The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-02-24
President Grants Arkansas Mes.
sage.

The closing sentences Of this extraordi-
nary document conveys clear intimation
or threat that if Congress should follow
the advice Of the committee sent to inves-
tigate the condition of things in Arkansas
and let the State alone, tho President will
interfere on his own authority to upset the
State government, Gepose Garland and in
stall Brooks as Governor. This is the
boldest menace, and it's fulfllment woulG
be the most daring act ever veDturel upon
even by General Grant. II earnestly ask
he says that Congress will take definite
action in the matter to relieve the Execu.
tive from acting upon the question which
should be decided by the legislative branch
of the government" He too evidently
means, if Congress does not act, to adopt
a course parallel to that which he has pur-
sued in Louisiana, constituting the silence
Of that body as permission to follow his
own Judgment as to who is the rightlnl
Governor, and to put him in Office by mil
itary force. The demand that Congress
act on the subject in disregard of the ad-
vice of one Of it's own committees who
have visited the State and Inquired into
its affairs is absurd. If, as the committee
think, the new constitution and the Ga,
land government supported are supported
by large majority Of the people and are
legally valid, what occasion is there for
Congress to ''definite action in the matter"
or to act upon at ALT He might as reason
ably ask Congress to decide whether Mr..
Tilden is the legal Governor Of New York
Congress declined to go beyond its author
| 80 II ~, csh
ject in which Congress has no ,ight to To-
termeddle, and its forbearance to act can
give the President no shadow of an excuse
to overthrow tho State government and
put Brooks in Office.
According to the Presidents Message he
has much stronger grounds for supporting
the claim of Brooks than he ever had for
supporting that of Kellogg. He does not
pretend that Kellogg was legally elected,
and he has recently stated, in Message to
Congress, his opinion that the Louisiana
election of 1872 was a Gigantic fraud,"
and that he sustained Kellogg because, be-
tween two invalid claims to the Governor
ship, he thought Kelloggs the least objec-
ti0nable. But he has no misgivings res
peoting the claims Of Brooks. He asserts
that sentleman's title to the Office of Gov
ernor in the strongest possible language,
and if he follows the precedent he set forth
himself in Louisiana General Grant, as
the session closes, will send troops to Ar
kansas to revolutionize it's government
BY declaring his belief that Brooks is the
legitimate Governor he has invited him to
make an application for federal assistance
in putting down opposition to his authori-
ty; and it is plain from this amazing Mes
sage that the President intends to comply
with such a request when it is made,, I'M
less Congress ties up his hands. We warn
him that this will stir up q greater COM
motion than was caused even by the mill
tary interference with tue Louisiana Leg
islature.
We will not discuss the Arkansas con-
stitntiou now, for the deliberate judgment
of Judge Poland's committee, formed after
careful investigation, renders such dis
cussion unnecessary. Suffice it to say,
that the alleged irregularity is merely
technical, aud is no greater than has hap
pened in many other States in adopting
new constitutions. The present constitu-
ton of New York was framed and adopted
in 1s46, in disregard of the provisions Of
the constitution that preceded it, it being
held here, as it has been held elsewhere,
that the permission of the Legislature aud
ratification by majority of the people
was sufficient warrant. Grant has just
as much legal authority to reinstate The
old constitution Of New York as be has 10
send an army to revive the dead and dis
carded constitution of Arkansas after the
people, acting under the authority of the
legislature, have established another.
l-[New York Herald.