New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-27
ADMISSION OF SENATOR plNCHBACK
Speech Of Hon. ]. X. West, Of Louisiana.
In the Senate Of the United States, ON
Monday, March H. IS>S'

MONDAY, March III, 1875
The Senate having under consideration
the resolution for tho .2dmission CT ?. u.
Pinchback as Senate from Louisiana
Mr.. West said:
MIR. President-I would have preferred
not to address the Senate to-day. ! am NO
exactly prepared. [ was in hopes SOME
Senator either ON this side OF the chamber
or on the other would have risen and claimed
the attention OF the Senate; but finding
nobody else apparently inclined to do it,
will occupy their time for brief period
promising that NY remarks and perhaps my
argument, from the fact that l did not ex
pect to speak now, may be somewhat desul
tory and disconnected. But am actuatcd
to reply to remark Just made by the Sen
ator from Conpecticu lMr. Ferry who
claims that the Republican government in
Louisiana which was elected in 1872, had
no basis but infamous falsehOod and forgery.
That is the charge which we have had
continuously to meet, on the part Of our
opponents, and think it is time that some
one should be prepared to rebuke that
charge and 70 charge home upon our oppo-
nents that the falsehocd and tire forgery lie
with them, and that the attempt 10 subyers
the verdict OF the people at the ballot boxes
in the State Of Louisiana in 1872 was a
fraud initiated and continued by our oppo-
nents and no. bYeIhe Republican party.
Following thaOeXaaple of the Senators
who have hitherto participated il this de-
bate, offer the customary apology to those
whose ears and attGation are already weary
OF tie subject, and essay to address myself
to the later corners among us. l would ask
the Senators OF my Own political faith to
give attention while l show the frauds de-
signed and perpetrated in 1872 upon the
Republicans OF Louisiana, whereby that
hoe hanr taI jit;n <,f
revolution, bloodshed, industrial depres-
sion and political oppression for The past
two years; where by an ingenuity almost
marvellous the better has been made to
appear the worst cause in the popular esti-
nation, and the Republican party through
out the nation has been held up as RESPONSE
BILE for political crime Of great gravity,
While the very perpetrators 81 that crime
unblushingly parade themselves rs limo.
cent and denounce their victims as guilty.
l am not unmindful that there is pre-
va!ling disgust with this so-ca!led Louisiana
case It finds parallel in two contem
pOraneOus cases, one recently notorious ia
Englan and another in this country now
vexing the searcher after truth. But our
decision approaches, and earnestly appeal
to those Of my political faith iG this Cham Der
whose votes shall make that decision to
remember the trials, the prosecutions, and
the sufferings of those who uphold the
banner of that faith in the South. | ask
them to look into all tie circumstances.
ask them to believe as ! do, and as /
think l can demonstrate if they will listen
to me. that the Republicans of Louisiana
in 1879 were. and that they are to-day,
in 6 majority, that they rightfully elected
their Governor N that year. that the
claimant whose right to seat in this
body we are now about to determine was
in every respect legally elected that he has
been Endorsed again and Reimbursed by the
Legislature, that he is. outside of all pai,i-
san considerations, fully entitled to be
and if we shall so decide, prom
Use them and promise the Senate that the
much vexed and dangerous Louisiana trou-
bles will be se; at rest forever: that political
strife will thenceforward be confined in that
State within the control customary 10 other
sections: and that peace shall reign and
bless where anarchy has brOoded and
blighted. To other honorable Senators of
the. opposite political faith, would plead
for their attention that they hear the re-
verse of the story ordinarily presented TO
them, and l would ask them to pause ere
they lend themselves to the preparation of a
wrong initiated by few unprincip!ed men
who adopted Democracy as a co2venient
cloak for tpoils seeking. and who deliber-
ately planned scheme of wholesale fraud
upon the elective franchise N Louisiana
and have deceived aud deludeo the men OF
that party faith here, who, incapable OF
wrong themselves, are outraged in their de.
lusive conviction that they have been de-
frauded Of the government of their choice
NV proposition, Mr.. President, will be to
claim nothing by the so-calleG forged ard
falsitied returns. Taking the returns az
made by the Republican board of Loris-
lana, claim nothing under them and as
smphatically deny the claim Of the opposi-
ton to anything resulting from their re.
turns. The truth of the case is this: We
had one board in that State pronounced
by the highest judicial authority OF that
State as incompetent to deal with the
returns, and that board had the re-
turns. We had another board pronounced
by that same authority as competent 10
take cogniZance of the returns, and that
board had no returns Consequently we
have TO case presenting an election
here. SO far as returns are concerned. ]
shall endeavor to show that the claimant in
this case, not for a seat, but the claimant,
icEnery, that the Democratic party carried
hat State, has no authentic claim, aud, az
/ logical consequence. if he was not elected,
t follows thar the Republican candidate
vas. You can have but one determination
% an election. When two men are voted
or, it must be concluded that one or the
,ther OF those two men was chosen, and
Il denying that the Democrat was elected |
hink shall prove that the Republican was.
Let me ask your attention, because this
s the new feature in the case, and / be-
ieve am the only Senator who presents it
n that light, that l go behind the returns,
10 we are forced in this case to go behind
he certificate of the claimant. go behind
he returns and ask YOU from all the evil
lence in this report, I ask you from the
conclusions Of the report itself, whether
he legitimate result IS not that the Re-
publican party lawfully elected their can
idate on that day.
We have had the proposition stated TO US
gain and again that the certificate OF Gov
rnOr Kellogg does not constitute an cleo |
ion of Senator by a lawful body. We are |
creed into this attitude by those who op- |
ose the admission of this man. We are |
creed to anaiyze what constitutes an eiec- |
ion. 1t is denied that there is anything on |
he face OF the papers; and if they are de- |
prmined to 90 behind our papers insist |
pom gong behind theirs. Assuming for |
he sake OF the argument that this is true, |
re we not then permitted TO inquire |
,hether a certificate made by returning |
oard that a certain man was elected Gov |
rnOr of Louisiana in 1872 does or not con- |
titute an election by lawful bedy of |
lectorss Ii we can look into the quail !
cations or the acts of :he Legislature that |
lected Senator, are We not permitted to |
,o.l into the acts OF the electors who |
lected the Gover4F9 Ii we can INQUIRE
yhcther Pinchbacf was not elected not |
bis certificate can We 20: in |
uire whether Kellogg was el=cred although |
e has no certificate, according to the ground |
nd position taken by our opponents |
hey take the ground that a certificate does
OF constitute an election. adopt their
rgument and say the votes OF the
gal Legislature caused az election OF
enatoc and the votes of the people elected |
ie Governor IF the votes of the people
,ow that Kellogg was elected Governor,
re same votes will show that the Legisia-
Ire that chose Mr.. Pinch back Senator were
IN eIacteE. [ haze meyer based The claim