The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-01-15
To Correspondents.
The Louisiana Outrage.

American Union, has aroused storm of in
dignation over the whole country. True,
there are some who sustain the President in
his lawless course, and who cndeavor to
frame excuses for the unconstitutional inter-
ference of the military in the internal affairs
OF State, but their justification of the act is
feeble and pointless by the side of the over.
mastering fact that the administration at
Washington has usurped powers that are di-
recty at variance with the Constitution and
the spirit of our institutions, and dangerous
to civil liberty.
The outburst Unpopular indignation is not
confined to one political party, but is the
spontaneous uprising of the whole American
people, to protest against the suhvcrsion of
the civil TO the military power, in time Of
peace and in defiance of law.
The situation in Louisiana remains I'M
changed. General Sheridan is still permitted
10 remain in New Orleans, from whence he
sends dispatches that deiamc the people
among whom he has been prefessedly sent as
conservator of the peace. The fhlsehood
of his statements has been conclusively pro-
ven not only by the testimony of eminent
clergymen and 9TH, citizens of New Orleans,
but also by that of the congressional investi-
eating committee, who were present when
the Legislature was broken up. No acts of
violence have occurred, nor is there danger
that any such will occur. General Sheridan!s
charge of terrorism is so ridiculous that it has
passed into joke. The people Of Louisiana
have, by their forhearance, stamped the seal
ofialsehood upon his charges Their prudent
course has been sore disappointment to the
Kellogg faction. They hoped TO draw the
citizens into a conflict with the military,
with the hope that it might evoke another
war-cry Of rebellion" throughout the North,
that thus amid the general excitement the
real issues involved inthe case might be lost
sight of. But the effort has failed. The peo-
pie have calmly submitted to the outrage for
the present, but appeal their case to the bar OF
the country at large. If they fail to get JUS
tice there, every patriot may well tremble
for The future Of free government in this
western land.
Whom the gods would destroy they first
make mad, and it seems, indeed rs if Presi-
dent Grant ami some of his chet and trusted
advisers are afflicted with mental malady
which impels them, as it were, towards the
edge Of precipice, over which, without tn e
power to resist or draw back, they will he
forced and lost.
The new year has opened with one start
ling event We should not be surprised if
before its close its record would include the
impeachment of General Grant, and the dis
placement from power Of all who sympathize
with and uphold his attacks on civil liberty
----------s -
Who are the Banditti,
The doughty General Sheridan, in his re-
port to tie War Department, applies the term
"banditti" to the organization in New Or
leans known as the White League, and in his
zeal to do something asks Congress to pro,
claim them outlaws. In the next sentence
of his now famous-or rather iniamous-dis-
patch, he suggests that if the President will
only proclaim them bandtii, he will take
them in hand try them by drumhead courts
martial, and shoot them down. The organi-
cation he has been so swift TO condemn has
been proved by the reports of special cores
pondcnts of independent journals, and re-
Gently by the authority of the congressional
committee appointed TO investigate Louisi-
ana affairs, TO be no secret organization Its
meetings are open and public, like those OF
any political club in the cities. It's member
ship embraces the most intelligent and veal
thiest citizens of New Orleans whose in
stncts and whose interests alike urge them
to keep the peace at all hazards. Kellogg's
Metropolitan police are VIGOROUSLY inefll-
cient and unable to preserve peace in times
of great public excitement. The White
League have been conservators of the peace.
It gave the city Il reign of order, after the
revolution of the 14th of September; and its
60 leaders, by counselng patience, torbeaance,
and rcsorting only TO legal means of redress,
have done more TO keep the peace in Louisi-
ana during the late exciting season than has
been done by the army and navy of the
United States under the command of Gene
ditti' in Louisiana, fulfilling every dcfin-
lion Of the word The n. y. J'TbvHe an
swers The question rs follows;
They are the men who have stolen the Off.
ces, the public improv cmcnts, and the rcve-
nues of the State; who have made and wild
,ened the breach between the races who have
added a score of millions to the public debt,
and have nothing but lying messages, cook
ed' financial reports, and their own suddenly
acquired riches TO show how the increase has
off d ,ubc ,Iiep ,f
being the friends Of the poor negro, have by
legislation inmical to the properly interests
of the State brought down his wages to a
starvation figure; who have imposed upon
the people judiciary VIGOROUSLY corrupt,
and petty executive officers partisan, ieno-
rant, and depraycd; who have contrived the
most ingenious methods of depriving the
State of its duly elected officers, and wien
these failed to accomplish the purpose, did
not hesitate to put themselves above law,
and on basis of Misrepresentation invoke
the sword to maintain their usurpation, de-
manding the lives OF their victims to make
easy their road to continuance in power
These men-the real "bandtti are Kellogg
Packard, Beckwith, and the rest Of the ring"
who are running the usurping Government in
Louisiana, and who have enlisted Presiden
Grant, o part of his Cabinet, and few influ-
entail members Of Congress in support of
their effort to perpetuate their stolen lease of
power. The people do not ASK that these
"bandtti' be declared such by Proclama.
ton of the President or act Of Congress nor
vet that they be turned over to Lieutenant.
General Sheridan to be tried by di um-head
court-martial, and dealt with according TO
military law. But in The protests now aris-
ing from Governors and Legislatures and
mass meetings of indignant citizens, they do
ask that civil law be allowed to assume its
old supremacy, that the men who have tried