The Van Buren press., 1875-01-19
The Press on the Louisiana Outrage.

the bayonet. January 1, 1873, Ulysses
s. Grant repeats the experiment upon
smaller scale. to be sure-by sending n
file Of soldiers into the state house OF an
American commonwealth, on like lille
gal, revolutionary, reasonable errand
We shall see what comes of it. 1t Is
possible that the old love of chartered
liberty, the old jealousy of arbitrary
power, which blazed up so fervently a
hundred years ago. a beacon light throw.
ing its glare across two worlds, has quite
smouldered out. 1t may be that the
Americans Of this generation have quite
lost the secret of that generous yet Who'll
ly reasonable and intelligent emotion
which fred at Concord, and kindled the
bvouac fires at Valley Forge. II so, the
complete subvcrsion of our present in
stitutious is merely question Of years.
If not, there will be such sonorous re
sponse to the manly protest and appeal
of the outraged state as will convince
the Capitol and White House that the
patience of the people is at last exhaust
ed and that any experiments in this line
will be attended with serious risks-alike
for insttutors. agents and abettors diet
us bring the matter home to ourselves.
Louisiana is long way off, and, besides,
the fact Of its participation in the seces'
sion movement is still fresh in the north
ern memory. a good many people i'll
this part of the country, read about the
events occurring there very much as they
would read about similar events occur
ring in Mexico or Nicaragua. But it is a
state Of the American union for all that
a state standing upon the same footing,
in every respect, so far as the constitu-
ton and laws are concerned, as Massa-
chusetts and New York and Illinois. SO
far as the constitution and the laws are
concerned. neither President Grant, nor
Lieutenant General Sheridan has any
right, or exercises any Legitimate adthor'
ity at New Orleans which he does not
have, and may not equally exercise at
Boston Whatever either Of these per-
sons can lawfully do there, they can law
fully do here. Suppose that Mr.. b. f
Butler, for instance, should be the repub
lican nominee for governor, next year,
and should be soundly beat--as he uu-
doubtedly would be. Suppose General
Grant should then avail.himself OF strain
ed construction of doubtful enactments
t. install this defeated candidate with
force and arms in the Office to which the
people Of Massachusetts had elected an
other man. Suppose he should follow
up this performance by placing the army
of the United States at the disposal of
Mr.. Butler, and by sending Sheridan to
Boston with the remark that in the event
Of disturbance, somebody would get
hurt. Suppose, finally, he should under.
take to decide a question OF contested
seats in the General Court by Sc ding a
file of soldiers in the state house, while
that body was in session, with orders to-
forcbly eject the sitting democratic mem
bers. What would the people of Mas
sachusetts think of such an interference
with their home atalrs-of such use OF
the United States army? How would
they feel about it? What would they
say about it? What would they do about
it? Yet, we repeat, if this sort of thing
is lawful and right in Louisiana, it is law
full and right in Massachusetts. What is
sauce for New Orleans is sauce for Bos-
ton To our thinking. there has been
no such occasion in the last hundred
years foI rocking the cradle Of liberty.
and rocking it to some purpose, as now.
- Springfield Repubiiean.
If the President OF the United States
sustans the great crime he will not hcsl-
tate to repeat it il 1873 or in 1877 him
self in the halls of Congress. In fact,
the American people may as well prepare
for the bloodcst conflict the world has
ever known, in case the latest Louisiana
iniquty is approved by the admlnistra'
ton. For as surely as it is thus approv-
ed, so surely will it be repeated by Grant
in order to save his dynasty from over
throw. And to such act the people will
not submit, if they have any Of the spir
it of their fathers remaining in them. In
fact, if they permit the federal govern
ment TO consummatc this villainy, they
will deserve to lose their liberties. Like
the first gun upon Sumter, this Louisiana
villainy ought to startle the Republic
from its slumbers Indignation meet
ings should be held throughout the north.
Frcemen, awake.-Aibany Aryus
The New York Times, for ability, char.
acter, and influence, is the principal
newspaper which represents and advo
Gates the principles and policy Of the Re.
publican party in this country, and here
is what it says Of the present condition
Of things in Louisiana:
"Such despatch as that which Gen
Sheridan sent to the Secretary Of War
on Tuesday is not warranted by any facts
known to the public--could scarcely be
warranted under any conceivable crcum
stances, We have never published such
document before, and We must say that
nothing like it has ever been seen in u
country under constitutional govern
ment 1t almost induces one to believe
that the world has gone back two or three
hundred years in the theory and practice
Of the government. Cromwell did in
deed, serve Ireland pretty much as Gen,
Sheridan proposes to treat Louisiana ;
but most of us were under the impress
sion that that system had been indefinite
ly abandoned. We are at loss to make
out what are Gen. Shcridan's ideas of
the constitution under which he lives, OF
Of the functions Of congress, or of the
nf In IA a