The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-02
SHALL LOUISIANA BE LEFT WITH
orr A GOVERNMENT?

UUF UVR bhAmENa
No man can doubt, with the informa-
ton now placed before him, that the
only State government we have ID
louisiana IL that of which Gov. Nichols
ID the Chief Executive. Its complete
government In full operation. IL 10
the government, by the admission OF all
partieg. which alone can enforce the
laws and insure peace and order IN the
State.
The mockery OF government at the
St. Louis Hotel offers no serious
obstacle to the operations OF this gov
eminent. packard's bogus Legislature,
which has never yet had quorum OF
elected or returned members, has been
for some time engaged In mere play or
pretence OF assembling and going
through some Of the forms OF legislation
To amuse O crowd Of negro loafer5 and
nolicemen. As for the pretender Pack
ard. there Ia now none 80 poor rs TO 90
him reverence. He has not performed
single valid act as Governor OF the
State. He is as naked OF all executive
garments, and as destitute OF oil execu-
tive powers, as when he first came into
this breathing world. He freely admits
that no Is hanging on, merely, IN COM
| plinnce with the demands OF his party
| friends In Washington, and that IL ne
could obey his own impulses, he would
abandon the position. He imagines
Ithat his case Is identified with that OF
HAYES. and that II he let's go OF that
shadowy governorship he will be re-
parded as q traitor 10 Hayes and the
national party. He has delivered him.
self into the hands Of John Sherman,
Hurlbut, Howe and others OF the Con-
pressional Committees sent to this
State. and does their bidding not cheer
fully, but with that implicit and I'M
scrupulous servility which has charac-
terized his whole course.
| These virulent and unscrupu-
lous politicians, who have no in
terest in our State, are the
principal instruments in impos"
ing upon Louisiana her present chaotic
condition. At their solicitation Gen.
| Grant has maintained the ridiculous
anomaly OF o stdtu quo, which OBJ
structs oil efforts OF the only real gov
eminent of the State. The continu-
ance OF this condition Is @ great wrong
and evil. It leaves our people virtually
without law, or government which can
enforce its authority. Is this q fulfill
ment OF the constitutional obligation
Ct the Federal government, to guaian-
tee to each State a republican form OF
government? Is the "statu quo, dual
government, the republican form of
i government, within the words OF the
constitution? Is it not, indeed,
q reproach to republican gov
eminent that any State should be
left In such q condition for weeks, and
1t will be for months, should the deter
mination be carried out Of making the
solution dependent upon that Of the
electoral issue.
/ The duty OF Congress and OF the Pres
ident, beyond question, is to proceed
iipromptfy to relieve our people from
their present condition and withdraw all
sanction from the wretched faction
which maintains the semblance Of an in
surrectionary government In our midst,
which has no power to enforce the laws
or protect the public interests, and
which is fit only to vex the State and
paralyze its energies. Action In this mat,
ter ought not to be delayed. The high
est public and private interests require
that prompt relief should be given us
from the present vexatious situation.
, Under our State constitution, the Leg
islature can sit but sixty days; more
than half Of that time has expired. The
Legislature has been actively engaged
In the herculean task Of preparing
statutes to reform the innumerable
abuses which have crept into our politi
cal system and taken root there. It Ii
greatly INSTRUCTED In this work, anC
the execution Of its laws is prevented o.
delayed, by the obstacle created by tn,
interference Of the Executive. Should
, Congress allow such condition O
affairs to continue for q month, for
!, week. or day, in any Of the States 0
, this Union?