The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-01-09

The history OF Louisiana during the pro.
gress Of the complications which ended YES.
terday in putting the people Of the State alb
solutely under the heel OF military dcspotism
Is familiar To- the readers Of Ths Tribune. Ne
impartial person doubts that the Conserva.
lives carried the State and elected On over
whelming majority OF the Legislature I'M. No.
yember last. II was as plain aud patent a
fact as the election Of Gov. Tilden ia New
York, and no one pretended 10 dispute il I'M.
I'll the Returning Board began doctoring the
returns and paving tho way for this stupen.
dons fraud upon the most dimsy pretoxts--
indeed almost without even pretext this Re.
turning Board threw out the returns from A
sufficient number Of Conservative precincts
to leave the complexion Of the House of Rep.
resentatives So Democrats to "a Republican,,
instead Of 70 Democrats TO II Republicans,
as the original returns showed. In most OF
the cases wherein the returns were thrown
out, the grounds Of rejection we're Of the most
frivolous character; IN all oil them there was
a manifest purpose 10 defeat the expressed
Will Of the people, and make the Legislature
Republican. This purpose was apparent
through all the proceedings, and there was
hardly any attempt 10 conceal IT, An things
having oeen prepared, as the Kellogg mana,
gers believed, to insure the organization Of
the Honse IN their interest, it turned out ON
Sunday that through the non.appearanea Of
some of the members upon whom they had
calculated, the scheme was in danger Of fail.
ure; that after all their we'll laid plans, there
would be Conservative majority of two.
But thesemen were playing for too large a
stake, and had already committed too many
outrages and too great crimes to be- baked at
this stage of their enterprise. The President
OF the United States was at their back and
the army and navy at their command. What
they had failed to secure by audacious fraud
and unparalleled yillainy they could easily
make sure by simply invoking the Federal
arm. And so the Army Of the United States
was called in, a sufficient number Of legally
elected Conservative members were forcibly
elected to answer their purpose, and the last
act IN this series of unblnshing outrages was
made complete, The Conservatives power.
less against the Federal Observation-Disclosures
from the hall in which their rights were De.
MED them, and where their presence was only
an excuse for farce Of legislation, and leh
the body without q quorum. There Is no
disturbance. The people are quiet The
forces Of Gen. Emory, numbering 100, are
encamped around the State House, subject 10
the orders Of Kellogg, Sixty United States
soldiers have elected from the Legislature
four members who had been declared legally
elected by the Legislature to which the re.
turns had been referred by the Returning
Board. The citizens Of Louisiana have seen
themselves cheated and defrauded, and when
the fraud came near to failure they have seen
the whole power Of the General Government
used to consummate il and make yillainy sue.
cessful. They make no cutlery, but upon the
facts as they are they invoke the deliberate
Judgment OF the American people.
Tho ,Hl;la T.,,1v.r of
Negligence of the disgraceiul condition Of
affairs which has prevailed in Louisiana for
the last two years--the continuation in Office
there Of State administration which the
members ola Congressional committee have
said was not lawfully elected or returned
has at last led TO events sufficient to cause
every American TO drop his head in humilia.
ton. Of tnmuit, and disorder, and riot, and
outrage and bloodshed there have been an
abundance, and the numerous and foul crops
Of these were sufficient long ago to have Jus.
tilted such deciSiye measures as would have
given Louisiana a chance to choose her own
Government, free from the interference Of the
kelloggs, the White Leagues, the wretched
Returning Boards, the Office holding intrie.
uers and their plots, and all the disturbing
influences and devices with which the State
has been afflicted. We do not 20 into the
NV uotAton anu ulhthcslOu ut VINO IS most
in fault in New Orleans. The fact has been
patent for two years that Louisiana has been
constantly threatened with anarchy TO get rid
ofusurpation. The general Government. has
been complicated aud compromised in the
business during the whole Of that time, and
has felt called upon repeatedly to interfere.
Whatever ealse Of complaint Is grounded on
Federal interference has existed during the
whole two years. The complaint and the
odium Of interference exist without the salts
faction Of having accomplished any settled
result. There could be no worse cause Of
complaint if an election had been ordered IN
Act OF Congress in 1875. That might have
settled something, but now, after repeated
interferenees, everything is again Ia chaos.
II is humiliating sight 10 American eyes TO
see an officer OF the United States army or
dered to enter legislative chamber at the
head OF platoon Of soldiers, and at the die
tation OF a Government whose own case Is in.
volved, presume to say who is and who 4 not
amember Of the Legislature in the face of the
protest of the Speaker and of the members
themselves. What had already PASSED In
Louisiana was bad enough, but this, In the
danger OF the precedent it sets, is far worse.
The New York Herald says Every maxim |
Of free government was violated and trodden
under foot by the Federal interference YES.
terday with the organization of n State Leris- |
lature. Our Declaration Of Independence
denounced the King of England for making
the military superior TO the civil authority. |
and for dlssolying representative houses, for |
opposing his inyasions on tho rights of the |
people. President Grant has done these very |
things by the use he made Of the Federal army |
in New Orleans yesterday. 0fcourse the re-.
sponsibility must rest on General Grant. for 4
without his orders none of his military subor.
dinates would have dared to interfere with the
organization Of State Legislature. 1t can.
not be pleaded that this was done to preserve
the peace, for the citizens of New Orleans /
were never more quiet and orderly than al
tho time this great outrage on free institutions
was perpctrated. The outrage Is moi ex,en. I
uated BY saying that the Federal troons acted
in obedience TO Governor KELLOGG. as was
pretended, while these shameful scenes wrre
enacting. No Governor Of any State has the
least shadow Of right to interfere with The
organization ofits Legislature. What General
Srant has caused TO be done in New Orleans
will prove finishing and irretrievable blow
to him and the Republican party, unless
Congress shall promptly repair this monstrons
injustice, which was perpetrated undor thu
eyes Of one Of its own committees.
The New York World saws We can have
nothing but praise for the spirit IN which the
representatives of Louisiana welded Ia the
tyranny which they could not resist We saw
deliberately that there was no reason WIN
they should not have resisted, and resisted 10
the death, this foul outrage upon law
and liberty, except the hopelessness Of resis.
ting. A rising yesterday would have had
consequences which are pitiful and terrible
even to think Of These conseouences were
present to the Legislators of Louisiana, who
not only yielded with dccency when thew
could not resist with hope, but who have thus
far stayed the hands Of their Constituents
but we say also that, terrible as wonld have
been the consequences Of resistance yester.
day, they are less terrible than will be The
consequences Of submission on the part az
the people Of the United Stntes 10 the outraee
which has been perpetrated upon them All
through the people Of Louisiana. For that
submission, or any tolerance Of this last nnd
worst outrage Of the traitor who sits in he
Presidents chair, which stops short Of driving
him from it into darkness aud disgrace. viii
be . confession that the American people are
no longer TT TO have the liberties which h
that case il will not take them long to lose
and Il were better that the cutters Of New
Orleans should run with blood than that re-.
lsaaI Naa.a - a