The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-01-24
THE sPBiNGFsELD JOURNAL AND
THE LOUISIANA OUTRAGE.

THE sPUENGtsEID JOt RNAI AMI
THE LOUISIANA OUTRAGE.
We hold in great respect our contcm.
porary OF ihe Springfield Jongui. We
therefore regret that lac is obtuse and OF
those into whose heads understanding OF
the simplest propositions must be beaten
with metaphorical sledgc hammer. II
he were not of thi, class we would not
have difficult task in making him I'M
derstand the Louisiana affair. But We
must not become tired of well-loing. We
must take up our slcdge hammer and 30
at our captolian friend'- head again.
In u late issue of the Journal We arr
asked to reply TO these questions:
Does the Bulletin mean to IMPLY that
the Use of the troops by the vote Of WIFI
scli-styled Legislature, in supprssing
the protests OF Republicans against their
| atrocious usurpation-which wa, the T. II
call upon the troops for "intcrfrrrrc =
| was uniustitablc:-o does it ann lts
condemnation Only To the employ htl,l oi
troops on the requisition OF GOV; Mel
| logg. made in regular form hiil ~ lI' ~,
quest of majority ofthc egally returned
members, for the cXpulioil oi ihe W'url-
rrs:
We will tell ourtapitolian interrogation
precisely what &c meant TO imply.
We do NOT unit Our condemnation TO
the emplo dlent of troops on the requis-
,iol Of Sov. Kellogg. We extend our
coud, hnation to the employment of the
Fe,rral troop, as well by the House as
b the Governor. The Journal can show
40 law iustifying tile action OF the troop,
in the 18th OF January affair; and the fact
that they interiercd between contcnding
parties in a hall of legislation and gave
TO one the victory is startling
fact-a dangerous precedent. They
had no right to appear upon the floor of
either House of the Legislature to enforce
the commands of either the Governor, the
Speaker of the House or the President of
the Scnate-had no legal right 10
interfere even if the hostile pariie. had
come to blows.
But we go still further than this, and
take issue with The Jog,pal when it saws
the organization of the Louisiana House
under the spcakerShip Of Mr.. Wilt was
either fatally illegal or in any sense irrcg-
ular.
II i claimed by the people who believe
with THE JoUnai that the military inter
ference at New Orleans with the Louisi-
ana Legislature. ought to be- applaudcd,
that "by the law of Louisiana it was
the duty OF the Clerk of the House to
proceed TO the Hall OF Rcprcscnta-
tives and there take his scat and act n,
presiding officer of the new House until
the newly elected members were organ
lied by the choice of speaker " rhi,
Is not true. The constitution of The State
provides the manner of organization, and
the Radicals acted under il in organizing
the houses of the General Assembly wear
after year. The organization was effected
by them in the same manner il was effect
ed on the 18th Of January by the Demo-
Gratis. This the 1adical. admitted when
they were nearly all sworn in a. members
Of the House after Mr.. Wilt had taken
the chair. In ls72 a law was passed to
limit the constitutional power. and pre-
negatives Of the Legislature, and upon
this law the Radicals rely; but the only
clause in IL referring to the organization
OF the House j. one declaring that the
Clerk shall read the roll, aud that the
persons named on the roll alone
shall participate in the organization. II
does not say that the Clerk .hall take his
seat aud act as presiding officer of the
new House. These facts were called 10
our attention by New Orleans paper.
and we have satisfied ourselves that they
are true.
The House was legally organized. The |
Clerk called the roll. Only those named
on 1t participated in the organization.
Witt /, legally speaker, aud if The jour.
nal were candid 1t would admit the fact.
But whether this is or is not true, the ac-
lion OF General DE Trobriand was a great
outrage and will become ml,chieyous
precedent.