The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-10
Tho Wholesome Effect OF Public
Opinion.

I
LEGATION of oil the facts bearing thereon.
When Senator Thurman introduced the
resolution that led to the Senatorial debate
there was an evident desire on the part OF
Senator Conkling and some of his republican
associates to kill it at once. The amendment
insisted on by DIR. Conkling was too trivial,
considering the grave importance of the sub
ject to warrant any other construction OF its
intent. At the same time we regret that Mr..
Thurman did notpromptly accept it, and thus
blunt the force of Mr.. Conkling's efforts for
delay. Up to that time no sign of opposition
to the acts of the President and the military
had been made on the part of any prominent
republican at Washington. Secretary Belknap's
proclamation that the President and the whole
Cabinet sustained oil that had been done
in New Orleans remained undenied. Since
the debate in the Senate change has
come over the scene, and it is evident that
sense Of the grave responsibility they incur
is stealing over the heretofore silent Cabinet
and Congress. We find the resolution Of Mr.
Thurman adopted, amid the apologies of some
of the most devoted of the Presidents adher-
ents in the Senate The fiery Conkling pleads
that Sheridan was not in command when the
Louisiana Legislature organized, and that the
President had no knowledge of the transac-
lions except such ms every one else had, by
the published kilograms. Sherman appealed
to Senators" not to make on arraignment of
the President and Sheridan until they had
oil the facts Sargent adroitly argued that
the first call on the military 10 preserve
order came from the democrats in the
Louisiana Legislature In private conversation
the utterances of Senator'S and Representa-
tives were yet more significant Carpenter is
represented as saying, 'the case as made up
in the press dispatches, he thought, was by
no means defensible; but it might turn out
that those statements were incorrect as to the
essential points in the case" Edmunds
thought that 'if the members who
were turned out of the Legislative
hall were lawfully entitled to seats
in the Legislature of course their
removal could not be justified Boutwell,
"dd not know whether there had been any
violation Of the law or the constitution, be-
cause he did not yet know what were the
facts Vice President Wilson is outspoken
in New Orleans. Congressman Dawes
was "unable to justify the action, Of troops
in New Orleans in ejecting from the State
House persons claiming to be members Of the
House." and would have regarded it as better
that the democrats should have had the
vrho tber ri oh hos, hot
such a military interference should have oc-
CURED.
In like manner some Of the members of the
Cabinet have spoken cautiously but in partial
reputation Of the despatch Of Secretary
Belknap. Secretary Fish denies that he was
consulted or that he saw Secretary BeIknaps
singular dispatches before they were pub
lished in the newspapers GAS regards the
breaking up of the Legislature by General de
Trobriand," he says, 1--WE have not an official
account of the transaction, and the news
paper reports are silent in regard to one i'm
portant point ordered De Trobriand to
do what he did," Another significant hint
that vicarious sacrifice may be needed
Secretary Bristow denies any knowledge of
the Belknap plural despatch until he saw it
in the newspapers, and he also "awaits in
formation" before discussing General de
Trobriands Cromwellian course The Post.
master General repudiates the association of
his name, by implication, with the Belknap
despatch, and says 81 view with apprehen-
sion any armed interference by the Execu-
tive, even Of a State, to disperse Legislative
body if it has not by violence toward other
citizens, become mob" Attorney General
Williams pleads for time. All these utter
ances tend to show that discussion and
public meetings have at least reached the con-
scences-perhaps the fears-of the republi-
can leaders, and their plaintive pleas, temper
lzing as they are give good hope that popu-
lar opinion has already induced them to
appreciate the danger of the ground on which
they tread.
Nor ONE There is not a republican