Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1875-01-13
THE COUNTRY SPEAKS.


States there is arising general express
sion of opinion respecting the untoward
events of which the unfortunate State of
Louisiana has been the unhappy theater.
From the respectable portion of both
houses of the National Legislature, from
the trustworthy portion of the press,
from the great cities of the North, from
the Legislatures in session Of nearly all
the Eastern and Western States. there
arises the same expressions of shame,
SORROW and indignation at the UMPIRE
cedented outrage committed, unwillingly
no doubt, by the United States army, act.
ing under the direct orders of the ad
minis.ration. Already those guilty Of
this crime see the grave error of which
they have been guilty and are seeking tc
avert the gathering storm of retributior
SO soon to burst upon them, by the as
sertion that the White Leaguers and
others are committing crimes, that assas'
sinations have taken place, that the
times are perilous, etc. What has that
to do with the organization oil
the State Legislature OF Louisiana,
or any other State? II crime
is rampant, if disturbances are threat.
ened, if the people are goaded to desper-
alton by years of pillage, oppression and
every conceivable outrage, is that any
reason, that Legislature elected by the
people, should not organize and proceed
with the business, for the dispatch OF
which they have been elected? On the
contrary, is it not reason. and an urg-
ent one, that the members Of the Legis-
lature should as speedily as possible
place themselves in condition in which
they could grapple with the evils indi.
Gated. and provide proper remedy. If,
when organized, the Louisiana Legisla-
ture had refused to perform its obvious
duty of providing the legal means to ar.
rest and PUNISH offenders of every
character. irrespective of party or color.
If, we say, the Legislature had neglected
so sacred a duty, and crime and criminals
were running their lawless course. and
there was such an apparent condition OF
lawlessness as threatened life and prop
erty. and still the Legislature furnished
no means to check so terrible condi-
ton of affairs, then, indeed, with
some show of reason might the
military force of the General Govern
ment have interfered, not to disperss
legally elected Legislature at the point
of the bayonet, but to repress crime and
lawlessness which that legislature had
proved itself unequal or unwilling to
cope. But at New Orleans none of these
necessary conditions precedent existed.
The Legislature was not allowed to as
semble. or only such a legislature as
suited Kellogg and the national Admin
istration. There is the sting of the whole
affair. The Administration. instead Of
acting as good citizens and patriots for
the benefit Of the whole country, acted
simply as partizans, and in doing so de-
graded themselves below the level of the
pot-house politicians of one Of the down.
town wards of New York What right
had the President, had the Attorney
General, had Sheridan, had Kellogg, to
interfere with the Louisiana Legislature
on account of its political complexion
If they had any they could fill the State
Houses with soldiery at Albany, Harris.
burg, Jefferson City, Indianapolis, and
other places where legislatures are meet
ing, majority of the members of which
are politically opposed to the Admins
tration. The answer Is that they dare
not. True, they dare not. But they
have Just rs much moral and legal righ
to DO SO, as what they have done at New
Orleans. The fact is, the thing will no
do. There is no earthly justification fo
the members Of the Administration dis
persing legislature by the sword, mere
ly because it was opposed to them poll
tically. That was the whole head AM
front Of the offending of that Assembly
If majority Of those present in tina
house had not been opposed to the Ad
ministration, there would have been n
intrusion Of soldiers. This is the IRE
futable, the damning fact, and will caus
the President to prove prophe
when he said that somebody would g
hurt" 1t is more than somebody.
is the Chief Magistrate and his cabinet
the principal officers of this great natiol
who are hurt, who have irretrievabl
destroyed the respect which the gres
offices they hold exacted from their fe
low-citizens, whose laws they have brol
en-, whose liberties they have endangered
and on whose honor they have cast stat
patent to the eyes Of the civilized worl'