New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-06
TIE BAYONET IN OUR POLITICS.

THE BAYONEI IN OOh IOLiIINo'
During the last week we have frequently
heard Americans congratulating themselves
upon the fact that they are not as other peo-
pies are. especially these Spaniards. In spite Oh
Mondays performances in New-Orleans, we
believe there is reason in the boast. We do
not think it possible for Americans to lose all
sense of their honorable traditions to such
point that they will submit to the interference
of soldiers in political matters. 1t Is an equal
subject of congratulatiOn that our little army
has never shown the slightest tendency toward
such interference. IL is shocking and dis
graceful thing that Gen. Emory should order
Gen. dc Trobrand to report to Kellogg for
orders and that Kellogg should order him to
enter the Louisiana Legislature and organize
it at the point of the bayOnet in the interest
of the minority Of the voters of that State.
But this is no symptom of any lawlessness in
the army. nor of any disposition among It's
officers to transcend the strict line of their
duty in the interest of faction. On the con-
trary their action shows only rigid adherence
to discipline and a studied obedience of orders
from competent authority. 1t is not Gen.
Emory's or Gen. do TrObriand's fault II the
American people have given the command OF
the army and the navy into the hands OF q
man VITO knows no law but his own preJu-
dces, who is so ignorant and so careless Oh
the limitations Of his own authority that he
probably cannot see the gross crlmlnallty OF
the orders he gives. He has placed Kellogg
in the Governors chair Of Louisiana, with no
earthly reason except that Kellogg was one
of his partisans, which doubtless seems to that
narrow and vindctive intellect reason enough
Kellogg, of course, holding office by fraud,
and conscious of it. does not bother his head
over the legality of the means he uses to
retain his place. The natural result OF the
situation is the illegal employment OF force to
prevent the people of Louisiana from recover
ing any portion of the control of their affairs
The prompt obedience of orders by the army
is the only instance of honest and loyal action
in the whole wretched affair. The soldiers
did no more than they were obliged to do
The sole responsibility for the outrage rests
upon the shoulders of the President, and his
puppet the usurping Governor
From the category of officers of the army
who content themselves with doing their duty
under orders, we are forced to except Gen.
Sheridan, who is now unfortunately in COM
mand of the Department of the Gulf. lie Is
one of those soldiers, rare in our service we
are glad TO say, who, having no knowledge OF
law, have little respect for it, and having no
knowledge of politics, cannot keep their hands
from them. In Chicago. In the crisis of the
great fire, he displayed his utter contempt for
the civil authorities, and was sustained in his
lawnessness by Gen. Sherman and the Presi-
dent. He arrived Monday night in New-Or-
&c @l,n oh 20
and important duties of his administration by
a dispatch to the Secretary of War containing
an unprovOked and sweeping libel upon the
people of Louisiana. Taking his tone from
the frightened carpet baggerS and politicians
who huddled around him at his arrival, he an
nOunced 1.-The existence in the State of a
esprit Of defiance to all lawful authority, and
"an insecurity of life hardly realized by the
General Government" Before he came,
there were grave fears entertained by the citi-
zens in regard to his fairness and discretion.
His first act on taking command was to prove
how well-founded were these apprehensions.
1t is certainly lamentable, at time when
both the Governor and the President have
determined upon a course of lawlessness and
usurpation, that a General should be found
who is willing to 81 further than he is sent,
in that dangerous direction. -.
But these dispositions of the ruling party in
New Orleans and in Washington, only make
it matter of tenfold Importance that the
citizens of Louisiana should continue to act
with that admirable patience and temper which
they have hitherto shown under the most try
ing circumstances. great outrage has been
committed against them. 1t will enure to their
lasting advantage if they refuse the challenge
thrown down to them, and while yielding to
the force employed, appeal to their fellow
citizens in other States for justice and sym
patty. They must face the facts, that the
President is bitterly hostile to them, that he
is in league with their rascally OppressOrs, and
that Gen. Sheridan will be glad to seize any
opportunity to use the army in behalf of the
usurpation of Kellogg. But they should also
not fail to remember, that the vast majority
of the people of this country disapprove and
will not permit this persistent and stupid viO-
latiOn of law ia the interest Of faction. In
less than one year, at worst, this despotism
under which they suffer must cease, and 1t is
by no means impossible that the voice of the
people may much sooner make itself heard in
Washington with such effect as to convince
even the Republican leaders of the disgrace
and disaster which they are allowing Gen.
Grant to bring not only on the country but
Oh their party. We are not Spaniards yet, and
no soldier has sufficient genius or popularity
to ride over the laws long without punishment.
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THE STATE rJvxNrEc