New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-24
POLITICAL CHAOS.


If there be those who desire that all the
lights of the constitution shall be blown |
out by the rude breath of popular vio-
lence; if there be a party which, having
failed to impress its rule upon the Federal
government, shall mock at the struggle
which precedes its dissolution and rejoice
to see the vessel sink which it could not
be permitted to command, the present
aspect of affairs will consummate such de-
signs and fill with JOY the hearts of those
who hate republican government.
The popular body of Representatives
has employed its casual and accidental
majority to defame the administration of
the Federal government; to suspend the
appropriations for giving effect to the
laws; to surrender every principle of con-
stitutional construction which formerly
separated the people into parties; to SUBJ
stitute sectional and sectarian hate for
the honest differences as to the best mode
of preserving the common inheritance; to
attack the acts of State officers once re-
garded as sacred, and to threaten in effect
an armed revolution to any government
which the leaders of these ambitious de-
signs can not be permitted to control
President Lincoln once said that the
States were ''the counties of the Union"
1t was regarded by the then party of State
rights as a sacrilegious sentiment.
The States were, in the eyes of the
Southern Democracy, sovereignties. To-
day they are not even respected as would
be counties or other political corporations.
The House of Representatives having as
sumed to itself the right to decide the
presidential election, has invaded the
States with an authority that it could not
exercise over the corporation of a railroad,
bank or an insurance company. 1t hes
demanded the persons of officers Gre
ated by State law, and responsible alone
to the State for the performance of their
duties. The constitution says:
Each State shall appoint, in such manner
as the Legislature thereof may direct,
number of electors. The Congress may de.
tsrmine the time of choosing the electors.
Yet under this limitation of powers the
House of Representatives summon before
them the officers appointed by this State
to determine the vote for the electors,
and would compel these officers under
pain of Imprisonment, to submit their
official acts to the adjudication of the
House of Representatives Were this
usurping body to have extended this
claim Of authority over the whole Union,
and compel the officers of all the States
to surrender their discretion, and submit
their acts to the reyersion of the House,
there might be some apparent purpose to
assert for the popular body the para
mount right to construe and control the
rights of coordinate departments of the
government. This is not the case. The
great States Of New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, etc., have been allowed to appoint
and elect their electors in their own way,
while the claim of authority is restricted
TO few comparatively weak States,
whose votes are supposed to award the
presidency and its patronage to the
Democratic majority which rules the
House of Representatives.
The Republican party has been de.
nounced because under the constitutional
amendments and laws passed Hereunder,
the executive has maintained the peace,
and enforced the Federal laws within the
United States. For this there is warrant
of law. The power has been exercised
without injury to person or property, but
for the preservation Of both. What, how
ever, can be said in explanation of this
extraordinary claim of power in the House
of Representatives. Nothing except de
termination on the part of the Democracy
which constitutes that body, that it viii
neither command nor scuttle the ship o.
Stats. II Mr.. Tilden be not inaugurated
then viii the Democratic party claim the
same dissolution from any obligation Il
obey the laws of the Union that they nov
exercise in Louisiana, 20 defy the laws ~
administered By the Republican govern
mentof the State.
Nothing except theginAugaEatiOn Of th.
lawfully elected President Hayes, car
prevent q political chaos, nor can even
that result prevent such depiorable con
diiion Of affairs unless with the cordial
concurrence Of ell conservative oisizeai