New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-04

that no such change took place Nhat tue
White League was in it's inception, it con
tinued to be until the morning of the four
teenth of September 1t was purely politi-
cal in character and purpose; league of
voting citizens, intent upon political reform
and resolved to see a pure. fair and free
election.
We leave to contemporary testimony
the decision of this question The RE-
PUBLICAN would be estopped by proper
considerations from doing more now than
it did during the events, deploring and
condemning any mode of doing what is
esteemed popular justice by means out
side of the law. We have, however, a
right in that connection and upon that
argument to say that the Bulletin subse-
quently assigns very different justifica-
ton for the armed organization than is
given in those quoted. 1t says:
The report that the League was armed
for the purpose of attack was diligently
circulated az a pretext for 6isdynttng all the
citiseaS of Netc orleans. 1t is well known
that this attempt had been made, and that
n general ransacking OF stores and dwell
ings by the black and white police-militi
nau pteu dFrhDSeu'
The aruing and drilling Of the White
League was known officially to the author
tiles. The receipt of consignments of
arms to be employed in the same manner
was known in the same way. In this case
the authorities of order did exactly what
all conservators of the peace do every
where. No one has ever said that when
the municipal authorities OF New York
suppressed, with loss Of fifteen hundred
lives, the armed resistance to the draft or
dispersed the assemblages Of men de-
manding work or bread, they exceeded
their powers in preventing any accession
of arins, force, or other powers of mis-
chief, TO those whose purpose to resist the
law was officially apparent to them. Have
the authorities Tor the preservation of
peace no power to disarm or disable
those who manifestly intend the vio-
lation Of law? If two men approach
each other with deadly weapons
and an evident intention of attacking
each other, must the policeman stand idly
by and not attempt to disarm them lest he
violate the sacred fright of the people
to keep and bear arms:'
There was an attempt on the part of the
authorities to prevent the distribution of
arms imported for the always avowed pur-
pose of the White League. There was
proceeding in the right to recover the
property Of the State by demanding the
arms issued to the militia, or taken by
force from the armory in which the State
authorities had placed them, but we en-
phatically deny that there was any act by
which the government infringed "the
right Of the people to keep or bear arms"
We call for a single case in which any
citizen was called on to give up his arms
or any other personal property which he
possessed.
The Bulletin, however, POUNDS this
charge on no fact cited, but upon '.the
concerted nocturnal domiciliary search for
weapons as contemplated by the Radicals"
1t imputes an intention of ''disarni1ag the
gentlemen of Nelo Orleans" Could any,
thing better illustrate the improperly of
a military organization for the purpose of
securing free and fair election than the
| fact that this military force was employed
| to overthrow the existing State govern
| ment? What had the invasion upon .fhe
right of the people to keep and bear arms"
to do with an organization to superintend
| the election with or without arms What
possible right could such an organization
have had to overthrow the State govern
ment by force? If the State government
had invaded the right Of citizen to bear
arms, the remedy has been pointed out.
1t would be poor pretense that because
policeman had seized shotgun from a
citizen, therefore Governor Kellogg had
| forfeited his commission, and, more illogi-
cal still, that Mr.. McEnery was the lawful
Governor.
We pass from this variance of versions
presented by two journals, one of which
/ palliates while the other defends the deeds
of the White League. Both are wrong.
Whatever may be the local estimate of the
right of men disappointed of Office or in
/ dignant at misrule to overthrow the COY
eminent of State and capture its offices
by q raid, the belief elsewhere is that no
such right exists. However the anti
Republicans at the North may have VII
fled the Republican State government,
not one Of them has ever said in print
that il should have been dispossessed by
armed force. Nothing except the inter-
position Of . force superior to that of the
White LeagueEs prevented the successful
rsfoiution in the ofaces of the State
| ~ force Of arms. 1t wanted bat
the sbasnee Of such superior force to have
placed The, govern1nsst d 1ohisiAnA on
the Same basis with that Of Santa Anna,
/ Of Franica S,r ~ ann ona ~ tho hy1ndvx>.d