National Republican., 1877-02-17
WHAT Is A REPUBLIcAN FORM or Gov
ERNMENTf Il /.

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One ofthe most Extraordinary proposi.
tions brought forward in the momentous
inquiry now going on before the people, ID
that by which the electoral vote Of Louis.
lana is attempted to be shut out, ON the
ground that the State has not republl.
licsn form of government. 1t Is extraor.
dinary both a. to the merit of tho objec.
tion and the purpose for which II Is raised,
and can have but one effect upon the pub
lie mind, and that Ia TO carry the general
conviction against the case made by the
Democracy. When the united intelligen.
cies Of all the great minds charged with
the management Of that case can devise no
more demonstrable position than this
upon which to base the claims Of their can.
ddate, IT has surely an inherent weakness
beyond the aid Of legal skill, and the pre-
scribed remedies will be of no avail.
IfLouisisns had not republican form
Of government, then such government Is
not enjoyed by single State of the Union.
A republican form of government, say the
publicists, Is that Of commonwealth; q
State whose sovereign power is exercised
by representatives elected by the people.
1t 10 not that Of democracy, wherein the
people themselves execute their preroga-
tives,. and exercise their will In person.
And yet such government as this would
seem to be the ideal Of q republican gov
ernment by those who contend that Lou
isiana has not such one. In republican
governments the people elect representa-
tives for certain term, and during the
pendency Of that term. no matter what the
change In their will or wishes, they are
bound by the action of those representa-
tives. even though directly opposed to their
own views, precisely the same az II 10 CON
currence with them. In democracles the
present will Of the people Is sovereign as
against any antecedent expression OF Il,
and there are no representatives of adverse
opinions In the way Of an immediate en-.
forcement Of the changed views. How
often has IL been the case with us, that the
people, having voted against the party
electing Senators and Representatives, for.
getting ours is republic and not demo-
cracy. have thought 1t competent for them
to instruct, through their Legislatures or
the proceedings Of popular assemblages,
their Senator'S and Representatives how to
vote on particular questions before Con-
gressf But this right has never been ad.
mitted, and cannot be until we abandon q
republican form Of government and as
sumo the democratic.
The complaint Of Louisiana Is that she
has by her legislation adopted system OF
election laws that enables the party in pos
session to retain power, as against the op.
position in the State; that the Republican
party, having gained the administration,
made such laws as renders 1t impossible
for the Democracy to contend successfully
against II; that on one or two occasions
since the enactment of these laws the De-
mocrscy have actually cast the majority
vote. but have been deprived Of its fruits
by their operation, sustained by the action
of the Federal power, and that, therefore,
the State Of Louisiana has not In fact .
republican form Of government. A SUN.
cient answer to this would be, that II II
were all true, It would not affect the ques.
tion Of the character Of the govern.
mtut IN tuo lthbtp hb tu6 WuOl6 mat
ter Of complaint emanates rom the people,
the source Of all power; and as any remedy
to be applied must proceed from them,
tn rough the same constituted forms of &C.
tion that originated the alleged evil. But
1t is not true in point Of fact. The Repub-
lican party had the wisdom to see that
there would soon be an attempt ON the
part of the opposition to gain the sscen.
dancy by Intimidation and violence; and
that some measure must be taken to pre-
vent such result. They enacted laws su-
thorizing certain body created for that
purpose to throw out the votes Of all pre-.
cincts and parishes which should be shown
to have been carried by such means. This
law then expressed the will Of the people,
and now protects the continued expression
| of that will. Without II. elections In the
State would be mockery, and violence
would administer the government. And
II such state of things would fall within
the definition ofs republican government,
as construed by those who raise this oh.
lection to the vote Of the State. they Ger.
tainly ought not to be allowed to realize 1t.