The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-02-27
MERCHANTS AND CAPITALISTS OF
NEW ORLEANS.

and capitalists OF New Orleans was
being circulated protesting against the
| impcnchment OF Kellogg. For tho credit
of the class OF citizens referred to. and
for the honor and welfare of Louisiana,
IL Is to be hoped that no such memorial
Ia abroad, or that, II It Is. the list OF
signatures will be very brief It has
heretofore, I'm all free countries. been
the habit Of the people TO support their
representatives In all efforts to preserve
the purity OF tho government and pro
tect the public interests, and II will be
shameful commentary upon the char
acter of the merchants and capitalists
of New Orleans IL they shall be tho first
of their class TO use their influence and
wealth to shield, from righteous justice,
a public malefactor. and to check tho
efforts OF their representatives to vim
dicate the laws 80 ilagrantly insulted
by high official.
II there are any merchants and CAPT
,alists in Now Orleans who have signed
any such memorial, or who propose TO
sjgn Il, we assure them they would have
had II in their power to net more intelli-
gently In the protection OF their inter
csts IL they had visited the House OF
Representatives yesterday, and wit
messed tho events which TRANSFERRED
there. Before the committee appointed
by tho Speaker TO Investigate the
charges against Mr.. Kellogg could re-
port. that individuals creatures, In the
House. moved that tho committee be
discharged, and on this motion We
listened TO the most extraordinary dis
cussion, which, wo venture to say. ever
took place in tho State House OF an
enlightened people. It was not affirmed
by Mr.. Kellogg's tools that there was no
cause for impeachment; but the threat
was made that, Ii he should BIO i'm
peached for the crimes he had COM
mitted, the city and State would be en-
broiled In civil strife. Will the MGR
chants and capitalists who have signed,
or purpose to sign, the memorial. bear
this fact In mindP
The gentlemen favoring tho impeach-
ment proposed To proceed within the
law. They proposed. II they discovered
evidences OF Kellogg's guilt. to impeach
him In the manner provided for by the
constitution, and as Il Is their sworn and
solemn duty to do. Impeachment Is the
means provided by tho constitutions OF
England and the United States, and of
the State OF Louisiana, to try officers
who have committed public crimes In
the discharge Of their official duties. II
Ii procedure of the most vital impor-
lance to the public interests. and any
legislator who, believing an official
guilty Of crimes, should vote against
that officials Impeachment, would be
recreant to the high trusts conflded to
his hands and would stand before the
country rs u man who had violated one
Of the highest and most sacred OF duties.
The members Of the House favoring i'm
parchment, yesterday, only proposed
honorably, peacefully and constitution
ally to discharge their highest duty to
tho State: but before they had even
moved, the henchmen Of Kellogg,
headed by fellow named Matthews,
backed by white and negro rabble, &C
tually threatened, II the House acted in
this matter In accordance with tho facts
Of the case. as their duties prompted, to
precipitate an era of violence and per-
haps OF blood. Are the merchants and
capitalists Of Louisiana prepared to
stand before their fellow citizens Of Lou
isiana and before the American people
la. Il s,,txN - tho
who have thus sought to intimidate the
representatives Of Louisiana, and bully
them into abandoning the trial OF a
man who has wrought incalculablo in
jury to the State and whose whole off,
cial life is noisomo with crime? Are
the merchants and capitalists of New
Orleans prepared to give aid and com
fort to white and negro rowdies who
threaten the peace Of tho city and State
II they and their chiefs are held to an
account for their misdeeds? Or shall 1t
go forth to the country that the ener-
waited, timid and servile merchants and
capitalists Of the city whose streets once
ran with the blood Of the heroes Of the
Fourteenth of September are alarmed,
frightened, scared by the fierce buster
and cowardly threats Of Kellogg's
array Of rascals? While the honest
representatives OF the white people of
Louisiana-of the agricultural, profes-
sional, mechanical, mercantile and
honest Industrial classes = are seek
ing to bring to justice villain under
whose baneful administration the prop
erty OF the State has deprecated In value
over one hundred millions of dollars,
and who has brought about such State
OF things that capital and emigration
shun our borders as though the land
were smitten with a peslilencc;
and whose infamous deeds have made
the name OF Louisiana a word to be
scofYed at and spit upon we say while
the representatives Of our people are
seeking, by constitutional means, to
bring this wretch to justice, are tho mer-
chants and capitalists OF New Orleans
to join his scurvy following
Of knaves and adventures and keep
political company with Matthews OF
Tensas, Lcvisee. Hunsackcr, and such
negroes as Ray and Stewart, in an
effort to shield and protect the now