Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-06-01
THE SOUTHERN QUESTION AND THE
PRESIDENTS POLICY.


| New York Times, written on behalf OF more
than one hundred prominent Southern Re.
publicans, stating their Views OF the political
situation and inviting mine. | have also re-
ceivcd many letters from different parts of
! the country inquiring the condition OF the
Senatorial question from Louisiana, as 1t
stood at the adiour mcnt of the Senate. Az
| the meeting OF the Senate on the 9TH OF March
last William Pitt Kellogg, Of Louisiana, pre-.
scntcd himself for membership upon crcdcn.
| tials that had some weeks before been read
before the Senate and laid upon the table, A
motion was made TO refer the credentials 10
| the Committee on Privileges and Elections.
| This was opposed, upon the ground that Mr.
| Kellogg had primd fdcie title to a seat, his
certificate Of election being signed by s. b.
| Packard, as Governor of Louisiana, under the
| great seal of the State, and alleging that he
had been duly elected by the Legislature
The question was whether the Senate would
take notice that s. b. Packard was Governor
Of Louisiana IL he was, then the certificate
] gave Mr.. Kellogg such right as under the
general practice in the Senate entitled him TO
take his scat, leaving the legality Of his cleo.
| ton TO subsequent investigation. In argu-
ment 1t was shown by the journals Of the
Legislature that each house of the Lcgis-
lature which elected Kellogg had quorum OF
membCrs, certified as such by the Returning
| Board. This board was empowered by the
Laws of Louisiana to examine and count the
| vote, and determine who had been chosen
members of the Legislature, and to transmit
their determination TO the Secretary of
| State. The Secretary of State was directed
| TO make list OF the members returned as
elected by the Board, which he was TO trans
| init to the Secretary OF the Senate and Clerk
| OF the House Of the former Legislature, and
| the Legislature was to be organized only by
such persons as were named in the list fur
nished by the Secretary OF State. A quorum
| of persons in each house thus certified as
elected met on the day fixed by law and or
] fra, nj on.h a at Il
the two houses met next day in joint con-
vention, in accordance witt he provisions
| of the Constitution, and cal dsscd the votes
! for Governor and acknowledgements and
declared s, B. Packard to have been elected
! Governor and G. G.. Antoine Lieutenant. Gov
ernor. Afterward, on the day fixed by the
| act Of Congress for the election of United
States Senator, u majority of the whole num-
ber of members so returned as elected met
in jOintconvcution and elected William Pitt
Kellogg to the Senate for the term OF six
years beginning on the 4th day of March,
1877, On the motion to refer Kelloggs ere.
dentials to the committee the Democratic
members voted solidly in the affirmative, to-
gether with five Republicans, and 1t was
| adopted
| The Committee on Privileges and Elections
met soon afterward, and the Republican
members united in report that primo facie
S. b. Packard was the lawful Governor of
! Louisiana; that the Legislature was the law
full Legislature, and that William 2. Kellogg
had been elected in conformity to the
act of Congress, and was entitled to
be sworn i'm and take his seat. AS a
number of members of the Senate were alb
sent and the subject would lead to long
debate, and there was general anxiety to
adjourn, the report was not laid before the
Senate. II majority of the Senate shall at
the next session be OF the opinion that Kel-
logg was lawfully elected by the Legislature
of Louisiana, he will be entitled to his seat,
notwithstanding the events that have since
! occurred. No subsequent breaking up OF
| that Legislature, combination or arrange
ment can affect his title or destroy the legali-
ty of what took place at that time Though
the very members who proclaimed the cleo
| tion of Packard and made that of Kellogg
should subsequently declare that of Nichols
aud take part in the election of SpoffOrd, it is
too clear for argument they could not take
away rights which had vested, or make that
unlawful which had been before lawful.
Unless Kellogg voluntarily withdraws, the
Senate will have to decide the question OF
his election as it stood at the time of the ad-
journment.
The Republican Governments of Lousi-
ana and South Carolina have yielded to
force. They have gone down before an
armed minority whose threats of future vio-
lcncc were guaranteed by long train of
bloody deeds in the past. regret that the
real character of the transaction should
Dc ODSCuTcu III IHc ledSI by pTcIc0ucu IN
vcstigations or negotiations. Stripped of
all disguises and pretcnscs, the simple fact
is that Packard and Chamberlain were not
able to maintain themselves in authority,
and the Government OF the United States, in
the exercise of its discretion refused them
its support Their Legislatures, finding them
selves dcfens eless, fell to pieces, and from
their ruins, in part, new Legislatures have
been constructed, whose legality consists
only in the fact that they exist, and that there
are none to oppose them. The law and the
rights of the majority have yielded to an
armed and aggressive minority. The Demo-
cratic party of Louisiana, an undoubtcd mi
norty, possessing the most of the wealth,
arms and military experience, were deter
mined to govern, whatever it might cost IN
the way of life. Their pretended majority
at the late election had cost many lives, and
was the product of the most infamous and
damning Of crimes. The murders and crimes
had been proved, and the bloodstained ma
! jOrty set aside by lawful process. The Ad
ministralion decided that such a case of in
surrection and violence was not presented as
authorized the National Government to in.
tcrvenc, and that the contcndng parties
must be left to their own strength and re
sources. 1t WAS apparently worked out
| through the presence of the commission,
and seemed to take the form Of negotiation
Assurances were given that the rights Of all
classes should be protected, and the Gov.
fit OF all. General promises Of this kind
amount to little, especially when left to the
voluntary execution of party which be
licvcs that the colorcd man ought not to have
political rights-even personal freedom, and
| who have never considered him part of the
people. President Hayes was urged to giveuI
Louisiana and South Carolina at once, an6
was told 1t was only question of time; thai
at the next election thoy would go as Missis
sippi, Alabama and other States had, and n
would be better TO give them up at once How
| ever repulsive this argument, it was unfort-
unately too true. The same crimes and VIC
lence which had wrenched Mississippi and
Alabama from the Republican party, and had
so nearly captured Louisiana and South Car
olina, would certainly succeed the next time
This was an argument of expediency-no
of right and Justice. President Hayes has
but accepted the situation as it was be
queathed to him on the 4th of March. Re
publican Governments in Louisiana anC
South Carolina could only be kept in place
by the army.
What might have been the result hat
President Grant promptly recognized tht
Packard and Chamberlain Governments il
January, and declared his purpose TO sustain
them by force, II is not now necessary Il
discuss; but he did not do so, and on the All
Of March, when Mr.. Hayes came into power
he found these Governments existing only II
name, surrounded by enemies, living onl,
from day to day by the presence and protec
ton of the United States troops.
Would it have been in the power of th,
President to maintain them by the army? 4
Democratic House of Representatives re
Gently withheld appropriations for the sup
port of the army, except on the condition
that it should not be used In the Southern
States. 1t was clearly unconstitutional tC
put such condition Into the bill, but II did
and was likely TO do II again at the oxtr
session thus made necessary. The majorit,
of the House, made up Of Southern Demo
Gratis, late Confederates, and desperately il
earnest and OF Northern Democrats who'll
subscrviept, thus threatened the existenc
of the army, and had it in their power to dc
stroy IL. Tho question was, should tn
President yield TO the inevitable, or proceei
Only 10 inevitable defeat?
There are and have been for years man.
Republicans in the North who have depre
Gated the use OF the army for the support o
Republican State Governments in the South
The Republican majority in the Senate upol
Southern questions is but nominal, IL it OK
lists at all. Five Republican Senators vote
at the late executive session against seating
Kellogg and to refer his credentials TO tn
committee thus refusing to recognize tn
Packard Government. And number OF Re