The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-11-30
louisiana and South Carolina.

PEELED the proncriy-elcclSu ostlc LeS'Sia-
| ture from the legislative halls, and excluded
the properly-elected Governor from his seat.
putting into his place KELLOGG, the Radical
whose crimes had rendered him notorious.
| The military seizure of the Government was
complete, and nothing was done. legislative
or executive, without the knowledge and
permission OF the military.
We remember what shock was OCCASION
ed throughout the land by that higl-handcd
military interference in the local affairs Of
Louisiana.
The interference by military force in
South Carolina is more grave and alarming
than was that in Louisiana. The Presi-
dents instructions to General RUGER are
explicit and complete, and leave no doubt
that everything was done according to
his own plan and intention. He. is re-
spoISiblc for the whole proceeding in South
| Caroliua--the acts OF the Returning Board,
their contempt of the Supreme Court Of the
State, the relief and enlargement by the
United States Circuit Judge, BOND, OF the
Returning Board from their continent
for contempt, and the final establishment OF
military power over the government Of the
State. He is responsible for all.
When Louisiana was put under the do
mnion OF the sword the country was
shocked. Immense meetings in New York
and Boston denounced the GRANT admins
tration most severely for violating the Con-
| 81 10
land. What some leading papers and men
then said sounds as though it were said OF
the latest and greatest uSurpation. And
now will we have any expression OF public
indignation for this greatest outrage ever
committed in the country?
1t is singular to read what the New York
Tribune said then, and to find it now s1is-
tanning the military usurpation in Souti!
Carolina. No paper in the Union was more
severe in denouncing the Louisiana out
rage. We take from its indignant articles
only few Hines by WHY of specimens, as
follows:
"Nothng in the history even OF the great
conspiracy bv which the border rutaans
undertook TO seize the Territory and State
OF Kansas can furnish any parallel for this
browning iniquity of the Federal Admins
tration. The citizens Of Louisiana have
seen themselves cheated and defraudcd, and
when the fraud came near to failure they
have seen the whole power OF the General
Government used to conSulnnlate it and
make vi!lainy successful
The Ueraid, which is everything by turns
and nothing long. considered the act OF
Selling the Louisiana Government rs the
greatest :" outrage on every principle Of
free government" fiat ever was committed.
Bat o; the three large and influential Goth
amitc PAPERS it il strange that the Times,
now tie Interest Radical sheet lii the
Union, and the most scrVilc defender OF the
series of GRANTS usurrationS, should have
SURPASSED its contemporaries in the bitter
ness and severity OF lis dcnunciations OF the
Louisiana outrage. The Times Of JANUARY
:, 1875, speaking OF SnEEIpAN'S "banditti .
telegram. which was sent from New Or
leans in TIC midst OF liz outrageous pro-
cccGiNgs, said:
ave have never published such docE-
ment before, and we must say nothing like 1t
|
tutionai governments. 1t almost induces one
to believe that the world has gone back two
or three hundred years in the theory and
practice OF government. Cromwell did in
deed serve Ireland pretty mich as Sheridan
proposes to treat louisiana; but most OF us
! were under the impression that that system
OF government had been definitely ADAM
doncd We are at a loss TO make out what
are General Sheridan'S ideas OF the CoGsii-
tuition under which he lives, or Of the func-
tons Of Congress, or OF the powers which
may be righifuily exercised by lieutenant
| general in the army. There is i shorter cut
still which General Sheridan might have
recommended. Il is for the President TO
| declare the Constitution and all its amend
mcntS ;nnullcd, shut up Congress, put
| down all newspapers, and then proclaim
himself dictator, with General Sheridan rs
| his sole minister and CHIEF cXecutioncr."
The Times held The President responsible
for the Louisiana outrage. Ii said:
For ourselves we must say that the use
which was made OF the United States
troops seems TO have been an extreme cH-
ercisc OF power, and one for which the
President, who is primarily responsible TOR
II, must find il very difficult to show ade-
quatc authority. We do not believe that
the country will regard such procedure
with approval. Il it does, the consequences
10 our system Of government cannot be
easily forescen.'
But the country progresses in Tie march
TO imperialism. and this same Times now
has defended al the tyranny in Louisiana,
South Carolina, and Florida.
Nor have the people of New York found
sufficient proYocaton to stir them to Il
public show Of Indignation, notwitllstand-
ing that III january, 1878, they were pro-
voked By the lesser outrage in Louisiana to
make strong show Of their disapproba-
ton. The public meeting was convened
through 4 call signed by WILLIAM CULLEN
BRYANT (of the Evening POST, WILLIAM II.
EvAHTs, AUGUSTUS BELMONT, MANToN MAR
BILE (of the E1orlcN, WHlTELAw REID (of the
TriJNne), CHARLES 4. DANA (of the SEM,
SYDNEY WEBSTER, and others OF the most
prominent men in New York.
The call designated the Louisiana outrage
as s'the most marked attack upon the rights
':of American citizenship which has been