The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1877-11-18
THE LOUISIANA COMMISSION.

] THE LOUISIANA COMMISSION.
i A Washington special to the Times yester
day afternoon states that 'the House Appro
priation Committee reported yesterday thu
miscellaneous deficiency bill, which contains
the following item: Expenses of the Louisi
ana Commission appointed by the President
$4,115 ~ The correspondent of the Times
adds 'it will make prodigious row." It will
be strange indeed, II the proposition to make
any such appropriation does not "make g
prodigious row." and it will be still more
strange II any Democrat is found to vote
for 1t. There is no warrant in the constitu.
tion for any such commission, and any ap.
preparation to pay its expenses out of public
1t be not robbery.
What public necessity was there for the
Louisiana Commission Upon what princi-
pie OF free government was 1t organized
What precedent do we find In the history OF
| constitutional republics for the appointment
OF political commissions to organize legisla-
lures and arbitrate the results of popular cleo
tions Such commissions are abhorrent to
the principles Of free government and should
arouse the jealousy and excite the antagonism
OF the people everywhere.
Those are grand words which Judge Black,
in his letter we printed yesterday morning
addressed to the disgraced legal confederate
OF the Returning Board, who, for his dirty
work, has been rewarded with q mission to
Russia. II look" said the indomitable old
Democrat, not 'sonly with contempt but with
abhorrence, upon all the special tribunals
which have disgraced the history of Our race
on both sides of the Atlantic. including the
Star Chamber, the Court of High Commission,
all military and ecclesiastical commissions
and all commissions for political purposes. If
could revive in this generation the stern
hatred which our fathers felt for those danger
GUS enemies OF liberty and justice, l would be
a great public benefactor.
We trust that enough of the stern hatred
our fathers felt for commissions for political
purposes lives in the hearts of the Demo-
cratic representatives in Congress to vote
down the proposition to appropriate $4115 II
to pay the expenses of the Louisiana Com
mission
That Commission was an insult to the SOW
ereign State of Louisiana. The country was
In the midst of profound peace; a general
election had just been held; the people of
Louisiana, under the constitution of the
United States and the constitution of the |
State, in accordance with the forms and the |
spirit of the laws, had elected State officers. |
members of the Legis lature and parochial Off |
'ials, a band of political conspirators support |
I'd by the Federal troops, in defiance of the !
expressed will of the people,
I'M nff,> ~ 1
y elected government and set up a usurpation.
such was the situation when the Louisiana
Commission was organized and sent to this
'tate Under such circumstances the Federal |
government had but one legitimate course to
,ursue; that was to Withdraw its illegal in
and permit the people of the State.
lnder their own constitution and laws, to ad-
ust their own affairs. The Administration
It first agreed to do this; then it hesitated
elayed, and finally organized this illegal DO.
ltical commission to visit the State and ne
'otiate the adjustment Of questions which
he constitution requires shall be settled
My by popular election, and which had
een SO settled by this people,
Among free peoples there are but two
Methods of establishing governments. First,
through the ballot-box. When that fails,
r when the issue determined by that
Method is resisted. the second method
ecomes the proper and only legal one-revo-
ltion. In all the history of mankind; In all
he utterances of the statesmen of free coun-
ries, these are the only two methods of de-
the status of administrations re-
ognized. Nowhere, save in the chronicles
despotism and usurpation, do we find
olitical commissions settling, or attempting
. settle, these questions.
Let the Democratic members of Congress
ear these facts in mind, and vote against
ny proposition to pay or recognize as any
hing else than a partisan scheme to cover up
great political outrage, the Louisiana Com
lission.