Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1875-01-14
Louisiana Affairs.

necessary that our readers may n"
an intelligent view of the SITUATION
The democratic press is attempting
IN hide from view the real issue. In
this direction the Cincinnati En-
quirer says;
A president of the United states
telegraphs to the Legislature of a
sovereign State that he will not rec
oonize Speaker Of the House elect
ed hy members peaceably chosen by
the people.
Even a member of the Ohio Legis
lature offers a series of resolutions
upon the subject, the preamble of
which asserts: "Whereas, Legisla-
ture of Louisiana has been legally
organized according to the laws of
the State" &c. Now, the very point
in dispute is whether the Legisla-
ture was legally organized or not.
We have no desire to do the demo
Gratis of Louisiana an injustice, but
we do desire to arrive at the truth,
and if they have been acting in
revolutionary spirit we want the
country to know it, that the people
NAV have ample warning to escape
the evils of democratic rule.
The facts in the case warrant us in
saying that the democratic organiza-
tion of the Legislature-the organi
cation which was broken up by the
troops-was not illegally organized
according to the laws of the State"
1t was an usurpation-a revolutionary
proceeding-an organization by an
armed mob. As Gen. Sherman con-
cisely puts the case, "by the laws of
Louisiana, board of canvassers has
been created, whose duty is. declared
to be the examination of the election
returns and the certilication of the
persons elected to Office. ."~ This
board performed its duty, returning
to the Secretary of State full list of
the members elect. 1t may have
been corrupt in its action; it may
have given seats to persons not enti-
tied thereto; but who isto determine
whether they have or not? Certain
ly not democratic mob. That was
matter purely of judicial inquiry.
And here is the nut of the whole
business; here is where comes in the
crime of the revolutionists. A demo
cratic mob attempted to do what
alone the courts could do, and they
were driven out by troops, as all
mobs should be. There was murder
and bloOdshed in their movement;
there was denial of Republican
form of government, which our Con
stitution guarantees to every State,
and the military was ordered in to
preserve peace, law and order. Had
not the President done as he did, he
could have been impeached for
violation of his oath of office.
The position here assumed is sus-
taihed by the facts elsewhere given
in our columns. But we will an
other. 1t is one of the means used
to illegally organize" the Legislature.
Here it is copied from the New Or
leans correspondence of the Cincin-
natl Gazette:
COUSIN, THE KIDNAPPED
Republican member from Covington,
has returned and been interviewed.
He arrived in New Orleans on Satur-
day morning, and while walking on
public street, was seized by two
men, who allowed him to speak to no
one, not even to send word to his
family. They took him to the City
Prison and handcutfed him, when
four of the men took him in clos
ed carriage, to Lake Ponchartrain.
He was taken out and placed in the
hold of boat and kept all day. The
kidnappers told him that, if any one
attempted to take him there would
be a fight. He recognized several of
his democratic neighbors among his
abductors. He was finally taken in
charge of twenty men, armed with
muskets, who carried him to Coving-
ton and placed him in Jail. On Mon
day he was taken out and carried
nine miles into the country. The
captors told him that they were de-
termined that he should not he pres
ent at the meeting of the Legislature.
If the soldiers attempted to take him
they would kill him rather than sur
render him; he was at no time in
charge of a Sheriff or deputy. On
Tuesday it was rnmOred that a
Democratic Speaker had been elect
! ed, and they released him, stating
that they had charge of embezzling
fifteen dollars, two years before as
tax collector, to make against him,
but that he need not fear, for they
would go on his bond. He was tax
collector for two years, and settled all
his accounts. The charge was
trumped up. This was one of the
means adopted by the Democrats to
control the House. Cousins cap
tors and guards were all Democrats.
They were banditti.
Whose rascality is this, Mr.. Bale
tin?
AN examination of the transactions
of the county officials of Richland
county, from 1865 to 1874, has just
been concluded. The frauds have