The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1875-01-22
THE ILLUSTRATED wEEKLIES.

and Lcslie's, exercise great political in
iiuence. Their editorials are prepared
after the dailies have thoroughly sfted
the subject to 10 discussed, when they
seize the strong points and give their
views to the country. We, therefore,
attacl, great Importance to the utter
ances of the two papers named, partic-
ularly as both are anti-Democratic,
Harper's being intensely Radical,
when, rs in the Louisiana matter, they
tleiiantly assail the Republican policy.
1t will he seen, from the following ex-
tracts, that the contamination of the
Presidents courss is unqualified in
both of these widely circulated papers.
! We quote from the latest issues.
After accepting Kellogg's version of
Louisiana affairs as true, Harper's
Weekly proceeds
1t is claimed that persons not legally
returned as elected took part in the Or
ganization, and that there was great
disorder. Upon this fifty-two men,
bers-ssa clear majority" OF those legal
~ returned as elected-waited upon the
Governor, and told him that a mob was
1~S>"'oAoAA
obstructing the action of the Legisla-
ture. Undoubtedly, if there was dan
gerous disorder, it was the duty of the
| Governor, in the last extremity, to
maintain the peace. He Immediately
ordered body of police to the spot land
fearing, from the appearance of things,
a riot, he requested the officer command
ing the United States troops to send
soldiers to his assistance,to be marched
into the building to aid the police, COR
ders being given," and of course by his
authority, "that no member returned
as elected, nor any regular officer of the
Legislature, should be interfereu with,
but that the mob, and persons not re-
turned as elected, should be removed
from the floor of the House.''
This is the Governors own statement.
!. Now he is not authorized to employ the
United States troops to keep the peace
until he has made Il requisition upon
the President, and such is tho jealous
regard of the Constitution for the peo-
pie as represented in the Legislature
that he can not do that except "when
the Legislature can not be convened"
But it appears that the Governor made
no request to tho President, while, by
his own statement, there was a lawful
quorum of the Legislature upon the
spot. If, as the Governor claims, Il
clear majority of the lawful Legislature
waited upon him the simple, obvious,
lawful course was that they should or
ganize, and then, with the Governor, if
they thought the peril imminent, call
for necessary aid. But there was and
would have been no peril. There
would have been two bodies claiming
to be the Legislature-one composed,
according to the Governors statement,
~ sNf fI,n.n full 4
cd to be elected, the other of Il lawful
majority, and recognized by him. If
necessary, an appeal could then have
been made to- Congress. The gravity
and the menace of this case VIC can bet
ter understand by making it our own.
Suppose that the election had left the
New York Legislature as closely divi,l-
: ed between the parties rs that of Louis
lama, and haifa dozen Republicans,
claiming to be elected, but thrown out
: by the canvassers, had taken part in
the organization, and the House so
constituted had chosen Il Republican
, Speaker, what should we have thought
ii Governor TILpEN had sent u file of
United States soldiers with orders that
"personS not returned as elected should
; DC removed from the floor of the
, HOuSe:" Mr.. THURMAN stated in the
Senate that some years ago the Iegis-
Iature Of Ohio was engaged for fort
night in II desperate wrangIc over or
+ g:lnization, but from whatever cause the
trouble may have arisen, he said that
if President VAN buren, had sent the
army to settle the difficulty, the army
would not have left Columbus again.
SAM ADAMS would have said very
much the same thing Il hundred years
ago.
, \ very great wrong, as it seems to us,
has been committed in New Orleans.
and with the acquiescencc of the Adj
ministration. Republican as we are we
arc so only because we believe the equal
rights of all Americans are safer with
the inintclligencc and conscience that
makethe inspiration, and have in gene
; raj directed the policy, ofthe Republican
party. But we do not excuse or justify,
in this or in any other case, what seems
to us 1 flagrant and fatal disregard of
those guarantees which are indispen-
sable to free popular government. And
because we are Republican,, and con-
; template with profound apprehension
| th,, ,,nSSiI,ilit<- Of thn S>r ~,