The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-20

dat for Governor and the Legislature on
two opposing tickets both claim to be elected.
and neither has yet got possession of the
government, and, to make the parallel en-
tirely fair when in the opinion of the rest
violence may be apprehended from the con-
test. This may occur in any State, as well at
the North as in the South. Suppose it had
occurred as it might in Michigan, at the
last election, and owing 10 the heated pas
sions of the partisans on either side and the
frauds committed at the election, or IN can
wasting the votes. similar difficulty existed,
in determining which candidate was elected,
and while the dispute was still open and
neither candidate for Governor had obtained
possession of the office, District Court of the
United States had assumed jurisdiction OF
the question in the same or any other way,
and to decide who was elected and under
taken to decide upon the election of members
of the Legislature, and the President had
sent the military to enforce this decision OF
the Federal court, and to place in over and
sustain the candidate in whose favor the court
had decided While the people of Michigan
might not object to the action of the military
in preserving the lives of citizens against iu
sarrection and violence, would they be likely
t. recognize the validity of the government
thus imposed upon them: Would they be
likely quietly to submit to it
The people OF Michigan are a law abiding
people, but know them we'll enough to ven
ture the assertion that it would take several
regiments OF soldiers to keep them quiet
under government thus imposed, and more
than all the armies of the United States
to make them love and respect it. They
would see, as | know they do to-day see and
feel, that the election of a State government
Stato T nf,,ra To ha lnl
nor the State government run or prevented
from running, by the fiat of Federal court,
and that even the Executive of this Federal
Government has no right to decide in the
question for the State, or to institute or estab-
81 State government for them.
The President not Inclined Toward lsurpa-
ton.
The argument here urged in behalf of Mr.
Pinchback involves this very principle
principle which would place in the hands of
the Executive Department of this govern
ment the right and the power to revolutionize
every State government in the Union, and
bind not only the States but both branches
of Congress, to recognize that revolution.
Such principle cannot be sound. The ar
guments in favor of it begin in tallacy and
end IN absurdlty. l have not mentioned
these illustrations because think our present
Executive is likely or inclined to do anything
of the kind l have not the re-
hottest idea or suspicion that he has any
such desi On or inclination; | believe he is just
as clear from any such inclination as l am, or
as any other man can be. | am merely illus
trating the principle involved, and my habit
in pursuing legal or Judicial investigation is
to follow the truth wherever that my lead
me- ana though / ain as well satisfied as any
man can be Of anything VII Il ,.oes not admit
Al
President has had no wish or intention 10
usurp power which does not belong to him,
yet called upon as he was for prompt action
for the suppression of apprehended violence
and Instruction, and prompted by the
humane motive of giving protection to the
coored population, hundreds of whom had
On several previous occasio-s been butchert d
in cold blood, a motive which does honor to
the man, and in which | confess | Sympathize
with him. and, without having all
the evidence before him which we
have before u.s. nor as | think the
best legal advice, it is not strange that he
should have failed to see clearly the true
principle involved, aud that he should have
erred as any other man under similar circum-
stances might have erred. But looking, as
think the facts show that he did, upon the
government he had set up as merely tenn
porarily until Congress should take the mat
ter of his hands, and doubling. as l think
he did, as to the validity of the Kellogg gov
eminent, he did what wise and true hearted
statesman should have done under the cir
cumstances; he called upon Congress to make
proper provision tor the case, and take such
measures as they should deem proper, and he
has called upon them repeatedly from that
da, to this, but he has called in vain, and
Congress has neglected to act. In all this |
see no evidence of that deliberate usurpation
or intention to establish an irresponsible
despotism which has been charged, and
repel the charge as one of the extravagauces
to believe what in after years and upon due
reflection they discover to have been wild
and absurd.
Lie ui.jann Prefers to be inexperienced 10
Eeing Inexperienced.
But here and now we are endeavoring to
discover and apply the truest principle which
should govern the question of the admission
OF Mr. Pinchback as a Senator and if we are
wise we shall act upon no principle which we
should not be willing to see applied to our
own States. For, as in the case of individ-
uals, no man can violate the rights of an
other without endangering his own. So we,
as the representatives, of States and their peo-
pie, cannot violate the constitutional rights
VI diiotuSi - dtc VI ito pSople Wltuoul euuHI-
gering our own States and our own people.
In the mutations which are constantly taking
place and must continue to take place in this
and every other popular government, the time
may come when our present positions may be
reversed aud when those now in a
minority may hold the power of en-
forcing their own views of government,
and the poisoned chalice we now present to
the State and people of Louisiana may be
commended to our own lips. Let US, there
fire, disregard all mere p,rtisanship and act
upon the broad principles of equal justice,
which is the highest craftsmanship, and re-
fuse to establish new and at least a ques-
tonable principle, which may return to
plague the inventors. | have but one more
point to notice. 1t has been gravely urged
here that Louisiana being entitled to two
Senators upon this floor, it is a wrong to the
people of that State to refuse them the enjoy
ment of that right, and therefore we ought,
in order to avoid this wrong to the people OF
that State, to admit Mr.. PInchback now.
According to nv reading of the evidence