Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1877-12-29
FELiCIANA SENTINEL.

GUS. It would not only be rejected, bu
the guilty counselor would be punished
not in the same way (fol there is tech
nical ditference), but on the same princi
pie, that courts punish the ntterahce @
ADMINISTRATION of Justice by passing falls
and fraudulent documents upon conr
is, indeed, very much worse than ''shov
ing the queer" upon shopkeeper.
OF course, the wicketlness of III thi
depends on tho scienter. involuntary ie
norance would be an excuse. But tn
corrupt character of this certificate wa
known to all the world, and being :
public fact, the commissioners as vel
as everybody. else were bound to know
it.; besides that, the evidence was exhib
tied to their eyes; their rejection of il
assumed it to he true and they express.
ly ruled that no proof of fraud, howeve,
clear, would diminish the value of the
false paper in their estimation. So far
as am informed, they have never pre-
tended to be ignorant of the fact that
this vote was the offspring of fraudu-
lent conspiracy, nor have they denied
the law, which makes it void for that
reason. There is, therefore, nothing for
j. but to leave their reputation for Judi
cial integrity, as Bacon left his: ITO
foreign countries, to future ages, and to
mems charitable speeches"
The eight commissioners and the co0n-
eel on their side tried to frame a weak
excuse for this dereliction of duty by
reasoning thus: Congress gave the COM
mission no power but what the two houses
might have exercised themeves; the two
houses had no authority to revise cleo
ton returns from any State ergo, the
commission must receive a false, fraudu-
lent, and void certificate as ifit were a
real return, true and valid. In this syl-
Iogism, the premises, major and minor, are |
unsound, and the conclusion is a non &C. |
quitur. Congress has power, clear and |
unquestionable, not to 70 wise the action |
of the State authorities for the purpose
of correcting their mere errors, but to
ascertain whether paper pretending to
be return is q real return or a fraud,
1t the two houses are to count the votes
they must have the verifying power
which enables them to determine what
are votes and what are not A fraud or
power was delegated to the commission
with directions to ascertain by it who
were duly appointed. The majority did
not decline to exercise the power; they I
assumed 1t, took it and executed it, but J.,
they misused and abused it so az not to
verify, but to falsify the vote.
CHIEF JUDGE CHURCH. q
You invoke the name of Judge Church. | n
inc present Grief Justice CT the State of -
New York: If that distinguished, up
right end learned gentleman is on your j,
s,de OF this controversy, admit that the O
Great Fraud has a most powerful friend,
But your claim that he favors your doc 81
lrlne is prima facie evidence that he is O
against yon; for, in citing authorities, eI
rive us single sentence which yon say "
3 his, but yon do not tell us whether d.
is from judicial opinion, published IT,
etter or the report of an oral conversa- ~
ion. Knowing "the sin that doth so q
asily beset you," venture to say this al
notation is in some way false. Either So
on have have made it out of whole cloth =:
torn it from its context, or made an ~
pplication of 1T which the author never II
ltended. Let lis look at it. ar
You make the Chief Judge say ba
nat "the authorization Of the ei- tn
;tion of the Presidential Electors. M
to the laws of each State, i'm
final and conclusive, and that st,
'ere exists no Lower to go behind wi
'em." This sentence, with its bad lie
rammar and opuquene So OF express 90
on, is not like Judge Church's sea
ear and accurate style. But he mn
ay have said that the results Of an ont
ection, honest y authenticat ted by The
e proper authorities of the State, Sta
to its laws and the acts mn
Congress. ought 10 be accepted The
final and decisive of all antece- "a =,
mt disputes about it. That il no ver
ubt his opinion, and I Fl mly be- the
We him to be right on this as on vii
yer questions of law. But does ien,
follow that fraud or a forgery tho
y be regarded as a proper au- I "a
ntication ? Have the two houses I.n1
Congress, when they come 70 maj
mt the votes, no right to ds,in- abo,
81 between true paper and der.
'er void for manifest corruption =? ~
Judge Church Church to say dac;
your comfort and assistance h,rr
=. ~" ess VI any other tribunal erly
'ooee anu treat as say
a false paper known to have like
D concoc:ed in wiIful HOud. he a
end OF gratifying your wish, he of it
make the tenderest vein liz Ia ar
heart ache with his contempt. naoe
TO THE ALLEGED cUTRAGEs. moi
[aily persons are OF opinion that oarrt
~ w.. WIG Tue arucle 10 write
20 'o. nane IS APPENDED. They