Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-12-02
THE LOUISIANA COUNT.
A Sharp Reply to the Letter oi
President GRANTS Commts.
siOnerS.

NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 1.-THE following is the
reply Of the democrats to the republican letter:
To the Hons john Sherman, Stanley Mat
the,rs, u. Il. Garfield, W. ID. Kelly, John |
GrSrasMns. n w. are in receiut ] Of % YOUR answer
to our letter Of the 18th inst, i'll which you in
form us of your determination not to confer with
us for the purpose of exertlng such influence as
we may possess in behalf of such u canvass OF
those votes actually cast at the election In Louis
lana as, by it's fairness and impartiality, shall
command the acquiesceAce and respect oil all
parties. We sincerely regret this failure or our
attempt to secure the cooperation of the citizens
purpose which, as we supposed, had brought
them hither at this juncture. We regret 1t all
the more because your refusal to confer and CO.
serious Misrepresentation of the language, 10
less than the spirit OF our communication. IL
can hardly have escaped your notice that onr
statement of the result to be attained by the CO.
operative action which we sought to bring about
was q simple reproduction OF the Language OF
President Grant-pt whose request. We under
Gen. Shermap. That language was deliberately
used, no dopOt, in view Of the fact-about which,
us we cozceive, there Can be no dispute-that
the first and most essential prerequisite 10 an
hones5 and just declaration OF the result Of the
rec,dt election in Louisiana is q iaIr and impair
til canvass OF the votes actually cast, and 1t
seems to us that you do the President great in
justice in supposlng that in speaking OF the votes
actually cast he meant to include votes illegally
cast las you certainly do us injustice by the impu
taton OF u desire to insist upon such narrow
and vicious interpi citation. III our judgment the
expression ''votes actually cast'' of necessity
deslgnates votes legally cast; and as u conse-
quence of such votes only did We desire to secure
u fuir and impartial canvass.
We beg leave to say, therefore, that you are
nGftsls v.ir -:as. .baji .r- We. SOD CO.
operative action, and you are no less in error in
attributins to us 4 purpose to Interfere with the
legal authorities oil the state In the discharge OF
their duties. TO claim rights, and to arroSate to
ourselves powers which we do not possess.
In writing our letter we We're fully aware that
hnt Orl
cial ministerial, oil the Returning Board OF
Louisiana were beyond any authoritative control
from without; and that 1t would De the height
OF arrogance and folly to attempt to alter the
laws of n state of which we are not citizens, or
to obtrude our Interpretation OF these laws upon
those whose duty it is to administer them; Lut
We had supposed, nevertheless. that there was
an influence which might be rightiully exerted
by citizens OF this republic who are strangers in
this state and we had taken it for granted that
your presence here in response to the suggestion
of the President WAS Y recognition OF this fact.
We had supposed that il was not improper tor US
to remind the authorities of this state, by our
mere presence Vt least, that there are Certain
rules of fairness and justice which undsrlis oil
constitutions and laws, and upon whose obsery-
ance must depend the acquieScence OF the people
of all parties in the declared result OF the Louis
lana elections. Rules such as these, that no
one ought 10 be judge i'll his own case; that the
decision of uny conduct ought not 10 depend
upon the mere arbitrament of one OF the parties
thereto; tnat before such decision IS made
both parties ought to be fully and fairly heard,
ali questions OF law ought 10 be decided III Con-
fornity with Its established ger eral principles,
and all uestons OF fact upon evidence duly pre-
sented and weighed under the rules which are OF
universal recognition in all the states OF this I'm
ion; that the trial of all causes involving public
interests at least ought to be public; anu that all
the proceedings resorted to Tor the purpose or
determining the issues in the present electoral
contest ought, by their manifest lmpartiality,
to dlsarm the suspicion that the forms OF law
have been perverted into instruments for the vi
Olatlon Of It's spirit. In this connection, We may
be permitted to observe that, while uudoubted-
iy h.
