Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-01-21
LOUISIANA.
The Presidents Special Mes
sage.

WAsHINGTON, January l5.-Ihc Tresl-
dents special message begins by saying that
to state the laWlessness, turbulence and blood
shed that have characterized political affairs
in Louisiana since its organization under the
reconstruction acts, is only to repeat what has
been well known as part OF its history. But
a reference to the fraudulent election Of 1868,
and the bloody riots of 1866, show that the
disorders there are not due to any recent
causes or to any late action of the Federal
authorities preparatory to the election OF 1872
in which he says shameful, undisgulsed
conspiracy was formed TO carry it against the
Republicans, and to accomplish which the
most glaring frauds and forgeries were COM
mitted in the returns, after many negroes had
been denied registration and others had
been intimdated from casting their votes.
He then briefly reviews the history Of Kel-
logg's action in the United States Circuit
Court against Warmoth and ethers, and OF
the temporary restraining order issued by
that court, which order was treated with con-
tempt, and disregarded by those to whom it
was directed. These proceedings, he says,
have been widely denounced as an unwar-
rantable interference of the Federal Judiciary
with State elections; but he argues that they
were strictly in accordance with the Consti-
tuition and its amendments and with the de-
cisions of the Supreme Court thereon, and Of
the act of May 10, 1870, to prevent the denial
or abrdgement of the right of suffrage on
account of color, ETC., and concludes that II
Kelogg's bill in the above case does not pre-
sent case for equitable interposition Of the
United States Court, under that act as provid-
ed therein, then no such case can arise under
it. The President holds that the right of the
United States Courts to interfere in various
ways with State elections so as to maintain
political equality and the rights therein, ire
spective of race or color, while a compare
lively new, and to some, perhaps, startling
idea, it results as clearly from the Fifteenth
Amendment and the acts passed to enforce it
as does the abrogation of the State laws up
holding slavery. While asserting the juris-
diction of the court in this case, however, he
says it seems that some of the orders made
by the judge in that and the kindred case of
Antoine against Warmoth, we're held to be
illegal; but adds, that it is not to be forgotten
that the mandate of the court had been con-
temptuously defed, and were made while
wild scenes of anarchy were sweeping away
all restraints of law and order. Doubtless
the judge of this court made grave mistakes;
but the law allows chancellor greatlatitude,
not only in Furnishing these contempts of his
orders and injunctions, but in preventing the
consummation of wrong which he has judi
cially forbidden. Whatever may be said or
thought OF these matters, the President says
it was only made known to him that pro-
cess of the United States Court was resisted,
and he, acting in accordance with law, order
ed the army to see that such process was exc
cuted, and, as the result, Kellogg was declar-
ed Governor. He had, in discharge of his
duty under section 4, of Article w., of the
Constitution, recognized him as Governor.
AS to whether he was elected, he says that
may be a question, as the whole election was
a gigantic fraud, and there are no reliable re-
turns of its result The President then quotes
from the report of the Senate Committee on
Elections in 1878, that the manipulation OF
the election machinery by Warmoth and
others was equivalent to ~, 600 votes, and
that to recognize the McEnery government
would be to recognize government based on
fraud, in defiance of the wishes and inten-
tons of the voters Of the State, and says that
the crime in Louisiana, against which go
much has been said and done, is that one man
is holding the Office of Governor who was
Che, y, & 40 vD'es against another