Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-01-18
their own party In the Legislature who


"to clear the lobby" That is very par.
tial statement of the case. The motion Of
Dupre, democrat from Orleans, was that
eminent be invoked to preserve the peace.
with Dupre, who had been sent after him,
he "walked down to the speakers desk,
and asked Wilt, acting speaker, ''if IT
was not possibly for him lWiltz] to pre-
serve order without appealing to him
rGen. Irobriandl to preserve order as
United States Army officer" Witt said
that it was not. We do not see how any
thing could be more clear than that the
General was summoned for the protection
of the democrats against the disorder
which existed. The locality of the disor-
der was minor matter.
| The World says, again, The fact that
| the democratic Legislature asked Gen. De
| Trobriand to maintain order lin the lobby,
does not justify Sheridan in interfering,
etc" But Sheridan did not ''interfere. y
He had nothing to do with the matter, and
did not assume command until the even
ing of the 4th. This is minor point; but
in such discussion no fact, however
small, can be considered immaterial. A
paper which relies for the defense of its
party on the distinction between the LOB
by" and the place of deliberations" can
not be too particular in its facts.
The Albany Argus, which is copy,
rather weaker than the original, if that be
possible, OF the World, says that when
Gen. De Trobriand was helping the dem
ocrats '.he served as police officer" but
when he was helping Kellogg he served
as a commander of Federal troops This
is finer distinction than the one with ret
erence to the lobby. Gen. De Trobriand's
military character must sit as lightly on
him as his cloak, if set of scheming poll
ticians in illegal possession ola legislative
| hail can strip il from him by simple res
olu,ion, and convert him, presto !
change," into "a police officer" The
democrats having no better show to make
than this-and they have not-might as
well drop the matter where it stands.
We notice that the pos: cannot make up
its mind to be satisfied with the Presidents
course, though it finds it impossible to
contrcvort any essential portion of the
| Message. 1t thinks that the President
ought to have made this dsavowal of his
responsibility for Gen. Emory's action
"broad, emphatic, and unqualified" Well
that is good deal question of interpre-
tation. We venture to say that Gen.
Emory finds the Presidents position suf-
fciently unequivocal. 1t is true that the
President does not call his subordinates
by any hard names, he recognizes in them
conscientious and faithful officers, placed
in a very trying position, and, while he
cannot justify them, he can see excuses
for them. We cannot ourselves find
much fault with the President for this.
Again, the Post says that the President
.should have declined to enforce any
longer the uncertain and Intellectual poll
CIV which has been tried in that State and
has failed :" that he should have said ''that
civil government must take the place Of
military rule that if Congress would not
assure the former, he at least wonld no
longer bear the responsibility of the lat
ter" We suppose that this means that
the President should withdraw the troops
from Louisiana. He has tried that once,
last Summer, and the result was that the
White League took possession of the Gov
eminent by force. That is the "civil gov
ernment' which would ensue tomorrow
if the United States troops were removed,
and that is no civil government at all, but
military rule of the most arbitrary and
lawless character. Possibly that may be
The best way to deal with Louisiana, but it
! is q way which no Executive could adopt
without mourning grave responsibility.
THE "BANDIT7I" OF THE SOUTH.
To the Editor Of tie Journal.
| 1t seems to me that the epthets heaped upon
Gen. Sheridan, for intmating that the bands of
unlawfully armed men in the south called White
Leagues should be outlawed as banditti and pun
ished, are not only unjust, but calculated to en-
courage the bandits. What is q bandtti, but a
| body of men unlawfully armed for unlawful pur-
poses, such IS intimidation, robbery, MURDER as
sassination1 Are the White League guilty OF
these and like crimes Let the facts answer.
What are theyi On the 18th Of April, 1878, at
Colfax, in Louisiana, more than sixty American
citizens were murdered by these unlawful bands
of armed men, and their bodies left to rot un-
| buried. In the same State, Judge Crawford and
the District Attorney Of the twelfth judicial dis
trict were shot and killed by these bands, lying in
ambush for them, while on their way to court. In
August last, thirteen American citizens were
butchered in cold blood in Coushatta, because
they were republicans. In Alabama, the trains
are stopped and the officers Of the government
murdered while in the discharge of their duties.
A Judge of the election is fired at while holding
the box and his little son standing by his side
shot. On the Nth day of September bands of
these armed leagues appeared in the streets of
New Orleans, drove the Governor of the State
from his Office, stole the State arms and butchered
some twenty innocent men. At Vicksburg, with
out law-outside of every form of law-they
drove an officer Of the law from his office. Every
man Of them disturber Of the peace, the whole
a mob, butchering some $50 American citizens.
This list might be indefinitely extended. but
enough, think, is here shown to clearly indicate
the character and purpose OF these White Leagues.
That. all the crimes named above have been CON-
mitted by them, no man will have the hardihood
TO deny. And submit to the thoughtful of all
parties whether not these deeds of murder
robbery and assassination do not entitle them to
the name Of banditti, outlaws, the common enc
mics Of man, The cruelties Of Capt. Jack pale
before the cruel;ics Of these civilized bands Of
gentlemen savages (for have heard it said gen
~ thaea han ~ And 7 uhp,t