The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-27
1dD U013 u UOUG8EDSs

N II 49,
Fl Upon the 4th of January, 1875, Unite
States troops, under the orders Of one He
logg, claiming to be Governor Of the State
Louisiana, expelled from the Capitol certai
]. persons acting in the capacity Of members I
: the State Legislature.
! The reasons given for their expulsion wa
that they were not legally elected to the pos
tions they were filling. The men who wei
= elected were identified and pointed out by a
extemporized militia general, Hugh J. Camp
bell. The troops who executed the orde
had, on the morning Of the 4th Of January
been stationed in the immediate vicinity c
the State House, by order of a Brevet Majo
General named Emory, then commandin,
the Department of the Gulf During the en-
tire day these troops forbade citizens to max
} use of certain public thoroughfares, as tn,
demands of their business required.
At 8 o'clock p NJ, on the 4th Of January
a man named Sheridan, holding the position
of Lieutenant General of the United States
army, assumed command of the troops in the
State Of louisiana by virtue of an order from
the Secretary Of War, which he was author
lied to promulgate whenever he saw proper
When the facts Of this case were presented
| by this Sheridan to the President Of tho
United States, the latter instructed the Secre-
tary of War to telegraph the Lieutenant
General that the President, and ''all of us, y
approved and endorsed his action
n T,, -
call by Congress for all the inform
alton in his possession relating to the events
which transpired in Louisiana on the 4th Of
January, the President answered that he dep
recated the interference of the United States
troops with the affairs of the States; that he
refused to furnish Kellogg troops to garrison
and guard the Capitol, in anticipation of riot;
that the action of the military ought not to
have been permitted, and could never be JUS
titled; that there Were nevertheless. circum-
stances which ercused while they did rot JUS
hty the action of the troops.
The Constitution of the State of Louisiana
makes the Legislature absolute Judge of the
qualifications of its members. Contra, Kel-
logg assumed the functions of the Legisla-
ture, delegated these to his militia general
and to enable him to execute them, usurped
Of the United States troops in Lou
isiana Grant had refused to furnish them), |
and placed them under Campbell's orders.
The President approved all that was done,
though by his own statement it was repug-
nant to all our ideas of republican govern
nent. In the premises, what is the duty of
Congress?
To every honest thinking man, it is SO
manifest that no cry of Ku-Klux outrages can
obscure it. 1t is, first, by appropriate legis-
alton to rid Louisiana of military interfer-
nee, and leave the claims of Kellogg and his
blowers to the arbitrament of the people of {
1t is, second, the abolition of the '
'ffice Of Lieutenant General, and the degra-
laticn Of its present incumbent, who could,
t any moment, have assumed the command '
the department and prevented military '
Interference.
1t is, thirdly. the duty of Congress imme- t
lately to present articles of impeachment t
gainst u S. Grant, the President. He en- t.
orsed Kellogg in usurping the functions Of q
le Legislature Of a sovereign State in as v
ming command Of the United States troops, n
Id ordering them ITO perform acts that 81
ought not to be permitted and can never be 81
stiied' acts repugnant to all our ideas of n
publican government. fl
The attempt of this soldier President to p
cuse conduct that Fought never to be per- Il
itted,' only blazons his incapacity. Is Il
ldier of high rank excusable for doing Of
hat the meanest private knows to be mex NJ
sable-Obeying orders not coming through W
5 superior officer, nor issuing from any W
mpetent authority? Did not the President IN
nd here, at this juncture, a man whom he "a
ew WIS mot lawyer" and who by his
n reports, shows himself ignorant Of the in
law Of his country? Did he lii
t choose for a most delicate mission a man su
om he knew to be incompetent, and 81
N excuse his acts because he was incou- fo
tent wi
f this logic is to cover the Presidents &c
me and exonerate his accomplice, hereafter SD
present and future executives have but to lie
n an epauleted liar and ignoramus with
cretionary powers, and he will furnish to an
ir ambitions dismantled sovereignties up att
which to step to imperial power. tn
louisiana is only one of the reconstructed to
eel States, but to-day hers is the cause OF thi
il liberty here and everywhere. The prin- ab
les for which she contends are the funda- nj
nta upon which alone constitutional gov wi
ment can securely rest. rel
NE facts in the Louisiana case, plain and
are now before the nation. The III
ort of the Congressional Committee has
called in all their foulness the lies behind
lch Sheridan and his master sought to hide