The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-10
PINCHBACK'S REJECTION-1TS EFFECT

L ApANh - ~ ~ -
There can be no more suggestive com
mentary on the character OF the con
j duct of President Grant, and his party
towards the people of Louisiana thai
the statement of the Congressional de
cision made upon the issues that aros
i'm 1872. In that year Judge Durell issue'
the midnight order and selected the lie
gislature that declared Kellogg Gov
ernor and elected Pinchback Senator.
McEnery as Governor, and Sheridan
as Congressman, ran on the same ticket
and the official election returns showed
both elected, and that McEnery had owe
700 more votes than Sheridan.
McEnerv was declared Governor by ;
Legislature composed Of quorum o
members In both branches, all elected
by the sworn official returns.
In an election conducted as fairly as
elections generally are, McEnery anC
his associates on the Conservative
fusion ticket were elected by the people
by majorities ranging from 5000 to IA, 0O(
votes. Ri.
In the General Assembly, which com
piled the official vote cast for Governor
and Lieutenant Governor, was not only
a quorum Of newly elected members
but a majority of the Senators who held
over from the election Of 1872.
This Legislature organized, Gov. Nc
Emery was inaugurated, and all the
elected officers entered upon the dis
charge of their official duties.
Then came the lawless interference
by force Of arms, on the part Of Grant.
The indecently hasty recognition which
he gave to Pinchback as Governor in
December, 1872, was followed by armed
interference in favor OF Kellogg in 1873.
The State militia was forced to surren-
der to Federal authority, The Speaker
of the House was arrested, and the Leg
islature was expelled. @
The President ordered the citizens
who opposed the usurper to dispense,
and Federal soldiers garrisoned the
State. aA +ta. sHt
In September, 1874, the people swept
away the usurpation, and in three days
President Grant, moving his navy and
army in his train, INTERVIEWED, hunted
up the cowardly, wretches who had
skulked away from the presence OF an
outraged people, and installed them
again in power. 8M
In 1874 the Legislature chosen by the
people was pledged to the overthrow Of
the usurpation, and the power to do
this was ample. In January. 1875, it
and again the army and
navy moved, and again President Grant
the popular vote, and De Tro-
BRAND, at Kellogg's bidding, drove
from the legislative halls the elected
Of the people.
Then, to lull the storm that arose
throughout the Union, the smooth
Wheeler, with his committee,
at the tyrant's behest, came to Louisi-
ana. .sa5.... .-
Brave men, who had breasted the
storm, in an evil hour yielded to the de-
ceitful whisperings of the Radical ennis
5aries, and the Wheeler adjustment of
the Legislature was accomplished. Gov.
McEnery strove against it with all his
might. Nearly half of the Representa-
lives strove against it. The people, by
4 large majority, opposed it, but it was
.#saE d
And to-day, when the people in con-
vention assembled, and the gentlemen
who made the compromise, assert that
t never reached the issues between the
McEnery and Kellogg governments,
hat it was limited to the settlement of
! few contested seats In the Senate and
n the House, the Radical administra-
ion, with Wheeler as its accepted
,racle, asserts that the adjustment was
he States acquiescence in Kellogg, and
,reat with contempt the memorial of
he people who petitioned for the right
If self-government; and, wonderful to
Dc told, the Democratic majority Of the
National House of Representatives have,
hus far. refused to rebuke the mon
trOus outrage.
All the promises of reform made by
Wheeler and Kellogg have been broken.
The Legislature which made the Wheel
II compact has adjourned, and our con
lition as people is unchanged. Kel-
ogg, the usurper, with Hawkins as his
Judge, with the Supreme Court, with his
Funding Board, with his Returning
Board, with his police militia, still, by
he pleasure Of President Grant, acts as
Governor of Louisiana, and taxation,
wrong, oppression, insult, and universal
light, material, industrial, political.
est, like curse, upon the people Of
louisiana. And yet the legality Of the
Kellogg government has been tested re-
in the Federal Congress, and
very decision has been in favor of the
IcEnery government, and against Kel-
ogg. rIll .#
The Senate Committee in 1873 reported
hat the declaration Of the Lynch board
1as false and utterly lawless. The
louise of Representatives decided the
anne way-rejected Pinchback and
ypher who were declared elected by
le Lynch board, and seated Lawrence
nd Sheridan, on the official returns,
hich show McEnery's election. The
louise impeached Judge Durell for his
lidnight order. To escape punishment
ttorney General Williams resigned in
iSgrace and now, to complete the story