The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-01-20
THE CRISIS IN NEW ORLEANS.

luE :ChlSlS IN NEW OkLEANS.
5HG tGE891 aaa.. n ~ F3Gf ell al he
The announcement that General
Sheridan will to-day arrest Governor
McEnery, Lieutenant Governor Penn
and other leaders of the conservative
party in Louisiana is an extraordina-
~ phase of the drama, or we fear we
nay be compelled to say tragedy,
now eliminating in New Orleans.
It will arouse and alarm the country
like "a fire bsll in the night It. is
impossible to conceive such an &C,
ton on the part of the Lieutenant
General of the armies unless he
should be in possession of informa-
ton not yet given to the country:
We make this reservation because,
in considering the actions of a sol
der as illustrious and brilliant as
Sheridan, whose rank places him
above the temptations Of ordinary
ambition and whose fame is an as
surance that he would not tarnish
his name by an act tyranny, we are
bound to assume that he acts upon
reasons that will justify him before
the country. If these reasons do not
existAff General Sheridan has lent
his fame ane his sword to the bid
ding ,of a discounted President anx-
-iaus to retrieve the mistake of d dis
honored party, then he has undone
in a day all that his military career
has won; he has ruined republican,
ism and the administration; he has
written on our history a deed as in
famous as the coup Getdt of Napolean
III. While we look on these events
with amazement and apprehension
we are anxious to believe that Gene
raj Sheridan is in possession Of in
formation not known to the nation,
and that he can vindicate his extra
ordinary proceedings to the satisfac-
ton of his countrymen. ~ rs e.
In this hope we rest as far as Gen.
eral Sheridan is concerned. But We
have no such hope in considering
the succession of events which have
led up to the painful spectacle OF
Monday, events which are as vel,
understood by the country as any.
thing in our current history. In the
early part of November an election
was held in Louisiana whose result
was promptly reported by the public
press. There was no more reason tc
distrust the substantial correctness
Of the election figures published il
the newspapers than there was fol
questioning the similar returns il
other States which have the same
general complexion of anti-adminis
,tration victories. A conservative
success in Louisiana was not unex
pected and surprising like the sim
liar victory in Massachusetts and
the astounding democratic majority
in New York. It would have beer
wonderful, indeed, if the genera
sweep Of the political tide had moi
extended to a State like Louisiana
whose condition was one of the main
causes that set the tide in, motion
It would have been marvellous and
almost miraculous if mere sympathy
with the downtrodden and oppresse,
people Of, Louisiana had contributed
to a political revolution throughout
the length and breadth of the land
without producing any effect in the
State where the evils were suffered
The public sentiment Of Louisiana
was, indeed quite signallyctested six
weeks in advance of the election
when the Kellogg government was SC
easily overthrown, with general &C
qpiesccnce of the community, an(
mi s+atrd hy- fhc federal ruthnrit,