New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-23
FEDERAL INTERVENTION IN THE STATES.

Der, few days after the nous mere, iul
epitome of the federal laws in support
the fourteenth amendment and to provide
against instruction in the Southern
States. Liberal quotations from the laws
were given, with references. Also brle'
statement Of their effects and the perlls te
property and commerce incurred by thell
violation. For some reason it did moi
suit the purposes of our White League
organs to refer to the matter at all. On
the contrary, they Instructed the people
that the. law of 1895 governed the case.
As this old statute restricted the power Of
the President to interfere in State affairs
to very narrow limits, it suited the pres
ent Of the seven league lawyers to go nc
further. Acting upon the assumption
thus established there has been constan,
complaint ever since that the President
has repeatedly violated the constitution.
Every time soldier or a company of sol
diers was placed on duty it was taken for
granted that Governor Kellogg had not
sent fresh requisition to meet the case,
and consequently the sovereignty of the
State had been again insulted. The war
laws of the government and the entire
code of reconstruction were as completely
ignored as though they never had an ex-
istence. Probably none of the advisers
of the revolutionary movement had ever
examined them. It has been rather bit
terly said of the majority of amnestied
Confederates that when they take an oath
to support the constitution and laws of the
United States they make a. mental
reservation excepting the provisions
adopted since 1860, as then. the
Southern members withdrew, since
which time there has been no United
States. The charge is probably not true
in form, though it is in substance and
practice. Ignorance of the reconstruction
laws has been the chief stumbling block
Of the Democratic party, at the North as
well as the South. 1t appears that some
of the wiser leaders are beginning to see
this, as We see they have been searching
the statutes. The New York World an
nounces ex-cathedra, that statutes have
recently been found which repeal the laws
of 1895, and give the President much
greater powers in the States than the gen.
eral run of the Democracy have all along
ho hoI Tho Nar, nr1o
Times, with sublime affectation of igno-
rance that would sit gracefully upon a
man who had been asleep for fifteen years,
credits the World with its wonderful dis |
covery, and then attempts to show what |
will be the effect Of the application of |
these laws to the South, eff that journal |
the World be correct" Does the Times
confess itself unable to inform its readers |
whether there is or is not such laws
IN the statute books as the World
'efers to Is these nobody among its list
If acquaintance who own set of United
States statutes? We recommend it to
end out its interviewers in the hope OF
having this painful doubt set at rest in the
lsual Bohemian fashion. Doubtless the
Dung man of that establishment. under
roper instructions. can easily find more
eminent legal gentlemen" who never
aw these laws at all; never heard
t their existence, except in the
than will profess an
with them. In this way,
erhaps, the authority of the World, the
REPUBLICAN, and the statute book itself
an be triumphantly refuted and honi-
y prepared upon the violation of the
institution and the act of 1895. We do
Of expect our neighbor to take such
ep just at present On the contrary,
lere is some disposition shown to hedge.
to speak for the merchants,
10 Tines informs US that "they are con-
derably exercised" That while none are
illing to sacrifice principle, they anx-
usly desire an equitable adjust
ent, etc. Doubtless the merchants are
eatly exercised. They have good rea-
n to be. They have suffered severely
ring the past three or four years for
cir endeavor to bolster up an unjust,
egal, unconstitutional and anti-Ameri-
n scheme of political intrigue. They a
We been conscripted into the white ;.
ms movement, and compelled to pay
butte to each of the hostile parties. The
ate collected taxes, the Democrats
lied forced contributions. In the mean y
ne trade fell off, or was diverted, owing
rtly to inattention to business, partly p,
m inability to spare the necessary mo- tt
y from politics to assist the country, II
t chiefly from the withdrawal Of conf A
nee in consequence of our numerous III
is and the notorious insecurity Of life r
4 property. Whatever these ''greatly IL
,rcised" merchants may think about il, G. &C
can positively inform them that d,
re never will be an amicable ad- til
sment of the difficulties in the South u u
ii there is complete abandon te
Mt of the odious principle that sun re
lies all opposition to Republican, b,
!. They can put it in any light they to
ose. They may style it sudden 81
ming of their eyes to the true light, st
h as happened to st. Paul they may SedI
it an abandonment of a cherished tL
n to save their pecuniary interests from tn
il destruction; they may surrender bu
bout conditions, as Lee did at Apo ..
.tox. Whichever way is decided upon e el
make little or no difference They su