done and IL being DONE not only
rage upon the rights Of her people but dangerous To the g
all the States and Of all the people The State o. Louisiana
has been and now, con Led Of ,e States Vi tls
Union.
The Courts Of the United States have long been established
there, and exercising all the jurisdiction given them b.
Of Congress Her state courts eN ing under her
own laws arr also there and performing all the functions CON
ferred upon them No Tor time has been
the authority u the United Statcs As far
advised not single has been raised in Resistance
To that authority Some mouths since an election wa held IL
the for members u her LEGISLATURE The resIs Of
election announced al the time and until within few day,
was the choice by an immense majority Of what are called
Conservatives The prior Legislature mad passed an At
constituting what il termed Returning Board" AMI
by all VINO are not N the secrets 81 those VINO were
IN possession OF me power II "a' nos IuPp''sd 70 %
And yet this done! Upon various grounds the returns 4
several Of the parishes thrown out with regard 10 what,
In fact had been the choice Of their people, and upon
other grounds returned elected in parishes With
joty OK the votes This extent just sucielt
TO give the plrtythcre, at least misnanled Republican
When this body House OF Delegates, organin
members VINO had been returned by the Board but who
sad have been elected by the majority Of the vote!
the State provided Speaker and CLERK were appointed
show " violence and indeed disturbance OF any
BRAND military officer OF the United sti; appeared IN tho
hall, and requested TO have pointed OUT 10 hin
Returning Board. This was done and those persons
then directed by him to the Chamber which they
properly refused He then brought in file Of Unte1
States soldiers all armed, and elected them by force.
ISyloLABrLtTY OF A LEGIsArURE.
BY the Constitution Of Louisiana AMI believe by that oieyey
State in the tnou each branch of her Legislature expressly
the judge Of the election and qualifications Of its
members From the Of this power it necessarily
elusive IL cannot be taken away abridged BY the Execu
It the whole ground and intended to vest
and does vest without qahcauon or condition. the entire
power IN each uoue STATE may pass Laws regulating The
election OF It's Legislature IN all matters NOT ncolsent "h
us own G9hsulon OF inc COhstntoh OF the u"d Stales
The Legislature OF Louisiana may have possessed the authority
appointed and orSml%ed' Dit could NOT cohf u.Ai
Board with any authority express or implied 70 impair the
EJJton lc.ihS ana % u.s. i'LGSr' ls'
oe-nS COIL wv G I,S u,, ',l 20 hJ ~s'H
power essential T. legislative freedom. Inc history OF the
Legislative Department OF Gr. Britain shows thai ts power
after various struggles with kings ana lo secured Is perma
place in Parliament and has never since been called into
question II the Legislature cannot delegate the power
sill less eau i be exercsod b. the Executive, state
woui diyest the Legislature Of power essential
integrity TO permit Executive O state 10 purge the
legislative halls Of members whom he may suppose no 10 have
been elected would be not les a TO the very end Of snch
department than to give him the power to select It's MEMBER
President
be total violation OF the powers admitted to belong 20 The
and Of the limited powers conferred upon the General
Government, especially upon the President himself Now,
assuming that authorized This military Interference which
has justly excited the nd naton OF the nation, L. to snp
duty has exhibited u and urpdonabe slorncs
Of indifference o. the Constitution under which he holds
G GeiSS anu WHICH nc Has sworn 70 p'''''' p''' 1
The only ground upon which Gov kellogg or the military
officers seek justify the course they have adopted MAJ
the members wnom they elected from the hail had not
Word
Board substituted and could not have been substuid,
for the Legislature in passing upon the election returns and
right upon the legality OF the proceedings o. the Bod
that would had pass upon the cdngs 81 she
Supervisors Of Election II no sucn BoTu had been pro
THE PREsrDESr's RESPONSIBILITY
come now, the very unpleasant duty Of proving
what indeed, everybody knows, that the full RESPONSE
biity OF what has occurred rests upon the President
With high appreciation Of the services which he
dered the country during the late war, I cannot
however IN justice TO truth you and myself fail TO sg
Matte what he IL now doing as fragrant gsuraon Of poHs
have looked in vain TO discover any single fact which would
that It was otherwise The limits OF his power to uss
military any State Of the Union are presc bed by tue
Act OF Congress OF February 18TH 1875 and are mined TO cases
az ,io IN ,ny s,ae stsiHs the Government thereof
shall be lawful the President OF he United states on
app caton Legislature Of such State Of the Executive
US nSn Of the m Of ANN other state or G as may be ap
piled for as he may Judge sufficient TO suppress such
tnsurrection" BY subsequent act he authorized,
but under the conditions and for the same
purpose TO the army and navy OF the United stat,s
power conferred upon the President, hs Interference
by military Is confined 10 nsuUectOn Now IN THIS IN
stance there is the least evidence that All Instruction
against the government OF Louisiana prevailed on the 4h OK
January afterwards; that the President called upon
the prosed be- the Governor Of the state 10 ut
down nsurection II absurd TO contend that the appca-
ton OF the Governor In September intended 10 D. or
could be made continuing application, that the then
insuecton being ended the President could. under its
authority months Afterwards, inerpOse 10 que suose
clear that Presidents conduct In the existing with
the sembancc of auhotyhrs because there was 10 -
surecton in the State and secondly because that mere "as
such call upon him made a. the Constitution eiass
/ say there instruction. for all the lniofmailon
before the country that physical resistance wac 9n,
10 the authority Of the State, or To that OF the IT,
railing charge OF General sheridan n,,ns nv Ia
OF the State has been denounced As un'iS ~ 81
Bishops and Clergy OF every II
business associations Ia the city W
gentlemen Of the highest character and most OF "on h re-
sided there for The peopeof The STATE nave
TO the military authority OF the United oAes Win Paao
sorhearanne which entitled them 10 the admiration OF the
country Instruction, therefore, cera! 49, ho' prevail
aud certainly has not ironl wy Ss VI n.e piV'.eu
s,,,nons and desires 10 maintain them in their purity
and who vital is to individual and political lib
erty that military power sSo1a DC su'.{ neu IN suooI,'
and IA still continuing in Louisians, q gross aud
amped outrage upon the rights OF the state and
onra0e which II not sernly rebuked may aud probably
viii be- committed upon other States and upon Congress ITSELF
IL will do urge in paiaton Of the conduct Of General
Sheridan that OF the President In not only not eondemning
10 aege they had fallen into errors OF judgment boz
cause OF their being soldiers and because the rights pro-
posed TO be violated legal Bcets OF which hey
lies then the whole Constu Is but legal nicely the
President and his military and naval officers may be said 70 be
ignorant OIL
INTERFERENCE Br CONGRESS UNLAWFUL.
How the existing troubles in Louisiana to be settled