The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-23

| The Nation, in its issue of the 18th inst,
has a number of articles on the situation in
Louisiana, all Of which are written in that
calm and thoughtful manner which indicates
earnestness and conviction. It says:
| One of the most striking features Of these
Louisiana troubles is the remarkably novel
nature Of the Qualifications and explanations
brought forward by the President and his
military advisers whenever they are accused
of violating the Constitution and laws. The
glst OF the complaint made against them is
that they have committed illegal acts, and to
this they reply, not that the acts are legal.
but in some one Of the following ways:
l. They say they would not have done them
had the p rsons whose persons or property
they have wronged belonged to the class known
as ''ex-rebels, who, fifteen years ago, engaged
in ''fratricdal war.
2. They say that general state of excite
ment and domestic violence exists, which
cannot be quieted ia any other way than by
the commission Of high crimes and INSIDE
meanors.
3. On being asked to point out some Of the
excitement, they generally produce list Of
murders said to have been committed in re-
mote districts and in former years by persons
not connected IN any way with the case in
hand; the evidence of these murders generally
being statement by somebody or other that
in certain parts of the country there prevails
what Gen. Sheridan calls standpoint
which ''renders life insecure"
4. They ask, if the people did not want to
have the President commit unlawful and I'M
constitutional acts upon them, why did they
"call him in?
5. On be ng reminded that, in the first
instance, the people of Louisiana did
not "call him in" at all, but that he
called himself in, and with a number Of SOL |
diers has kept himself in ever since by main |
force. they say that this was done because |
Louisiana was not reconstructed.
6. On being reminded that all the other !
States are reconstructed, and that this is a |
question between Congress and the State, they |
say, "that is very true; that is just what they |
have maintained all along Gen. Sheridan |
Is now understood to be at work upon list |
of murders
Recent events forcibly recall the striking
language of the judgement OF the Supreme
Court, in NIiligan's case. That was in De-
cember, 1866. The judgment impressively
applies to such rule as President Grant and |
his supporters are attempting to establish in
Louisiana
martial law lin time Of peace DESTROYS
every guaranty Of the Constitution, and |
etfectually renders the military Independent
of and superior to the civil power, the at
tempt to do which by the King of Great
Britain was deemed by our fathers such an
otfense that they assigned it to the world as
one of the causes which impelled them to de-
clare their independence. Civil liberty and
this kind of martial law cannot endure to-
gether; the antagonists is irreconcilable: and
in the conflict one or the other must perish
martial rule cannot exist where the courts
Are open and in proper and unobstructed
exercise of their jurisdiction 1t is also con-
lined to the locality of actual war"
Charles Kingsley will be long remembered