New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-20
STOCGHTON.
AN IMPORTANT LETTER
THE LAW AND THE COUP D'ETAT

| We give place in our columns this morr
ing to remarkable letter which appeare
| in the New York Times of the fourteent
| instant concerning occurrences OF the tOurt
| of January-remarkable because written b
an eminent lawyer, who is Democrat, MI
E. w. Stoughton, and because of the clea
| and impartial manner in which the write
reviews what has been termed by the mem
beers and press of his party as ''militar,
outrage Mr.. Stoughton rises above part,
bias and stands on the law. The law is o,
the Republican side of the question, on tn
side of the President, the Governor and tn
military commanders. No amount of specia
pleading, or citing of incidents which ar
not and can not be precedents, can tortur,
the law into sustaining the position takel
by Mr.. Wilt. Mr.. Stoughton shows tina
elected him Speaker was not "a legislativ,
body, peaceably assembled" 1t was {
turbulent assemblage, where men contest
ing for seats and having no right then t.
speak or be seated on the floor of the House
added their voice to the hurrah which sale
Wilt was Speaker, and captured the House
and it was the Democrats who asked fol
military assistance. These facts are now
generally known, and those who care fol
fair play or for law, whether Democrats OF
neutrals, see the force of the statements
and among them Mr.. Stoughton is notable
example. He is also strongly indorsed by
the Times, editorially, paper which is
Republican in New York, but one which
accepts Republican testimony from the
South with great caution.
THE INTERVENTION OF THE MILITARY IN THE
LEGISLATURE OF LOUISIANA.
To the EDITOR Of the New York Times:
After very careful reading of the state
ments made by Conservatives and Repub-
iicans concerning the recent occurrences in
New orleans, and a perusal of the speeches
made at the meeting in Cooper Institute on
Monday evening. and also that made in the
Senate by Mr.. Schurz, it has seemed to me
that in all these speeches facts are assumed
as their basis which do not exist, and that
unfOunded conclusions are drawn which do
great injustice to the President, to at least
some members of his Cabinet. and to that
gallant soldier whose fame should be treas.
ured as q national possession, and who is
now in command of the Department of the
Gulf. l have not arrived at this opinion
hastily, nor without grave consideration,
and shall proceed to state my reasons for
it, without political prejudice, for l enter
tain none in favor OF this administration;
but l shall state them with as much judicial
fairness as am capable of.
Without this assumption of facts as the
basis Of speeches filed with denunciation of
the President, but a poor foundation would
have been laid for that somewhat wordy
and noisy, but modern eloquence with which
Cooper Institute resounded on Monday
night. The call for that meeting contained
ter State, peacea bly, assembled, has been
broken into and dispersed by federal troops,
acting under orders from the President of
the United States" 1t then proceeds to de.
nOunce this as q crime unparalleled against
the underlying principles Of our govern
ment, as it certainly was, if the facts stated
in the call were true. The first announce
ment by the press certainly presented the
case substantially in that light; and l was
Inclined to believe that great outrage had
been committed in the interest of the So
called Republican party OF Louisiana, at
the instigation of party leaders. 1t seemed
% me improbable, however, that any IN
interference with the local |
'nalrs OF tnat State couid nave 6een
oerpetrated ny the orders OF the PRESIDENT. |
or the emphauc language OF his last |
Message on that su6lect mad not been
y me 1Orgotton. IN tnat ne states mat the |
snoie sup)sct OF executive interference
WIN inc analrs OF Stace IL repugnant 10
'ubllc OPINION, to the feelings OF those who
must act in and direct it, and that, unless
most clearly on the side of law such inter.
erence oecoIies q crnnei anu tna!, win
ne Jaw 10 support IL, IL ls condemned with
ut nearing, anu ne earnestly DESIRED mere
ofe, tnat IA Necessity lor eAocuClSS actlon
local affairs mlgnt pecome py Congres-
.onu acCion unnecessary anu opsoioto' IN
lew OF tnese strong expressions, coupled
'lIn o.uols MnloH Ino mossaso contalheu,
ursns Congless " pI t t,: loI tne
"nand;~r ~ Ton;s;an a e oth Il, . SnHth Saen
tates that he might he ra,;aved as fsr %
ossihle from The necessitv Of ave-.
ntive action IL did NOT seem at ail
rohahle that the Pres;dent would
antoniy commit that great crime
hich he had denounced as such, and Of
hich be was directly accused in the call to
hich l have referred. 1t seemed to me,
oreover, that men mindful of their duty
their fellow man, and especially toward
le to whom the country owed so much,
lould have hesitated long-at least until
10 receipt of full and accurate information,
store accusing the highest officer of the |
overnment Of an offense 80 grave that no |
an of ordinary intelligence can doubt
at, if committed, it would be cause of i'm
and degradation from office. 1t
emed to me, moreover, that when able ,
ID trusty men of the Cabinet declined to
press opinions because they were waiting
r official information to guide them, q
cent regard for their position, character