New-York tribune., 1875-01-26
r8E R0or or TIE MA TIER.


vast number of collateral issues and suOor-
dinate considerations that we may safely lay
aside, while we look beyond them all to the
question that lies at the heart of the whole
matter. That question is one which we can
treat dispassionately, and coidly reason over
1t is simply whether tie State of Louisiana Is
competent for self-government. To that com
plexion the whole business comes at last.
Stripped of all the husks of extrancous
issues, that is tho kernel OF the debate,
the essential thing in controversy. IL
does not matter for the purpose OF this
| inquiry whether the infamous election laws
which pat unlimited power in the hands oi
the Executive by giving him the appointment
! of the officers in charge and the control OF the
machinery of the elections were the invention
of Warmoth or Kellogg or anybody else. All
sides agree now that they are as bad a. they
can be. We do not need investigate the
election of 1872, the action Of Durcll, the affair
of September the conduct of the Kellogg Re
turning Board, the organization OF the Legs
| laturc, the interference of the military, the
meaning of the "banditt" dispatch.
Lay these ell aside. Admit whatever is
claimed by the supporters of the AdministFa-
! ton. Take the case as tLey state it. Let
everybody else go out of court and give to
Mr.. Kellogg and his friends clear field with
out contradiction or hndcrancc. And now
what is the situation in Louisiana upon their
own showing Why simply this: That after
the party in power has had ten years for eX-
permentng in reconstruction; after as many
years of absolute control in the State after
two years in which State Government Of Tie
Admins .ration's own choosing has been mp
held by Federal arms. and after an
election carried on under the auspices
of the Kellogg Government with IFS
own appoatecs directing the registration
and experimenting the vOtiLg, with United
States supervisors to assist and United States
troops to enforce orders-with all these ad-
vantages in their favor they are unable to
secure o fair and honest election. With all
these, they admit that the votes returned as
polled under the supervision of their own
officers, aided by UEited States Supervisors
and United States troops, gave the State Leg
islature to the Conservatives and consequently
did not express the real preferences of the
voters. With everything i'll their favor, they
were unable to prevent intimidation on so
large scale as to turn the State against
them.
So that upon their own showing, with all
the machinery of the elections in their hands,
and the whole power of tue Federal Govern
ment at easy summons to assist them, the
majority Of the voters Of Louisiana ,rere unable
TO erpress their uiH at the ballOt-bor. The
majority, with the State Government and the
Federal troops to back them, were "ntimi-
II Il ~ .aIn nf
a Returning Board to save this majority from
being defeated by minority, and the Fed
eral troops were called in even then to pre-
vent the minority from taking advantage of
the majority. And the state OF affairs is SO
desperate tlat none of the intimdated ma
iorty dare come forward and testify to the
fact Of intimidation for fear of being muT-
dered; so that one or two courageous men
who hold Office have to volunteer TO testify to
the intimidation of whole districts. There
are men ready to swear to the intlmida-
ton Of voters by the hundred, by par
ishes, and districts, but individual cases can
not b, found. And so the Returning Board
reversed the results of tho election, and
the United States army was called upon TO
enforce the decree, and did it. That is the
whole case as presented by the friends of Kel-
logg and the Administration. A majority of
the voters are under intimidation. The only
way to secure the republican form of govern
ment guaranteed by the Constitution is for the
Federal Government TO reverse the results of
the election and install in Office the candidates
who would have been elected had there been
no intimidation.
Nothing could be more obvious in this state
of things-whch we believe is precisely what
the friends of the Administration claim-than
that Louisiana is incapable of self-goverD-
ment. The question then recurs, How shall
the State be governed Gen. Sheridan met it
with what his friends call soldierly fraakncss.
He would not be bothered with constitutional
limitations or legal fOrnalties. He would
simply proclaim the political organizations
opposed to Kellogg banditti," and dispose of
them by military commission. The President
land all OF us approved the plan. Congress
deiberates upon it. The Republican State
Convention of Connecticut indOrses the
President. Stripped to the buff, the naked
issue IL, Shall Louisiana govern herself or be
governed from Washington. We do not deny
that there may be honest differences of opinion
regarding it. We only say that the new posi-
tion of the Administration party involves
radical change in our Constitution and
form of government. Whether it is de-
sirabe or not to hold the Southern
States as conquered provinces is fair
question. We believe that 1t has once
been settled, and that the people will not re-
verse their former judgment. Still the Admin
istratiOn has an undoubted right to make the
appeal. 1t is matter of cOngratulation that
the Connecticut Republicans have not evaded