The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-01-15
A Party Out Of its Head.


If it were necessary that the Republi-
can party should go to pieces we should
certainly have wished it a better end than
the one it is now violently counting 1t is
rushing upon worse suicide than that Of
the Pro-Slavery Democracy twenty years
ago. The outrages upon Kansas were
committed at the instigation Of a power
full and arrogant party which overbOre
the timid scruples of Buchanan and his
immediate followers, and fattered the
ambition of Douglas as long as it could
use him, But there is no such excuse
for the stupid lawlessness of Grant to-
wards louisiana Nobody but Kellogg
wanted him to interfere. Take the coun-
try at large, and you will not find one
third of the supporters of the Admins
tration who wanted this outrage perpe-
trated. If Gen. Grant had taken his
hands from the throat of the State, and
permitted the elected Legislature to meet
in peace, every one except half dozen
of Kellogg's retainers would have been
satisfied and grateful. 1t is case of alb
solutely gratuitous suicide.
The mania does not seem confined to
the President alone. Every one he
touches begins the same tarantula dance.
We all knew how unfit Ger. Sheridan was
for place requiring any skill in civil ad-
mlnlstratlOn or comprehension of legal
principles. But no one could have ex-
pected the outburst of fury against the
community which he was sent to govern
with which he marked his assumption OF
command. The first day he denounced
the citizens of Louisiana as defiant and
lawless and principally occupied with
murder. The next day he writes to asl,
permission to shoot and hang as many OF
them as he thinks proper for something
he thinks they did last September lie
begins his letter by asking Congress to
call them banditti," and then, as if mis-
trusting the promptness of that body, he
says that if the President will call them
"banditti' it will be sufficient for his par
pose. Nothing so insanely ferociOus has
been written by any American officer
since the beginning of our history. II
Gen. Grant or any considerable number
of his advisers had the ordinary common
sense or humanity which belongs to most
men of our r.'ce, Gen. Sheridan could
not have held his place for an hour after
that crazy and brutal dispatch. He Is a
hrebrand in a powder magazine. 1t viii
be almost a miracle if he can remain q
week in Louisiana without exciting riot
aud bloodshed. 1t is amazing that the
Government, even Gen. Grants Cabinet
does not see this. Of course the Presi-
dent cannot see it. But where are Fish
Bristow, Jewell, Robson, who are men
Of the world and know something about
law? and Dtlano, who is politician and
ought to know something about human
nature? They all appear to be struck
dumb by the impe:iOus and savage vii
of their chief, while Gen. Belknap tele
graphs full approval and encouragement
to the rough rider at New Orleans.
The only hope was in Congress; and
how did they meet the demand? In the
Senate, on Tuesday, Mr.. Thurman intro
duced resolution calling upon the Pres
ident to report what he had done II
New Orleans and why he had done it
The State of New York prevented thai
resolution from passing, by the instru
mentality Of Mr.. Conkling, who though
the President ought to do as he liked
above giving such information. In view
Of this disgaceful exhibition of suoser
viency, it Is hardly worth while to notice
the ferOciOus vaporings of men like 10
gan and Morton. Nothing was done il
the Senate. In the House of Represen
tatives it was still worse. Mr. Cox SAFE
an appropriate word or two about l.ouisi
ana, and elected the Administration view
of the case from the mouth of Gen. But
Ter, who said che was as anxious to gel
at Louisiana as any mau," and that the
only way to guarantee a republican form
of government to State was for the
United States to eXpel intruders from its
Legislature. No member of the House
is SO ignorant as to think this is legal and
its shameless effrontery is the best proof
we have yet seen OF the hopelessneSs OF
the Administration organization. There
is a pretense of waiting until the Sub
Committee return and report, and if Gen
Sheridan does not proceed at once to his
hanging and shooting, there will be one
last chance for a sane judgment. There
can be little doubt as to the verdict of
Messrs. Foster, Phelps, and Potter. But
in the meantime the situation is to the
last degree critical and hazardous.
Sheridan is in New Orleans, anxious for
a riot, and with all the means in his
hands to excite one Grant, in full SYM
pathy with him, is surrounded by Cab
met which as yet gives forth no note of
independence. No Administration mem
Der has as yet shown the least disposition
to make his associates listen to reason.
The party can never survive this trial
We earnestly hope that in its ruin it may
not inhict irreparable disaster upon the
country,