The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-01-08
To Correspondents.
Military DeSpOiiSm in Louisiana.

The eyes Of the whole country have this
week been turned towards Louisiana, where
q high crime against the right of local self
government has been committed by the pow.
cr of federal bayones. We mentioned last
week that the partisan Returning Board in
that State had turned down q number OF
Conservatives legally elected to the Legisla-
ture on the I'd of November last and had de.
clared their Radical competitors elected, thus
giving the Kellogg or carpet-bag party Il
small majority in the House. Several of the
Republican members thus illegally declared
elected, however, declined to take seats to
which they had no right, apd refraned from
attending the Legislature. That body as
sembled at New Orleans on Monday, and in
consequence of The failure of these men to
appear, the Conservatives had q small ma
jority in the House. A regular and legal or
ganizaton was effected, by the election OF
Hon. l.. A. Wilt as Speaker The cases OF
four parishes had been referred by the Re-
turning Board to the Legislature, which
when thus duly organized, acted upon them
as it had a right TO do 1t did so according
TO the known rtsults of the returns, and de.
clared the four Conservatives entitled to the
disputed seats. The Radical members then
withdrew, and General de Trobriand, acting
under the orders of Kellogg, appeared in the
State House with sixty United States soldiers
armed with loaded muskets, and with bayo.
nets fixed, who forcibly elected the
four Conservatives whom the Legislature
had just declared members of their body.
The Speaker of the House solemnly protest.
ed against this outrage, and the Conservative
members withdrew. The Radicals then or.
ganized, Notwithstanding they had no quo
rum, and proceeded to business.
Thus, for the first time in the history of
this government has the Legislative hall of
State of the Union been invaded by FEEDER
nj soldiers, for the purpose Of directing and
controlling the organization of the body.
The offence is so monstrous that words can
scarcely be found strong enough to denounce
the wrong against liberty. For this, Presi-
dent Grant is directly responsible. 1t was by
his instigation and backed by United States
soldiers, that Il drunken Federal Judge dared
TO issue an cdict which set aside the lawfully
elected Governor Of Louisiana in 1872, and
fixed the fangs Of Kellogg and his vigorous
brood upon the vitals of the State. Sustain
el in this by yenal Congress he has taken
holder and more law defiant step towards
centralized military eovernmcntlby using
the forces Of the United States, under the
command Of the Lieutenant General of the
army, to control by force of arms the Legisla-
= turc of an unarmed and unressting State
Noprctence of any existing instruction was
made, nor was there any regular requisition
for troops to aid in preserving the laws, as
the Constitution provides; but the soldiery
were sent there to sustain Kellogg, and force
upon the people of Louisiana Legislature
not chosen by them; but who would be
plant tools of Kellogg and Grant.
The people ofLousiana are patient under
their wrongs and suiferings. They appeal to
the people of their sister States for redress.
They ask that hehand ofmiltary power and
ruifianism shall be taken from their Threats,
and that they be allowed the same privileges
that are enjoyed by the other free States Of
this Union. Their appeal is reasonable. 1t
is just. Let Grant call off his dogs of war.
Let the heartless and cruel Sheridan be re.
called, and let the infamous and truculent
Attorney General Williams be dismissed from
office. Will he do this . We fear not. Then
let President Grant himself be impeached.-
The suggestion has been made, and we hope
il will be carried out, that indignation meet
ings be held in every city, town and hamlet
in the land and that the solemn protest of
the American people against subverting our
Republican form of government, be uttered.
Grant dare not disregard such warning, I'M
less, indeed, he has made mp his mind to be
Caesar or nobody.
q