Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-02-15

SENATOR LOGAN ON LOUISIANA AF.
FAIRS.

SENATOR LOGAN on LOUISIANA AF.
FAIRS.
The following is the closing portion Of Senator
Logan's speech made in the Senate, January 18th
and l4th, in regard to Louisiana Affairs
Mr.. President l want to ask candid, honest,
fair minded men, after reading this report Of Gen.
Sheridan showing the murder, not for gain, not
for plumber, but for political opinions in the last
few years of thirty y-five hundred persons in the
State Of Louisiana, all Of them republicans, not one
OF them democrat-I want to ask if they can
stand here before this country and defend the dem
ocratic party of Louisiana? put this question to
them for they have been here for days crying
against the wrongs upon the democracy Of Louisi-
ana. want any one Of them to tell me If he Is
prepared to defend the democracy OF Louisiana.
What is your democracy of Louisiana! You are
excited, your extreme wrath is aroused at General
Sheridan because he called your White Leagues
down there "banditti." ask you if the murder
Of thirty five hundred men in short time for po-
liticsl purposes by q band of men banded together
banditti, what does it make themi Does it make
them democrats 1t certainly does not make them
republicans. Does it make them honest menl 1t
certainly does not. Does it make them law-abid-
ing mens 1t certainly does not. Does it make
them peaceable citizens' 1t certainly does not:
together and perpetrating murder in their own
State Webster says q bandit is 50 lawless or
desperate fellow; a robber; q brigand," and "ban-
ditti'' are men banded together for plunder and
murder; and what are your White Leagues band
ed together for if the result proves that they are
banded together fer murder for political purposes
o, what o crime it was in Sheridan to say that
these men were banditti. He is wretch. From
the papers he ought to be hanged to . lamp post !;
from the Senators he is not fit to breathe the free
air of heaven or Of this free republic; but your
murderers of thirty five hundred people for polit-
cal offences fit to breathe the air of this coun-
try and are defended on this floor to-day, and they
are defended here by the democratic party, and
you cannot avoid or escape the proposition. You
have denounced republicans for trying to keep the
peace in Louisiana; you have denounced the Ad-
ministration for trying to suppress bloodshed IN
Louisiana; you have denounced all for the same
purpose but not one word has fallen from the lips
of solitary democratic Senator denouncing these
81 am sorry these things are done" but you have
defended the White Leagues; you have defended
Penn; you have defended rebellion; and you stand
here to-day the apologists Of murder, OF rebellion,
and of treason in that State.
l want to ask the judgment of an honest country,
| want to ask the judgment Of the moral senti.
ments of the law abiding people of this grand and
glorious Republic to tell me whether men shall
murder by the score, whether men shall trample
the law under foot. whether men shall force judges
to resign, whether men shall force prosecuting AZ
torneys to resign, whether men shall take i've Of
fcers of State out and hang shoot them if they
attempt 10 exercise the functions Of their office,
whether men shall terrify the voters and office
holders of State, whether men shall undertake IN
violation Of law to organize Legislature for revo-
lutionaly purposes, for the purpose OF putting .
governor in possession and taking possession OF
the State and then ask the democracy to stand by
them-I appeal to the honest judgment OF the peo'
pie Of this land and ask them to respond whether
this was not an excusable case when this man used
the Army to protect the life of that State and to
pree the 0f that npOnle Sir. the man
who will not use all the means in his powerto pre-
the nationality, the integrity of this Govern
ment the integrity OF State or the peace and hap
pness Of people, is not fit to govern, he is not ut
to hold position in this or any other civilized age.
Does liberty mean wholesale slaughter' Does
republican government mean tyranny and oppres-
sion of its citizensi Docs an intelligent and en-
lightened age of civilization mean murder and
pillage, bloodshcd at the hands Of Ku-Klux or
White Leagues or anybody else, and if any one
attempts to put it down, attempts to reorganize and
produce order where chaos and confusion have
reigned, they are to he denounced as tyrants, as
oppressors, and acting against republican nsti-
tutions : say then the happy days OF this Repub-
lie are gone. When we fail to see that republican
ism means nothing that means nothing, that liberty
means nothing but the unrestrained license Of the
mobs TO do they please, then republican govern
ment is failure. Liberty of the citizen means
the right to exercise such rights as are prescribed
within tine limits Of the law so that be does not IN
other citizens. But the definition isnot well made
by our friends n the opposite side Of this cham
ber Their idea of liberty is license; it is not lib
erty but it is license, License to do what? Lii
cense to violate law, to trample constitutions un-
der foot take life, to take property, to use the
bludgeon and the gun or anything else for the
purpose Of giving themselves power. What states.
n an ever heard of that as definition Of liberty !?
What man in civilized age has ever heard Of lib
erty being the unrestrained license of the people
to do as they please without any restraint OF law
or authority No man, no not one until we found
the democratic party, would advocate this PROPOSE
ton and ndorse and encourage this kind OF license
in a free country.
Mr.. President, have perhaps said more on this
question OF Louisiana than might have been well
for me to say account OF my strength but what
have said about it have said because honestly
believed it. What l have said in reference to It
comes from an honest conviction in my mind and
in my heait of what has been done to suppress
violence and wrong. But have few remarks IN
conclusion TO submit to my friends on the other
side in answer to what they have said not by way
of argument but by way Of accusation. You say
to us-I had it repeated to me this morning IN
private Observation-Disclosures your troops
from Louisiana and you will have peace All,
heard it said on this floor once "Withdraw your
troops from Louisiana and your State government
will not last a minute" l heard that said from
the opposite side of the Chamber, and now you
say "Withdraw your troops from Louisiana and
and you will have peace"
Mi President, dislike to refer to things that
are past and gone; dislike to have my mind
called back to things of the past; but l well re-
menber the voice in this Chamber once that rang
out and was heard throughout this land, with
draw your troops from Fort Sumter if you want
peace" Iheaid that said Now it is Withdraw
your troops from Louisiana if you want peace"
Yes, | say, withdraw your troops from Louisiana
if YOU want revolution, and that is what it meant
But, sir, we are told and doubtless it is believed
by the Senators who tell us so, who denounce the
republican party that is tyranncal, oppressive,
and outrageous. They have argued themselves
into the idea that they are patriots, pure and un-
defled. They have argued themselves into the
idea that the democratic party never did any
wrong. They have been out Of power so long
that they have convinced themselves that If they
only had control of this country for short time,
what glorious country they would make of it.
They had control for nearly forty long years, and
while they were the agents of this country-l ap-
peal to history to bear me out-they made the gov
ernme mt bankrupt, with rebellion and treason
in the land, and were then sympathzing with it
wherever it existed. That is the condition in which
they left the country when they had 1t
in their possession and within their con-
troll. But they say the republican party is a ty-
II .u..Al.