The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-01-16
LOUISIANA.

LUI lSlANAs
We devote much space in THE WING
to-day TO the Louisiana troubles. Gen.
eral Sheridan's account of the condition
Of affairs in New Orleans and the State,
and the message of the President to
Congress on the same subject, which we
publish in condensed form, give very
clear presentation of the reign of anar-
chy and White League" violence,
which exists there.
The demagogue press of the Demo-
crat party made a terrible cutlery when
Sheridan in his dispatch denounced the
armed bands Of White Leaguers as
banditti; but the excitement cooled
down very rapidly when the facts were
fully known, and Republicans who were
panicky at the first rapidly recovered
their senses, and the sober second
thought penetrated the sophistries that
were attempted by the demagogues
who are straining every nerve to gain
possession of the government, Not
outstanding all the noise about tramp
ling on the rights Of a Sovereign
State" and Federal usurpations ; and
comparisons attempted between Louis
lana and Pennsylvania, New York and
other States, the public very easily I'M
derstand the deception. The sovER-
EIGHTY of Louisiana which was bayo-
neted out of the Southern confederacy
back into the Union, and which has
been in a state of turbulence ever since,
is too much like joke for people to be
moved seriously by any such cant and
clap-trap. Any person who has the
least desire to be considered sane will
not seriously compare such communi-
ty with any northern State, where civil
law and order reign supreme. When
the use of United States troops is ex-
amined into, it amounts to the horrid
usurpation on their part of interfer-
ing Just enough to prevent the Louisi-
anians from cutting each others threats.
Perhaps it would have been better had
the soldiers stood and looked quietly on
till the riot in the State House had
reached the point of blood shedding,
and then marched in and stopped it.
Then there would have been no oppor-
tunity given the sympathizers with the
White Leaguers to have complained of
Federal usurpations, but the of1ense con-
sists, it would seem, in that the military
interfered a few minutes too soon.
at the request of the leading White
League conspirator Witt 1t con-
POUNDS common sense to hear grave and
indignant protest against military inter-
ference to stop violence and massacre,
in view of the bloody massacres which
have been perpctrated by these innocent
and long-forbearing White Leaguers.
The wholesale murder of Republican
Convention in 1866, the butchers at
Coifax, where sixty men were led out,
two and two and shot; the insurrec-
ton of September 18th, when the suf
fering lambs covered the streets of New
Orleans with blood, overthrow and
usurped the government of the State.
and last, the conspiracy by which they
attempted to seize the Legislature on
the 4th instant ali proclaim loudly
their love of law and order $500
murders have been committed in the
State by these men, who were the en-
bodiment of the Rebellion. and not one
of the criminals has ever been brought
to trial for these manifold crimes. All
these facts, and many others, are clearly
set forth in the Presidents message and
General Sheridan's statement Of what
use is the Federal government if it is
not to preserve order and protect life,
where such banditti, as Sheridan ex-
presses it, exists, defying the power of
the State? There is no excuse for such
a formidable military organization as
has destroyed the peace and prosperity
of Louisiana. Kelogg's party are
charged with fraud in the elections,
which there is no doubt they are guilty
of, and the other party are equally
guilty of election frauds, and to fraud
they add murder, riot and mob rule.
What interference less on the part of
the President and the military power
was possible, if even a semblance of
order and government was to be
maintained? 1t would be in the inter-
est of peace, security of life and order,
if the illegal bands of Louisiana were
not merely restrained from murder, but
disarmed. Liberty would not be en-
dangered nor Sovereign State au-
thority usurped if White League muir
derers were disarmed and brought to
justice, but decided gain to both.
Congress is vastly more culpable, as
the President tells them in his message,
for the reign of riot in Louisiana and
other localities in the South. than the
President is censurable for his efforts to
protect life and maintain order and
peace, by the use of the army.
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