The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-11-28

Gratis were wrong to some ext &. lie may
be that we ought not TO hi, spoken in
/ harsh terms Of censure, or saitlnytbihg to
disturb the serenity of the KNEES who did
Us this terrible injustice. But yon are not
altogether blind you must XIV that this
was, in our situation. simp Impossible.
| Here was great nation, WIG had suffered
| By misgoyernmenE more m any other
under the sun, her propert' otxed almost to
confscation--her industry sushed to the
earth--her public domain Handered away
her best citizens starvinTE the hundred
| thousand in the midst of Rs plenty which
| their own LABOR had pr0fJsed, corruption
| was reveling in high place nd fattening on
| the general distress. Tb' tople determin-
| ed 20 reform the admiration OF their
public affairs, and restore, cir own prosper
| ity, by choosing rulers 1om they could
trust for that purposepThey expressed
their will to that effect le9Iy, constitution
ally. and peacefully, antsiIey were defeat
ed by an imDudent sBpdle. Is it any
wonder that
THE GREAT HEART o. THE DEMOCRACY
swELLED WITH DIGATIoN?
Even if their feelinga 'und vent in Ian
guage too passionate. ought to remem-
Der. with Burke, that cmething must be
pardoned 10 the spirit 1t liberty / con-
ceGe, however. that m feeling of resent
mcnt will excuse US fCe charging a conspir-
acy where none existe )r fraud where none
was committed. Eve we were wrong ed
that does not give us W. privilege of apply
ing terms which do NJ express the real ma
ture of the injury. ne can JUSTIFY our
words only by showi hat we use them
truly. in a sense auth fzed by the law and
the common speech fS5he country. Other
wise our language isyike some of yours,
mere vtuperatlOn, jdisgraceful only to
thcse:w who utter it. Accepting, therefore,
the OnuS pr6bGRdi, letlne bring your atten-
g. liz
known. II IS proves if human testimony
can prove anything that the people of
Louisiana did, on th seventh of Novembe
last past, duly, and y regular ballots, make
an appointment Presidential electors
known to be in faVr of Tilden and Hen
bricks, and authorized them to cast the vote
of the STATE 1t is hst as clear the appoint
ment made by thepeople was set at naught
by a gross falsiiic jon of the records and
returns of the elet1cn. This was effected by
the corrupt agony of certain local officers,
combined with otter persons in and out OF
the State, who IT. tied TO it. abetted them
in it, ard helped hem To elothe the cheat in
what they said wire the s'forms flaw. Is it
u misnomer to can this a conspiracy? That
0heuse is definedas combination of sever
al persons to accomplish an unlawful pIr-
pose, by concered action. How can you
get your friends outside of this detination !?
Persons acting il this way are always treat
ed cOnspiratTs, and by the law of every
civilized county in the world, they are Sc
verely punished.
The successful scheme to cheat those peo-
pie out of theirvotes for State officers and
Presidential electors is, therefore, Grim
of the greatest magnitude, and one which
requires chetk. of solid brass to defend it
blushIsy. 1t is far worse than a
to seal any amount of public
money. Running crooked whisky for life
l.
cence in com parison. The ultimate object
of this crime gives it general aspect revolt
ing in the last degree but its features, when
seen in detail, are hideouS beyond express
sion. Some returns were entirely suppress
ed and others were altered; votes actually
cast were thrown out, and others put in
and counted which we're known not to have
been polled. The whole proceeding was
full OF false pretences. Forgery of the most
important documents was part of il; per-
jury and subornation of erjury attended it
at every step Shall these things be forgot
ten or condened? Do you expect the cheat
ed people of The nation TO say, like the eight
that this is as good way as
any to elect a President?
The great fundamental fact which under
lies all others in regard to Louisiana is, thai
the State, by her qualified voters chose and
appointed the Tilden electors in due and le-
nd t astls,ve Jhs = F e. All sasa
ion dumb. In less than two days after the
election it was known all over THE country
nat in Louisiana there had been la full poll
md heavy IN ajoritv for Tllden. Very
soon afterward the official count made and
recorded in several parishes by Republican
officers of the election were brought to-
yether, and the exact vote OF each candi-
late was asceTtained. The figures could
not be made to lie, and all PARTIES agreed
l. Al. IL .la,N ola
averaged nearly eight thousand. Now, re-
II EN- Der, this was public act not done in a
corner, but transacted in the face of the
world and the uncontradicted report of II
:arried perfect conviction along with IL.
Upon evidence of this kind the most impor-
ant fact in the history of the universe was
accepted as true in all parts of the earth i'm
nediately after it happened, and for more
han eighteen centuries the most powerful
minds ia christendom have stalk ed upon il
heir highest interests in this world aud
heir salvation in the next
BUT THERE WAS OTHER EvIEENcE.
Committees of Congress were sent down,
charged with the special duty of ing uiring
INTO the matter on the ground. and they re-
ported the true result of the election TO DC
IS previously stated, that's to say, 1853 ma
ority for Ti1den. Even that is not all. The
original documents and records showing
" hat the vote was, as actually counted by
Republican commissioners OF election,
by their sworn certificates
and verified by the oaths of many credible
persons, were produced before Congress aud
before the electoral commission. These We're
conclusive proofs; they were submitted to
your ms pection, and it you do not know from
.hem that a large majority of the people at
hat election voted for Tilden electors and
the Democratic State officers, YOU are
wholly unfit for youf business. But you
r. dan without totally
your character for common YER
acitv Forced b. the irreSist bic strength
IF the proofs, you admit or Ito use your Owl
VordS) assume that the majority for the
Tilden electors was 1863. So, therefore, that
IS settled There is another point of fact
hat is also established. The majority for
he Tilden electors was made up by the
votes of legally qualified citizens. | do not
saw this merely because the reception of the
votes by the proper election omcerS was
Der Sc an adjudication in favor OF the voters
ri eht but for the further reason that the
election at all the polling places was in the
hands and under the complete control OF
he opposing party. who would certainly
not permit any Democratic vote TO go IN II
hey could legally keep it out. Besides,
The house committee, when they went to
Louisiana, with power to send for persons
and papers, could not find anybody not 4
or customhouse officer
hardy enough to assert that the Democrats
polled illegal votes. You have not denied,
and suppose will not, that the majority of
seven thousand six hundred and fifty-nine
which you admit was cast for the Tilden
electors, was cast by properly qualified cit
zens Another thing:
THE ELECTION WAS FREE AND PEAcEABLE.
The officers reported no disturbance.
Every polling place was manned Dy police
men, deputy -marshals and soldiers in the
interest of the carpet-baggers. and all of
them testify that there was no violence Of
anv kind which called for their interior
ence The same is true with regard TO the
That there could have been
no force or intimidation at other places, or
times, which kept people away from the
election is proved by the large number that
came The vote was the heaviest ever
nolled in the State and larger in proportion
TO the whole population as ascertained by
the census, than In most other States where
ali the exertions of both parties were used
to bring out their last man..
The necessary result briefly stated, of all
the facts known and proved IS this, that the
people OF Lonisianana, having the undoubt.
ed power to choose their own electors, did
regularly, duly and legally appoint the Til