Litchfield enquirer., 1875-03-04

will of the people, as expressed by them ! at the polls, on the 3d of November, 1874 The people then elected to the Lower House of their Legislature majority of Conservative members. A portion of the Conservative members so elected were re- fused then ceftifcates. This is an act Of great injustice to the individual, of gra- vest danger to the State and free govern ment, and ought to be immediately cor rected by any power competent to correct it.
 The resolution recommending the re- cognition of Gov. Kellogg is based upon general impression, not upon evidence. On this point no testimony was taken, either by the committee or any part of it. Kellogg may, or may not, have been cleo ted in 1872; but there is no evidence to show the fact, or If there be it has been neither sought nor found by this commit tee. Messrs. Foster and Phelps think that the popular belief, taking both Con- servative and Radical circles, inclines, on the whole. to justify Kellogg's and Penn's claims, and that as Kellogg is and has been the acting Governor of Louisiana for the past TWO years, to deny his right and install another in his place, after this lapse of time, might involve incalculable mischief to the legal and political inter- ests of the State. To avoid the mischief and confusion of change, a majority of the citizens of Louisiana seem willing to accept as compromise, Kellogg's recog hilton, and the restoration to the Conser- vatlves of the control of the lower house. For these reasons, Messrs. Foster and Phelps do not wish to oppose the recon mendation that the Administration of Gov. Kellogg be recognized; neither, in view of the fact that they know nothing of the merits of the case as judged by competent evidence, do they wish to be to record their agreement with those of their associates who believe that such 8 compromise might, by making termina- tion of the uncertainty in Louisiana. be on the whole less intolerable than the present situation of that distressed peo- pie. But to any resolution recognizing Kellogg, Messrs. Potter and Marshall are utterly opposed. They find nothing to justify the belief that Kellogg was elected. That he seized the Government by the aid of Federal troops through a void and fraudulent order, which prevented the counting and return of the votes, should be standing presumption against him. When the people, outraged by the abuses of his Government, had successfully re- gained the office he had nsurped, he was again reseated by Federal power Through the forms of law by which he had intrench- ed himself, he once more sought to nulli- fy the choice of the people at the late elec- tion, and to that end called in the Fede- ral troops to break up the meeting of Legislature. For Congress to recognize a Isurpation so gross and so oppressive is, they think, to establish a precedent by which, under pretexts that can readily be found, any State Government may be overthrown, the will of the people null1- fled. fraud and violence made permanent, and republican forms perverted to destroy liberty.
 In their judgment all that is needed in Louisiana is to withdraw the Federal troops and leave the people of that State to govern themselves.
 , (Signed,) CHARLES FOSTER,
 WILLIAM WALTER PHELPS, . GARRISON N. POTTER.
 SAMUEL s. MARSHALL.