Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-01-22
The Louisiana Message.


Senator Thurman rendered the Repub-
lican party, and especially President
Grant and Gen. Sheridan, good service,
albeit unwittingly, when he introduced
in the Senate resolution calling upon
the President for report on Louisiana
affairs. Instead of eliciting evidence of
usurpation and military despOtism, he
called out concise, complete and un.
answerable defense of the Administration
policy in Louisiana. The facts stated
are so abundantly confirmed that they
are indisputable.
The President does not enter upon a
defense of everything done in Louisiana
by the Republicans. On the contrary he
states that the election of 1872 was so
vitiated byillegalities on both sides that
the election as whole was a gigantic
fraud, without reliable returns of the re-
suit. He adds that Kellogg obtained
possession of the office, and in my Opin-
ion has more right to it than his compet-
itor." Now, as always, President Grant
refuses to commit himself uncon-
ditionally to Kellogg, and now,
as always, he urges Congress to
take some steps for the relief
Of the State from its present embarrass-
ment There has been no military inter-
seem extravagant, but a critical examina-
tion of all the facts will fully sustain the
assertion. In every instance the soldiery
was needed to prevent riot and blood
shed, and went no farther thanw as nee
essary to the arrest of threatened
massacre. At least, If the strict limits
Of legality were transcribed in any in
stance, it was unintentional. As Presi
dent Grant pertinently remarks, the
soldiers are not all lawyers, and "if any
error has been committed by the army
in these matters, it has always been on
the side of the preservation of good
order, the maintenance of law and the
protection of life. Their bearing reflects
credit upon the soldiers, and If wrong
has resulted the blame lies with the
turbulent elements surrounding them"
1t appears that in no case have the
White League outrages been punished.
What the President says of the psrpe-
traitors of the ColfaX massacre holds
true the State over EVERY one" he
says, of the Colfax miscreants goes un-
whipped of Justice and no way can be
found in this boasted land of civilization
and Christianity to punish the perpetra-
tors Of this bloody and monstrous
crime" And he might have added that
such pretentious embodiments of civil
| ization and Christianity as William E.
| Dodge, William Nj. Evarts and William
| Cullen Bryant viewed these infamies
with complaceney, or at least with 81
lence, while they lift up Pharisaical
hands in simulated horror at the inter-
vention of the military to prevent an
other New Orleans massacre on the 4th
of January. Not even the outlaws them
selves stand before the public in so des-
picable light as their Northern sympa-
thizers. Copperheadism during the war
was not more deserving of condemnation
than the Northern White Leagueism of
to-day.
The tone of the message is temperate,
but firm. There is no vacillation, no
hesitancy. With resoluteness worthy
the hero of Vicksburg and Appomatox,
he announces that he shall do all in his
power to crush outlawry. There is a
peculiarly metallic ring to the state
ment, !" to the. extent that Congress has
conferred the power on me to prevent it,
neither Ku-Klux Klans, White Leagues,
nor any other association using arms and
violence 10 execute their unlawful pur-
roseslcan be permitted in that way TO
govern any part OF this country; nor can
| see with Indifference Union men OF
Republicans ostracized, prosecuted and
murdered on account of their opinions
as they now are in some localities
How grandly does this declaration con
trast with the disreputable gasconade
OF the speakers at the Ku-Klux meet
ing held Monday evening in Cooper In
stitute.
The report of Gen. Sheridan is a high
ly important supplement TO the message
II goes into details more than the mes
sage does, yet il is only preliminary. Tn,
General is busy collecting in minuti@ tn,
facts relating to isolated cases Of politi
cal assassinationsperpetrated Throughout