New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-16

l0on6 6ranbS Just ab the closing OF mis- term,
with reference to the government of Louis
lana, has given some Importance to rumors
and predictions concerning the policy of
President Hayes, which we have believed
entirely unauthorized, and for which we
can see no warrant either in justice or ex-
pediency. Under the speciOus phrase of q
"pOlicy of pacificatiOn" certain persons and
journals are suggesting q course which
would combine about equal parts of cow
ardice and treachery; in TACT, nothing less
than an attempt to placate the bloodthirsty
and revolutionary elements of the South by
abandoning the loyal whites and the emsn-
cipated cOlOred people TO their mercy. The
Democratic papers are demanding this as
arrogantly az they demanded the electoral
compromise and with about the same
amount of good faith; the Independent"
press are out in full chorus for the surrender
of the whole South to the unchecked law
lessness of the White League "chivalry;"
and those Boston Republican" papers
which pander to Southern trade or which
are eager to fall in with whatever may be
the "pOlicy of the administration" are al
ready trimming their sails for the disgrace
full abandonment of the most important
| principle established by the victory over re-
bellion-that of the paramount duty of al
legiRnce to the nation and the reciprocal
| duty of the nation 30 maintain republican
| government and to protect every citizen
constitutional rights.
We protest against any such abandon
ment of principle; any such surrender to
| the lawless supremacy of the revolutiOnists
and banditti of the South. We protest
| against the recognition of force as supe-
rlor to law; against the concession that per-
| sistent outraged and lawlessness can at
last command a national acquiescence. We
ask for Maine at the hands o. the national
| government no right or privilege which we
| are not willing to cOncede to either of the
States Of the South, Notwithstanding the
| wickedness of their rebellion, md we de-
mand of the States Of the South only that
obedience to the constitution, respect for
| law, and recognition of the rights of citi.
zens, which are conceded and expected in
Maine. The constitution guarantees the
| rights of citizenship, and while in New
England and elsewhere the ignorant and
the vicious are given free access to the
ballot box, we denOunce any pretence that
| a class of the people at the South may as.
sumo political dietation, and deprive large
masses of citizens of their constitutional
right to vote. That is the whole problem.
The white ex-rebels of the South are de-
termined that the eOlored citizens shall not
exercise their influence at the polls, and in
several States they have massacred and
prosecuted them into an abandonment of
their political rights. By continuous dis
order and persistence in revolutionary dem
OnstratiOns the White Liners have deter
| mined to harass the Northern people into
such WEAKNESS of the anarchy that they
will surrender full control to the violent
minority for the sake of an apparent and
dishOnOrable peace. And there are men
and journals in the North ready to strike
hands with the blood stained assassins of
of COuehatta, COlfax, Vicksburg and Ham
| burg, because it is tiresOme to continue the
battle for constitutional liberty and equal
rights.
The case of Louisiana is just now most
prominently before the public, and one
might we'll be amazed that certain people
are cOOlly discussing the political expe-
diency" OF a refusal of the national govern
ment to recognize the lawful Governor of
| that State, and the recognition instead of
person having no shadow of title to such
| executive authority. No one attempts to
present any other excuse for such an ex-
traordinary proposal, than that the Nichols
revOlutionists in Louisiana are formidably
armed and organized; that they are more
powerful as a military force than the I'M
| armed majority of citizens of the State;
that they embrace many of the wealthy
white men of New Orleans and other cities
who have always been foremost in rebel
lion; that they are evidently determined to
keep up a disturbance until they accom-.
plish their purpose, and that they would
keep things quiet" if we would but allow
| them to place their feet upon the necks of
the peaceable majority of the citizens of the
State. The proposition is mOnstrOus on it's
face. ....s
Let us look at the facts. The President
\ of the United States is now requested by
the leaders of the elements in the South
| which have given the country the most
| trouble before, during and since the war to
refuse any recognition of Stephen B. Pack
ard as Governor, but to extend that recog-
milton to Francis T. Nichols as the lawful
executive of the State. Rather q curious
| proposition, surely, to be made to President
Hayes, whose title to the chief magistracy
of the Union is based upon the same can
vass and declaration of the votes of LOuisi-
ana which aceredit Governor Packard as
the legally elected executive of the State.
/ The electoral votes of Louisiana were
counted for Hayes and Wheeler on the
ground maintained by Meesrs. Evarts, Mat
thews and the other counsel, and affirmed
| by the voice of the Joint Commission, that
the Returning Board was solely empowered
under the constitution and laws of the State
to declare the results of the election, and
/ that its declaration was final and conclu-
sive. The Returning Board, which declared
majority of 1881 for the Hayes electors,
simultaneously declared that Stephen B.
Packard had . majority of 1896 for Gov
ernor of the State, difference of but sos
votes between the two, while Packard re-
| ceived more votes than there electors. The
returns were opened and read January in
joint assembly of the Legislature, and the
election of Governor Packard regularly
and formally declared. The full Senate Of
Louisiana consists of thirty Elk members,
and nineteen duly elected members, con
shutting q quorum of the Senate, were pres
emit in the joint assembly. The full House
has 100 members, and sixty-eight duly
qualified participated in the joint meeting,
30 that the declaration of Governor Pack
ards election was made with every form of
legality.
Who is Francis T. Nichollsi He is the
man who was the Democratic candidate for
Governor, and who has been declared de-
feated by the only authority existing in the
State for the canVassing of elections. His
claim has no pretenee of being based upon
any official or legal canvass, bat rests upon
figures made up by local Democratic cam
paign committee, and even those figures
give Packard about 1000 more votes than
Hayes. The only attempt at anything like
sanction Of his claims was made by getting
together bogus and unauthorized body as
suming to be Legislature and having them
read the lists prepared by the Campaign
committee and thereon declare him Gov
ernOr. OF the so-called Nichols Legislature
the benate contained seventeen members
duly certified, and the House but forty en-.
titled to act. The pretended quorum was
made up by swearing in q lot of persons
having no credentials, and by this easv
method Nichols acquired all the title he
has to the g0vernorship of Louisiana.
Governor Packard was duly elected by
the returns of the only lawful eanvassing
authority in the State; his election was duly