The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-01-14
LOUISIANA OUTRAGE.

the reconstruction acts, and after two years
of hard labor expended by the administration
in settling affairs, and bringing them down
to quietness, in Louisiana, we do not but see
that things arc worse now than they were
ten years ago, when the war ended. The
fact of the business is that Gen. Grant, a
. good general and at home in the commands
of armies proves but sorry politician, and a
miserable failure when he attempts to run
parties; and it may lie said that convincing
evidence of this sticks out all around in the
present condition Of the Republican party,
and in the disgraceful state of affairs which
has proved the elimination Of his essay at
New Orleans 1t works nothing in his favor
either to have it to say-as we must in view
of the truth-that the only Southern States
which show anything like an approach to
reconstruction are those Oh which, owing to
the inscrutible wisdom Of Providence, he has
been induced to keep hands of-and that in
proportion as he has adopted the hands oil
policy, precisely in that proportion have the
States lately in rebellion progressed towards
prosperity and peace.
The first great sin Of the Administration
was in mixing n Louisiana affairs at all, with
out an investigation first had as to the real
status of matters there 1t is notorious that
in the McEnery- Kellogg election there had
been cheating-gross cheating If you please
all around, but it was not shown that either
party lad the advantage over the other SO
far as the cheat was concerned. 1t was equal
ly notorious that with the cheating on both
| sides McEGery was accounted elected ty q
large marjority, and that President Grant at
the same election fell behind some $4,000
votes in the contest for President This
could not have failed to reach the President 8
ears, and, shutting those organs 10 the syren
songs Of Casey, Packard and the rest he
should have allowed the people of Louisiana
to have settled the matter, precisely as the
people of Pennsylvania or New York would
have been allowed to straighten out similar
political entanglement That would have
been the better way, and there is no reason
able room for doubt but that such course
would have ensured peace to louisiana long
ere this. But the President saw fit to pur-
sue different course, and We have the re-
suit before US in swindling returning boards,
and the legally elected representatives of the
people of sovereign State driven from the
halls of legislation by armed troops of the
United States.
Another course vas left to the President,
even after be had made his first grand mis-
take, to partially remedy the evil growing
out Of that mistake and had he been rea
sonable, trustworthy administrator Of the
matters entrusted TO him, he would have
avaed himself Of his opportunity. Every
body else was acquainted with the facts, and
the President too must have been-for we do
not quite accord him the position of besot-
ted idiot After he had become acquainted
with the facts of the case one half the effort
expended in creating the evil would have suf-
feed to remedy it. He needed but to throt
tie Casey and Packard, and the rest of those
who had misled him, and thrust them from
the positions which they had abused and dis
graced, and put honest men there who would
have been true both to himself and to those
by whom they were surrounded. He would
then have been prepared to have made hon
orable right about face, to do full and Impair
tial justice in the premise, by telling Kellogg
that he was usurper and that he must va
cate the Governorship and make way for one
whom the people has chosen. But it does not
appear to be the Presidents forte to back out
Of anything, not even a wrong position, and
we have the sad and alarming consequences
before Us.
But there is yet another view Of the case
that would have, and probably has, struck
the mind of every body else except President
Grant, and that is, that if he was determined
to make fight and crush out Democracy in
Louisiana at all hazards, and, per consc-
quence secure Republicanism there, he should
have been careful of the means employed to
secure the end Gen Sheridan was certainly
not the man to send there under any other
desire than the bringing about of just the
crcumsta noes that have occurred. hero
in the fight he becomes but the tool in the
hands Of men who possess the mack of sub
timely toadying to his vanity. A few years
ago he held position similar to that he now
holds, and the result was, notoriously the en-
gendering Of feeling throughout the coun-
try which has knocked the very life out of
party which was thought, and felt to be, both
by friend and foe, invulnerable. He went
to New Orleans model man and officer in
the estimation of almost every one. HeI
came away from New Orleans shorn ofevery
thing save the record which he made in the
war, and this so sadly blurred that when he
is spoken of at all is simply as Gen. Sheri-
dan, with scarce thought of the deeds which
made him famous While his utterances in
dispatches growing out Of this his second
apiSoda In New Orlea nc fairs will worL but