Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-01-12

it is maintained and defended, and no kn0wl-
edge of the sacrifices by which past generations
have created it. and who. as a matter OF tact,
look on the Federal Administration as their
best friend and most trustworthy political IN
structor, therefore,
Resolred, That 10 the opiuion of this meet
ing any use of the Federal authority which
teaches these newly made voters to believe that
political sociableness can be solved by arbitrary
process or display of physical force better or
more readily than by labor, patience aud con,
ciliation, is an offence against the natlona!
safety ADD welfare which calls for the severcst
condemnation.
Whereas, All Intimidation of Legislature,
and especially that form Of intimidation which
consists in military interference with its orgaD-
cation or debates, or in display of military force
10 or about the place Of meeting, is sure event.
ualy 10 convert representation into farce by
making the Legislature, in "a greater or less de-
gree, the creature or servant OF the Executive
therefore,
Resolved, That for this reason, above all, we
emphatIcaly protest sgainst II, and declare our
solemn conviction that 1t were better that lCg'S
lative bodies should be forbidden to meet al all
than to be forbidden to meet under Their own
rules and surrounded by their own officers, be-
cause nothing is more dangerous or dernoralZ-
tional forms and that the citizens of New \ ork,
without distinction of party, here asscmbled,
appeal to their fellow citizens Of the whole
country to unite with them in this protest; and
whereas recent dispatch of the Llertenan
General of the army, addressed to the Secretary
OF War, suggesting that Congress should pass
All act, or that the President should issue proc
lamaton, in imitation of the drag"nandts oil
Louis XIV, declaring an indeterminata number
of his fellow citizens bandtti, and authorizing
him to hunt them down with armed force, might
be passed over as hasty and i'll considered Ian
guage of soldier who, however gallant in the
| field, has allowed himself to remain ineycusabiy
| ignorant of the usages and laws Of his country
were it not that it has received the prompt
approval of the War Department accompanied
| by an ntimation that the President and other
members Of the Cabinet approved of IT; therefore
Resolved, That we cannot refrain from cA'
pressing our heartfelt reprobaton OF the dis
patch itself, of the atrocious imputatIon 1t cast:
| on large body Of our countrymen, and OF the
Executive sanction which 1t has recelved ;
whereas the outrages on the legislative lnae'
pendence, against which we have met to pr, test,
| have no legal relation to the problem OF recon
! struction, properly so called, and do not arise
out of any recent legislation of Congress regard
| ing the States lately in rebellion and whereas
| Federal military assistance is to be rendered
upon bis responsibility by the President, unde,
| and by virtue of provision OF tho Original
unamcnded Constitution, and in answer to .
call which the Legislature OF any State, or l.
not in session, the Governor of any State, may
meke; therefore
Resolved, That the manner in which the Fed
era troops have been employed in Louisiana
| constitutes an abuse of authority which Is ds n
gcrous to public liberty in an equal degree il
every part of the Union.
Loud and long continued applause followed
each clause which denounced the conduct @
the military authorities 10 the State OF Louis
lana.
Stirring and appropriate addresses were
made by Mayor Wickham, VIM. Cullen Bry
ant, W. NJ. Evarts, w. +. Dodge, and others