Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1875-01-20
The Presidents Message on the
Military Interference i'm Lou
iSinan.--Eyamin

the Senete resolution OF inquiry con-
corning Louisiana affairs ia without
exception the weakest and yet the
most alarming document ever issued
from the Executive Office. Although
doubtless modified by the exigencies
of a threatened Cabinet revolt, lis
virulent partisanship, its weak
and evasive disclaimers Of personal
responsibility, its astounding as
sumption regarding the scope Of mill
tary powe', give ia place by itself
among State papers. The foul hant
of the Acknowledgement is seen
throughout. Feeble in law, malicious
in spirit, false in many o.! lis state
ments, the brief history of the past six
years of usurpation in Louisiana, with
which the Message opens, is a fit in
PRODUCTION to the monsirous doctrine
of military irresponsibility developed
further on. The Message is at least
consistent. Nothing is too Infamous
or too grossly wrong for the President
to commend. The instaIlment of Kel
logg, whose defeat was certified by
Congressional committee, is defended.
The midnight orders of Judge Durell
who has escaped impeachment and
disgrace only by resignation, are APP
proved as valid authority for the en-
ployment of the United States army
and navy, 1t only remained for the
President to include in his unstinted
endorsement the acts of the notorious
Returning Board whose mountainous
frauds were SO thoroughly exposed
last year, and the record would have
been complete. But even here the
President sinks behind the form of
law to evade the responsibility. ut
was only made known to me-" he
writes, ''that the process of the Z. S.
Court was resisted" Yet at this very
time one hundred prominent citizens
Of Louisiana, commissioned TO present
the cause Of their State before the
President, were turned back from
Washington bya despatch from the
Attorney General that "the President
has made up his mind, and nothing
you can say will change it."
The hating excuses which the
President makes for himself and his
agents in the late usurpatlon are the
only evidence that the voice OF the
people has even yet reached his ears.
He "has no desire to interfere in the
domestic concerns Of Louisiana : he
gave no orders or suggestions to any
military officer in that State on that
subject )" he is sure that Sheridan
''never proposed to DO an illegal act.
Here at last is certain sullen recog-
milton Of the great voice Of condemna-
ton that has gone up from the Amer
lean people but it is accompanied by
no expression Of regret at the invasion
OF the Constitutional prerogatiyes VI a
State, and by no intimation that the
same indigpity will not be perpetrated
when another Legislature needs purg-
ing by bayonets. On the contrary,
the Presidents explanation is cdlcu-
lated to excite graver alarm than the
act itself. For, while approving The
disruption Of the Legislature by Fed
eral troops, he distinctly disclaims all
direct responsibility on the part Of the
Administration, and states that ''the
troops were bound to act upon the
Of the commanding off
GER 1t is, then, the doctrines of the
Message that Federal soldiers may be
stationed at the Capitol of State I'M
der general orders to preserve the
peace, and then, at the discretion OF
subordinate officer, bresk up the Leg,
islature by force OF arms. When this
despotic power WAS assumed, as rep
resented, by the Chief Executive Of
the nation, every Governor, every
Legislature and every large city joined
in indignant protest. What must he
said ofth delegation of his arbitrary
power to a commanding officer" to
be used, as the President says it was
used, according to his individual
judgement ? No further step can be
taken toward military domination o,
yer civil government. 1t is this, though
in a less aggravated form than that in
which the President presents it, that
has ELECTED the protest of the nation I;
if, as the Message AYERS, Grant wishes
reconciliation and tranquility" let
him call off the rough riders who pre-
sumo to determine Constitutional
"A 81 Al