Richland beacon., 1876-07-08
GOVERNOR TfLDEN.
HIS NOBLE MESSAGE ON LOU
ISIANA AFFAIRS.
The Sentiments of a Patriot and the
Wisdom of Statesman.

The Sentiments of a Patriot and the
Wisdom of Statesman.
On the 18th of January, 1873, just
after tho disgraceful dispersion Of the
Louisiana Legislature by Phil Sheri-
dan, and the cowardly proposition of
that famous brute to the President 10
try citizens of this State by military
commission, and execute them as
banditti, Gov. Tilden, Of New York,
(our next Prcsident,) sent the follow
ing message to the Legislature of bis
State:
ENECUTIvE CHAMBER,
ALBANY, January II, 1875.
| To The Legislature
On your assembling, | deem it
nv duty to invite your attention to
the grave events which have happen.
ed in our sister State of louisiana
The interval Of your adjournment has
offered you an Oppori unity to receive
the statements Of the parties concerned
! in those occurrences, particularly ibat
of Lieut.. Gen. Sheridan, in his official
report TO the Secretary of War, dated
Jan. 8, 1875. You are now enabled
TO know with certainty all the facts
necessary to form Just and dellber-
ate Judgment as TO the nature of The
principal acts which have created so
much public sentiment.
According 10 The ohiciaFreport of
Lieutenant General Sheridan. the
Uaitcd States soldiers entered the
/ House of Representatives, of the
| Sta,e of Louisiana, while that body
was in session, and removed from it
five of It's members.
The preteyts of this act are;
First-That it was done under
directions from the Governor of the
State, recognized by the President.
Second-Tbat the persons removed
chad been illegally seated,' and "had
no legal right 10 be there"
Ihird-Tbat fear existed in the
mind of Lieutenant General sheridan
that, in some underlined contingency,
violence might happen.
With respect 10 the first and second
Of these pretexts, it is a decisive an
swer-lbat the Louisiana House o1
Representatives had, by the constitu
ton of that State, the exclusive iudg
ment as to the right of these members
to seats; that its judgment is subject
to no review by any judicial authority
still ID SIS a review by the Governor ol
by any officer of The United State:
army; that its judgment in favor o
these members thus forcibly removed
is binding in law, and conclusive up
on the Governor and Lieutenant Gen
eral Sheridan, and upon every othe1
person.
In respect to the third pretext, th'
fear 10 the mind of Lieutenant Gen
eral Sheridan Of possible future vic
lerce really existed, is not only nj
lawful occasion, but not even en- eA
, cuse for an invasion of the right o
I the House of Representatives of Lou
isiana to Judge for itself of the title t.
seats of it's own members.
; Interference by United States sol
: diers was not only unlawful, but
. was without the color Of legality
j 1t was an act of naked physical force
!, in violation of the laws and the cor
s,i,ution of Louisiana. and of the law
:. and Constitution of the United State:
= There is a case of a disputed scat /
the Senate Of This State now pending
Another was determined at tie las
session. The transaction in Louis
ana is as if, at the instance {
he Governor of this State, Gel
Hancock, commanding in this depar
ment, or an officer specially depute
bv the President, should send fl
of Federal soldiers and remove th
incumbent TO whom the seat had bee
adjudged by the Senate. That di
orders bad formerly existed in Lou
siana makes no difference. For ii
laws-to which the President au
Congress are parlies-recognize II
complete restoration of ber sutoDom
The right of her legislative bodies
determine the title of their membc
is as perfect and absolute as the rig
of the Assembly or the Senate of Ne
York.
The animus of the transaction,
,n indicated by the correspondence b
;e tween Lieutenant General Shcrid;
re and the Secretary Of war, is Infinite
ID worse than the transaction itself. {
c. the day after the event, Lieutena
IT, General Sheridan sent dispatch pr
II. posing that class of citizens, inde
Z, mite in number a1d description, shou
be declared, either by act of Congre
= or by proclamation of the Preside'
10 be bandilti; and then indicates |
purpose to try them and execute the
ed by military commission. On t
es next day Gen. Belknap, the Secreta
de of War, telegraphed to Gen. Sherid
J 81 that "The President and all OF
have full confidence in and thorOug
ly approve your course"
The nature of the acts thus p
posed by the officer second in co
mand of the army Of the Unit
Of States, and thus adopted and sa
ec )" toned by the President and his c.
Ss stitutional advisers. is plainly
cd. clared by the common law.
ice In the recent case of the Queen
Nelson and Brand, the recent LIZ