New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-06

then must great revolution have taken
place in public sentiment as to the moral
nature Of such acts.
TIE WEAKNESS OF VIOLENCE.
The resul. Of Mondays struggle il the
House ought to convince the Oemoc.
sacy that violence often fails 10 &C.
complish its object from its own in
herent weakness. The Democratic
members found themselves unezpect.
eddy in = minority upon assembling.
and at once sssayed to supplement
their inferior strength by force. AS MI.
Phelps. who was an eye witness. said IN
the session Of the congressional committee
in the evening. ''The Conservatives at.
tempted to do an unlawful act" This
illegal appeal to force naturally invited
force to meet it. and the weaker party. the
one clearly in the wrong was obliged 70
yield.
The entire record Of the proceedings Of
the earlier part Of the session show there
was something which the Conservatives
wished 70 conceal. In no case was fair
test vote permitted At the Tery outset,
and as if in pursua nee Of an agreed plan,
the unusual motion. was made to choose a
Speaker pro tenn. The presiding officer
of the House for the time being, Mr.. Chief
Clerk Vigers, declined to entertain the
motion, when it was put by one claiming
to be member, amid considerable con-
fusion, and by him declared carried. Mr..
Witt was nominated and voted for in the
same hurrah manner. and before half the
members had time to take a breath, he
was IN the Speakers chair with gavel in
hand. claiming to be temporary presiding
officer Of the House. From this moment
until something like order was restored by
the second advent Of General De Trobri-
and, the roll of members furnished the
chief clerk by the Secretary of State was
entirely ignored, and its legal custodian.
Mr. Vigers himself Elected from the
House. The rules which usually govern a
political mass meeting were then generally
adhered to- Whenever q motion YVES sub.
,nitted. It was put by the Chair and de.
cided according to the superiority Of the
volume Of noise made by the soters In
this MANNER one Conservative membes gift.
ed with eoodset Of lungs could drown tho
voices and consequently outgots . dozen
quiet Republicans, who wefe undes She
that in q parliamentary sehse
all voices have The same calibre and that
an affirmative mildly spokes counts as
much on the journal as one reared out so
loud as to awake all the echoes. Repeated
attempts were made by Nh. Lowell and
othes experienced parliamentasians 60 have
the coll called, so that something ike &C..
curacy could be secured in the votes upon
The presiding officer COM
mitted the serious error Of ruling the
out of order. and continued
to conduct all the proceedings upoa the
principle.
According to the list. ~ sent in by the
Secretary Of State. there we're ffty..wo
and fifty Democrats present
who we're entitled to seats. with one Re.
publican (Mr. Cousin, OF St. Tammany.
and three members Of the op.
position absent. We are not informed
whether the latter were eli out-and.ou.
Democrats OF not. Possibly one or two
Of them are what is known as indepeu-
dents. But il was obvious that it
would be necessary to resort TO
tactics TO enable Fifty
voters 70 organize . House in opposition
70 6fty.tvo. and that nndes the circun.
stances il would never do to appeal 70 the
official roll cali Another very serious
error which che Conservatives fell into
was the ignoring OF the official list pre-.
pared by the Returning Board. and fus-
nished to the CHIEF clerk. This list was
the only primo facie credentials the mem.
bers could show for their authority 70 OF.
ganize che House Of Representatives. and
it could never be legally organized with
out . strict compliance with the forms
prescribed by law. Hence. the body over
which Mr.. Witt presided was without
any legal power 70 do any act The
claimants 20 seats which were admitted
derived no authority from the declaration
that they were entitled 60 their seats.
They we've therefore iAtruders. obst,uctins
the work OF organizing the House. And
as they were sustained ii their position
by soScs. X became necessary "a invoke
the assistance ss greater force to Gust
them. thus the Democrats were again
Iaugnt that resort 20 violence uncovered
and exposed their own veaknesa
GENERAL SHERIDAN ON RTE SITUATION.
General Sheridan, INN lately on as.
suming the control of Chi = military de.
partment. seiegraphe& On to the Var De.
OF the government the following:
aKApaeA ~ raRs MILITARY DIs.s'-ss
Of the Missouri. ;
Nev tDrlesns. Ia, January T. 1878.
Nce. ". v. BelknsR Seese.a,y 81 Ma. aashisg
ten, b. e.:
I. - with deep regret chat ! have 70
announce t. yos the existence i'll this State
Of spirit Of defiance 30 all lawful authority
and an insecurity Of life which is hardly
realized by the general government ~ ty
the county ~ large.
The lives of citizens ?ave become 80
that unless something j. done
20 give protection 10 che people. all security
usually afforded by law will be ovexridden.
Defiance to the laws and the murder OF
seem 10 be- looked upon By .h.
here from standpoint which
gives immunity to all who choose to indulge
in either. and the civil government appears