Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-03-22
SPECIAL SESSION OF THE SENATE.
MONDAY, March %.

Johnson, OF tennessee, was entitled 10 the
floor.
Mr.. Boutwell, submiitad a resolution pro-
vidipg for adjournment S';e dIe on the -
day of March at - O'Clock, which he said
he would call up tomorrow.
SENATOR JOHNSON SPEECH on THE Lou
ISIANA RESOLUTION.
Mr.; johnson said that for many years he
had been accustomed 10 speak before the
people and in deliberative assemblies; yet
he low confessed that he appeared before the
Senate with some embarrassment He feared
that many had been drawn here with eN-
peciations that would surely oedisappointef.
He had not expected tn take any part in the
debate At this time, but circumstances hal
occurred which induced him To change his
resolution. He wished IL, however, under
stood that in what he would say he was not
guided in any manner by party bias, but
solely by his regard for the good and happi-
ness OF the country. He then called for The
reading Of the resolution, and said he did not
before the Senate, which had been called to-
gether solely for the purpose of disposiny of
legislative business. III this resolution was
proper to be considered then It was proper to
consider any act OF the admins iration since
It's advent to power IL was reversing
the policy and the principle upon
which the legislature had always acted.
He said Senators would no doubt remember
the resolution brought in by Mr.. Clay de-
nOuncing President Jackson fOr removing
the bank deposits. This was at the time
when both houses were in session. but 10 was
then urged that the Senate had no right 10
pass upon the action of the President unless
II l.
ate was row asked TO express its approval of
the action of the President in interior ing in
the affairs of a state. Now, what had usually
been the course of the government i'm cases
similar to that which had arisel i'm Louis
lana? He referred to The case i'm Tennessee
in 1SG6, here the governor and the lie gsla-
tuTe were at variance, aud where the
governor undertook to control the leg
islaturc. The legislature then reduced
itself below a quorum. Here was contest
between two of the civil departments OF the
HrlnRinln wa nv
actly the same as the case o. Louisiana.
Now what was the action of the federal gov
erhment then. He read from letter OF Gov
eTnor BrownlOw refusing to receive the resig
nation of a member of the Tennessee legisla-
ture because he alleged the object OF the
resignation was TO break up quorum. The
governor had nothing to do with the organiZa-
ton of the legislature; it was not for him To,
preserve II quorum. Governor BrownloW
then applied to General George III. Thomas,
commit uding at Nashville. Tenn. He read
from the dispatch of General Thomas OF July
1876, covering request OF Governor BrownloW
for military assistance TO compel the legis-
lature to preserve its organization, addressed
TO Lieutenant GeneIal Grant, at Washing
ion, and inquiring whether he should
furnish military assistance. He (Mr. y was
only now speaking of the public acts of pub
lie men, and he would not on this occasion
indulge in one personal remark, or one per-
sOnal reflection. He then read from the tele-
gram of Secretary stanton directing General
Thomas that ii was no part of the military
to interfere, and that he must scrupulously
abstain from any interference. This was the
precedent set by the government, and ii was
known ID the now President, who was then
The Lieutenant General, and through whom
the correspondence passed. But there was
further than this. In 1861 General Sheridan
was in command at New Orleans, when. in
consequence of his officiOus interference and
Lis oppressive course, an universal de-
nand came up from that country for
his removal. He was removed and Gen.
Hancock was sent in his place, and immedi-
ately peace and quiet was restored. Gen.
Hancock on assuming command issued an
order recognizing the supremacy OF the
civil law, and setting up the true line be-
tween the civil and military authority, The
General of the Army (tien. Grant, at that
time, prote sted against the removal of Gen.
Sheridan, but his assertions which were mere
assertions were shown to be without founda-
ton. Then why at this tire is this man
sent b1ck 70 the people whom ne had OPP
Why was he sent when there Were so many
other officers of the army who could have
been sent, unless 1t was to carry out certain
policy, TO initiate and goad those people.
He knew those people. All that they wanted
was their rights in the Union their rights to
self-govei .lment. Now he would tell those
people that were behind the curtain that
were trying TO STIR up another civil war in
order that one might ride into power on n
third ERIN over the ruins OF the Union; over
a civil war. that if their plar succeeded then
'!rewell TO liberty. tApplause in the gale
re-
The Chair (Mr. Ferry} reminded the gale
Z
Mr.. j. then commente,. on the views Of
Washington as To third term. &c tIien re
ferred to the pToviso in the constitutlU.' pro-
hibiting the President rom receiving aus
gift, &c, from any foreign prince or poten-
tate. If it had been added ''or from any
American citizen il would perhaps have
been well. [Laughterl If the Senate was
now discussing the propriety of adding such
very pertinent. He then instauced the re 90
luton passed by the House of Commons i'm
ls1j, arraigning their speaker, Sir John IRE
Won, of high crime and misdemeanor, because
be accepted gratuity of one Thousand
guineas from the city of London Cor assisting
IN passing bill in which it was interested.
And he was made to read the resolution him
self. and the resolution eXpellng him for
such conduct. And this was i'm corrupt Eng
land. Now, il would be very proper, under
the circumstances, if this Serate was at this
very time discussing this question Of
Sits TO an American official, it would
ne re quite OUTFITS as proper as to discuss
He then alluded to the government inter
ference i'm Louisiana. He said the CopS1itu-
ton said the United States shall guarantee
10 every state republican form of govern
ment. Ii does moi say the President. nor
Congress, hut the United States. Whea did
tile President become the United States? He
read from the report of the Committee on
Privileges and Elections made in 1873, that
there was no legal staUe government in
Louis lana, and then said the action of the
President in interfering to uphold the kellogg
government was plain violation of law. In
this connection he also read rom the PreSi-
dents message that the election OF 1872, was
a gigantic fraud, and it, was not certain
whether McEnery o. kellogg was elected.
If this action taken by the Federal Execu-
tive is TO stand, to oe Endorsed, then
there is an end of the existence of
the states, except on the will OF the
President. Within his recollection such
usuTpation as this would have shocked this
nation; 1t would have produced such an in
oignati on from one end OF the country to the
o,her as would have hurled from power the
perpetra tor Of IL. But now Ii is proposed To
approve CT this violation of the organic law
of The land, a violation which, ii unchecked,
mist lead to the destruction OF orr present
form of government. He then read from
what he styled theextraordinaryl letter OF IN
struction of the Secretary of War to Lieuten-
ant General Sheridan, directing him to pro-
coed south, and commented in a satirical
vein on its language. Here was an officer of
the army sent back to people who bad re-
pudiated him, and the limit of his CON-
mind left to his own discretion to mark out,
apd he does mark out a command as proud
as an empire.
A CHILD KILLED BY DoG.-A little
girt named Clark, aged four years, was visit
ing, Friday afternoon, with her parents at
the house of a Mr.. Joselyn. at Homer, New