Its OF Obedience TO the forms OF law 10 vital to the
preservation OF constitutional liberty. 1t Is no
less important that refusal TO yield such Obedl-
ence b. not provoked by using these forms IA u
means Tor subvertiHg the v9ry ends for which
they were designed.
Without undertaking to question the sincerity
D. the belief which You are ut pains to express,
that you know OF no .casOn TO doubt that the
Louisiana Returning Board will make II perfect
ly honest and just declaration OF the results of
the recent election in LOulslana We deem 1t not
improper to remind you that the presence in this
city of many citizens from ull parts of the
Union, ut this moment, seems to be evidence OF
u widely prevalent distrust of the action OF this
bo ard and that such distrust mas the luuuJ alion
least that the constitution OF the board has not
been changed since It's returns We're set aelde by
:. congressional committee, OF which the repub-
| lican candidate for The vice-presldency was II
| member, ana this distrust IS not unnatural, in
view OF the TACT that, 10 We understand, one oi
the member. of the Returning Board is y caDdi-
date voted for at The recent election, another the
holder ot an oice ot profit and trust by appoint
| Iuent oil the present executive OF the NATIONAL
| government, while all the members OF the Board
| are believed TO be III aililIatIUn with but one U
| the parties Ill the present political contest. In
view OF all this, 1t Is hardly necessary To add tina
the terms OF our letter We're not designed to pre-
| judge the question whether the functions ot tn,
returning Board were Judicial or ministerial .ol
both, but SIMPLY To invite you TO see with Us ina
| Whatever may he the character OF those iunc
uous, they are openly, fairly and honestly dis
| Charged; and, while We thus Teiraned Il ON an
attempt at stating or cons sIrulng the laws 0i Lou
lsiana, we deemed it equally irrelevant to tn
| ani,i # tltpr AL
| luie TO The duties devul.Ing upon officers otne
tuan the constituents of the Louisiana Returning
Board, under the laws and constitution of th
| United States. Whether, us You observe uy Wa
OF illustration, under tn- constitution. the pres
IucnL OF the senate both counts and declares tn
votes OF the electors oil the several states, III
duty beng simply ministerial. and not buDJeC
to the control OF congress, OF whether ~ Ia
been the practice Tor unoIr than eighty years,
practice Inaugural ed by men some oi whom ha
been among the trainers oil The constitution, 10
the votes to be counted under the direction ali
control Of tile senate and house of representa-
tives, is L question upon the discussion Of whIc
We deem IL no part OF our duty TO enter
In conclusion. permit Us To say that, notwith
standing your refusal to cooperate, We sii
cherish the hope that the kelIlrnlnS Bonru
, warned by the history of the pat. and consciou
that lis actions are bSinS observed by the whoi
. nation, Will discharge It's delicate duties wit
ouUu INSPECTION. fairness and lmpartiallt
VIII give satisfaction to the American pcopl,
10 this end We viii continue to labor. Should
dilcreut result follow the action OF the board.
shall nave the satisfaction Of knowing thai
while you have taken the responsibility OF Il.
Ginning 10 act with us, we have done all In OF
, lowcr TO avert the consequence, which may 10
low. Very respectfully, john VI. Palmer, Ly
man TrumDul and " X. Morrison. vi Illinois
>. J. Randall, y. q, Curtin and VIM. Bigle
OF Pennsy yivania; j. K. DOol!tile and George |
>miIn, OF Wlacun,m } l.. McDoLald, q.
\ Julian. VI u VI n,uu ami j. y. Love, oi Ind
ana; IL. Wattcr,,.:.. j. W Stevenson ami Ii
= McHcury of kentucky; Oswald Ottendoricr an
- 4 L. ,ouurlt, OF New ork; }. Il. stIilo III
2 = II. L;eon oI unlo: l.. '. Bosy, Jalnee
Z BrJudh, Id and Z. Glh- on, u Missouri; John
. carroll anu " r. Hamilton, Ui Mary land;