The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-01-14
Grant and Sheridan.

The military usurpation in Louisiana, promp-
ted by President Grant and carried out by Gen
eral Sheridan, has evoked indignant protests
from every section of the country, and from men
of every shade of political opinion. We make
a few extracts to show the feeling aroused by
this violent encroachment upon the liberties
of the people:
The New York Euening Post, edited by VIM.
Cullen Bryant, says that the people are inclined
to an indulgent treatment of Lieut.. Gen. Sheri-
dan. "He has never pretended to be anything
but soldier, and rough one at that. When
there are no great campaigns to be made his
fancy naturally turns to Indian warfare, and
it is therefore not surprising that, finding him
self under orders in Louisiana, he believes that
he is there to fight Piegans or Modocs. 1t is
true that if he had not added to his military
virtues something of the broader culture which
has heretofore made great captains eminent IN
civil life without dimming their military re-
nown, he would never have proposed that, in
purely political struggle, citizens Of free
State; citizens representing majority OF the
people OF that State, should be outlawed as
banditti, and brought to the summary judgment
of the drunhead With short shrift and volley
of musketry. In the whole record OF political
crimes and political blunders committed by the
Republican party there is nothing which sur
passes in blundering criminality yesterdays
proceedings of the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives. In the Senate, resolution was
offered calling upon the President for informa-
ton. Instead of allowing it to pass, the Re-
publican Senators opposed it on wretched
bubble, but opposed it in such way that they
forced themselves and the Republican party
into the position of defending the Louisiana
wrong; defending the action of the President
and of the Lieutenant General, and adopting
the drumhead banditti policy. Of course there
will be scarcely dissenting voice in the popu-
lar verdict rendered upon the situation thus
apparent to the country. After yesterdays
proceedings, it seems vain to hope for any good
thing from the Forty third Congress except its
final adjournment But that adjournment
brings up a very serious question. We have
heretofore urged an early meeting of the Forty
fourth Congress on the ground of the necessity
of action upon financial questions and other
matters affecting the business interests OF the
country. The graver inquiry now presents
itself whether it is prudent to leave the FEEDER
al Government during the interval from March
to December in the hands of its executive
branch whether the liberties of the country
are safe in the absence of Congress 80 long as
important political concerns are turned over to
a military officer who disposes of them as If he
were fighting Piegans. 1t is hardly too much
to say that the Republican party will fnd it
impossible to rally from the effects of this
staggering blow received in the house OF its
friends"
The New York World utters the following
earnest and indignant remonstrance: 1--WE
L., hut
which the Representatives of Louisiana yielded
to the tyranny which they could not resist.
We say deliberately that there was no reason
why they should not have resisted, and resisted
to the death, this foul outrage upon law and
liberty, except the hopeessness of resisting. A
rising Yesterday would have had consequences
which are pitiful and terrible even to think Of.
These consequences were present to the legIsla-
tors of Louisiana, who not only yielded with
decency when they could not resist with hope,
but who have thus far stayed the hands Of their
constituents. But we say also that, terrible as
would have been the consequences OF resistance
Yesterday, they are less terrible than will be
the consequences of submission on the part of
the people of the United States to the outrage
which has been perpetrated upon them all
through the people of Louisiana. For that
submission, or any tolerance of this last and
worst outrage of the traitor ho sits in the Pres
ident's chair, which stops short of driving him
from it into darkness and disgrace, will be a
confession that the American people are no
longer fit to have the liberties which in that
case it will not take them long to lose; and it
were better that the cutters of New Orleans
should run with blood than that Republican
government should be exchanged throughout
the country as it has been exchanged in New
Orleans, for the rule of stupid and sordid ty-
rant"
The New York Times says such a dispatch as
that which Gen. Sheridan sent to the Secretary
of War on Tuesday is not warranted by any
facts known to the public, and could scarcely
be warranted under any conceivable circum-
stances. 1--WE have never published such a
document before, and we must say nothing like
it has ever been seen in this country under &
constitutional government. 1t almost induces
one to believe that the world has gone back
two or three hundred years in the theory or
practice of government. Cromwell did, indeed,
serve Ireland pretty much as Gen. Sheridan
proposes to treat Louisiana, but most of US
were under the impression that that system of
government had been definitely abandoned.
We are at loss to make out what are Gen. Sheg-
idan's ideas Of the Constitution under which
he lives, or of the functions of Congress, or of
the powers which may rightfully be exercised
by a Lieutenant General in the army. There
is shorter cut still which Gen. Sheridan might
have recommended. 1t is for the President to
declare the constitution and all its amendments
annulled,- shut up COngress-put down all
newspapers and then proclaim himself Dictator,
with Gen. Sheridan as his sole minister and
chief executor. If Gen. Sheridan had advised
this course at once he would scarcely have
shown greater ignorance or disregard of law
than he has done in his most extraordinary
and we must add, disgraceful dispatch of JAN
uary 5th." -
The New York Herald, referring to the call
for the mass meeting of citizens on Monday
evening last, to express the public sentiment
of New York on the recent extraordinary pro-
ceedings in Louisiana, says; The President
demonstration, supported by such eminent
names. They express the almost unanimous
public sentiment of this great city on subject