Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-24

Il
natural and 10 be only accounted for by the
reasons we have given.
We hold therefore, that in November,
/ 1874, the pe0uie Of the State OF
Louisiana did fairly have a free,
peaceable and full registration and election,
in which a clear Conservative majority was
elected to the lower house of the Legisla-
/ tuTe, Of which majority the Conservatives
we've deprived by the unjust, illegal and
/ arbitrary action Of the Eeturning Board.
To the resolutions reported to the HOnse
from the committee, as to the action Of the
Returning Board, we are all agreed. We
understand the committee to be unanimous
in finding the fact that the action
Of the Returning Board has de-
feated the will Of The people
as expressed by them at the polls on the 5d
Of November, 1874. The people then
elected to the lower house Of their Legis-
ture a moiOritt Of Conservative members.
a portion Of the Conservative members
thus elected were refused their certificates.
This is an act Of great injustice to the in
diyiduals, and Of grafest danger TO the
State and free government, and ought TO be
Immediately corrected by any power com
petent TO correct It.
The resolution recommending the
recognition Of Governor kellogg,
Is bssed upon the general impression aud not
upon eyide1,oe. On this point, no testi-
mony was taken, either By the committee
or any part of it. kellogg may or may not
have been elected in 1872, but there Is no
evidence to show the fact, OF if there be, it
hss been neither sought nor found BY this
committee.
Aessrs. Foster and Phelps think that the
popular belief, taking both Conservative
and Radical circles in view, on the whole,
justify KellOgg's and Penn's claims, and
that, as kellogg is and has been acting
Governor Of Louisiana for the past two
years, to deny his right and install another
in hio place, after this lapse Of time,
might involve incalculable mischief TO the
legal and political interests Of the State.
To avoid the mischief and confusion Of a
change, a majority of the citizens Of LOUIS
lana seem willing to adopt as compromise,
KellOgg's recognition and the restoration to
the Conservatives Of the control Of the
lower house. For these reasons MesSrs.
Foster and Phelps do not wish to oppose
the recommendation that the administra-
tion of Gov. Kellogg be recognized. Neither
in view Of the fact that they know nothing
Of the merits Of the case, as judged by com
petent evidence, do they wish 10 be under
stood as urging it. They only wish TO
record their agreement with those Of
their associates, who believe such
compromise might, by making
termination Of the uncertainty in Louis
lana, be on the whole, less intOlerable
than the present situation Of that distress
ed people. But 70 any resolution recOg-
niZing kellogg, Messrs. Potter and Mar
shall are utterly opposed. They find moth
ing to Justify the belief that Kellogg was
elected. That he seized the government,
by the aid of Federal troops, through a
void and fraudulent order, which prevent
ed the counting and return Of the votes,
should be a standing presumption against
him. When tue people outraged by the
abuses Of his government, had successfully
regained the office he had usUrped, he was
again re-seated by the Federal power.
Through the forms of Law, 1y which he
had intrenched himself, he once more
sought to nullify the choice Of the people
at the late election, and TO that end, called
in Federal troops to break up the meetingOf
the Legislature. For Congress to recognize
a usurpatiOn so gross, so oppressive, IS,
tlcy Llllllhs U tct1uAAon q E4GIIuCAA1 "
which, under preteXts that car readily be
found, any State government may be over
thrown, the will of the people nullifed,
fraud and violence made permanent, and
Republican forms perverted TO destroy
liberty.
In their judgment, all that is needed in
Louisiana, is to withdraw the Federal
troops and leave the people Of that State to
govern themselves.
CHAs. FOSTER,
WM. WALTER PHELPS,
CLARRsON y POTTER,
SAM'L S. MARSHALL.
Il may be stated that all the members Of
the committee report against the action Of
the Returning Board; that Messrs. HOar,
Wheeler and Frye unite in a minority re
D. It. and that Mr.. Foster assents, with
Messrs. HOar, Wheeler and Fry, to com
promise, recognizing kellogg as Governor
and giving the majority in the House to
the Conservative delegates.