The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-02-02

since the presentation of the report of the
subcommittee Is the evidence and report OF
Col. Morrow. This officer comes forward
with the endorsement OF one of the sblest
men of the age, Gen. Sherman, as to his
ability and integrity, and his own work
speaks his praise so clearly that he carried
with him from the witness stand this COM
pliment from George +. Hoar:
"This is very interesting and
important opinion of yours" The
gentleman who made this remark is the
chairman of the special committee on South
ern affairs, and an ardent partisan. He Is a
man of honor. refinement and patriotism
whose prejudices have generally gotten the
better of his Judgment In political matters.
He is the sheet anchor OF the radical party in
this Investigation, and should he fail them
their case is hopeless.
There are some points in Colonel Morrow's
evidence that deserve the attention of all
thoughtful men, as he puts the results OF
his observation into compact deductions
worthy Of a statesman rather than soldier.
AS to the primary cause OF the restless.
uneasy condition of the state, he says: 81
| attribute the uncertain condition OF the
state, in the first place. TO the
deep seated opinion on the part of the
people that they have been defrauded Of
their ri gifts at the election" How much
political misery there is condensed IN to that
one sentence. It paints perfectly the first
sense of degradation which comes upon a
free people when they feel that they have
been wronged, and are helpless under their
sense of injury. They have been defrauded
in the exercise of their rights as free
men. and the scoundrels who have outraged
them are set over them as rulers
by the power OF the federal government
No wonder free born Americans grow care
lees, reckless and dangerous in such strait
That deep seated sense of injustice must be
plucked out before peace and prosperity can
settleover Louisiana;and the course ofthe ad-
ministration tends simply to drive the thorns
deeper into these fostering sores. The pres
emit policy of the men in power is admirably
calculated to make chronic discomfort and
lawlessness a characteristic of the Southern
people. Not less remarkable as philo-
sophie statement is Col. Morrow's second de-
claration in regard to the men of louisiana,
that "they feel themselves to have been i'm
posed upon BY some of the processes oflaw."
This is the prime misfortune of tyranny.
1t corrupts the sources of justice, even be-
tween man and man, and makes the law
and the government, not benificent
guardians of society, but fierce depredstors
under whose protection one parry is out
ragged by the other with impunity. When
wrong is enthroned In the courts instead of
right, the people naturally lose all respect
for authority, and thus among all oppressed
nations, disobedience becomes a sort of vir-
tue and resistance to magistrates a
kind of heroism. 1t has been the
boast of the the English people and
their descendants for ages that they never
lost their reverence tor law; but a generation
offraud and violence in Louisiana will effect
ually rob the people of that commonwealth
of their proud heritage. They will become
as worthless as Mexican Adventures, for
when the habit of obedience is once
gone, who shall restore it? When
men feel that they have been defrauded out
of their political rights, and complain at the
same time that money and not justice de-
| termine the DEGREES ofthe courts" their case
Is indeed a hapless one.
OF course once free people. deprived OF
their liberty and uncertain rs to their ability
to hold the fruits OF their industry, grow
hopeless and dispirited. They lose industry
| and enterprise, tor it Is not in
| in the nature of man to work whom the
fruits of labor are held at the mercy of dts
honest officials. No wonder then that Col.
Morrow describes Louisiana as looking "like
country an army had marched through"
No wonder the farms are left without fences
and the houses abandoned. No wonder the
people "seem to have fallen into a state of
dependency" and that "there does not seem
to be the ordinary American vitality about
them" National power can not be abused
without the inevitable reaction upon ma
tional character.
Breathing such an atmosphere of wrong
and misery it is natural that an American
community should yearn for relief and
the whole people will respond heartily
to Col. Morrow's gallant assertion;
"The people desire, of all things, to live
'pescesbly and quietly, II their statements
! are to be relied upon. From my knowledge
! of the American character i believe that
every American community would prefer
peace and quiet to turmoil and disorder
that there is scarcely community
Sin the United States that would
not submit to an impartial election"
The witness thus clearly states his faith In
much slandered people, and his opinion
| Da~k a1 fo ,.ifl
carefully and conscienciously made In the
line of his duty will have great weight.
It may be well to note in conclusion one
fact to which Col Morrow testi6es: 1t has
often been q matter OF wonder to us that
peopleloving liberty like the French, so ready
To strike for freedom. and go uniformly sue.