The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-17

der a'' that the great heart q the Democrat,
Bweed with indignation Even IL their feel.
ings found vent In language too passionate, YOU
ought to remember, with Burkes that some.
thing must be pardoned to the spirit Of liberty.
we n9 feae 81
whore none existed, or fraud where none was
committed. Even five were wronged, that does
3 not give us the privilege Of applying terms
which do not express the real nature of the In
jury. We can Justify our words only by show
ing that we use them truly. in q sense author
country. Otherwise our language is, like some
gf yours. mere vituperation, disgraceful only to
those who utter r it. Accepting, therefore, the
certain facts well and publicly known.
II WAS CONSPIRACY.
81 It is proved, II human testimony can prove
anything, that the people of Louisiana did, on
the 7th Of November last past duly, and by reg
tial Electors known to be In favor OF ,Tilden and
Hendricks. and authorized them to cast the vote
OF the state IL Is Just as clear that the appoint
ment made by the people was set at naught by O.
gross Justification of the records and returns of
the election. This was effected by the corrupt
other persons in and out of the State who in
cited them to It,, abetted them In 1t. and helped
them to elothe the cheat in what they said were
this q conspiracy That offense Is defined as q
combination OF several persons to accomplish
an unlawful purpose, by concerted action. How
can you get your friends outside of this deflni-
ttonf Persons acting In this way are always
treated as conspirators and by the law of every
eiyized in the world they are severely
Of thousands that might be given. Divers dis
10 honest men at st. Louis combined to defraud
spirits and they did 1t by a preconcerted series
OF false and deceptive returns, which certain
public officers confederated with them passed
on us true. This was held, and Justly held to
be a consracy, and some of the parties to it
were sent to the. penitentiary.
Perhaps you do not see the parallel, but the
ID nasN5 In ,ip
case which you defend the object of The com
bination was to cheat the people out of their
right Of self-government, while the purpose OF
the bt. Louis conspiracy was to rob hem of their
money; LII this makes any difference, It Is great
X against you, for liberty is more precious
wise men who won the Independence and built i
up the institutions of this country. the privilege
OF choosing our own rulers was infinitely the
bought this freedom for their children, and do
not know one tolerably decent American who
whatever. AT the critical period in the history
Of Louisiana which occurred last year 1t was
especially valuable, to her people, for It fur
nlshed them the only legal, peaceable, and safe
measure of relief from the exactions of a most
corrupt and Oppressive government. The sue
cessful scheme to cheat those people out Of their
10, therefore. o. crime OF the greatest magnitude
and one which requires a check of solid brass to
defend 1t without blushing. II Is far worse than
Il conspiracy to steal any amount of public
money. Running crooked whisky for a life
time would be an act OF white-robed innocence
The ultimate object Of this crime gives il n
general aspect revolving in TIE last degree: but
its features, when seen in detail. are hideous
beyond expression Some returns were en-
t1rely suppressed, and others were altered
votes actually cast were thrown out. and others
pus put u ana conated wnich were known not to
full OF false pretences. Forgery of the most i'm
porrtant documents was part Of III perjury
step. Shall these things be forgotten or con,
doned Do you expect the cheated people of
the nation to say, like the eight commissioners,
that this Is as good way Us any to elect Pres
ident2
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION.
One of your, allegations Is that intended "tc |
convey the false impression that the forma |
tlon 81 the commission was the result of Re-
President and Vice President; and Judge
Bradley taking your, word for, it, has made |
n he inrv 81 by pnbdc complaint
pr anything like it. On the contrary. I re. |
fIorred to the commission as being proposed
dangers which might spring from q con- |
Einued and final disagreement between the two |
and nd rs being accepted by the Demo
md an honest decision rendered against the |
rand. In al this there is nothing about a con-
'2gi gu IN the formation of the commission"
vilfully y Is one of your characteristic mae
;uracies like that which charges Dante with
ne indeeencies of the Decameron
No; the conspiracy was not in the formation
4 the commission. but in the frauds which
fabricated and returned those bogus votes. The
fhs to verify the votes and
erly disappointed the friends Of truth, and AM,
d, the letter Of the law which gave it being.
Whether this was mere error. or something
yorse, is not for me or you to determine but
haritable view which / have given. and saw
hat the faculties of the majority were too much
s o by party passion to see the facts or
You claim that the certificate of the Return
ng Board gave you "a political advantage" In
nus =, YOU are certainly right A party sued for
reditor il he can produce u fraudulent or
orged receipt upon. the trial. The advantage
ause is. willing to accept the false paper, give
the effect OF a true one, and permit the plain
u r t. p cheated eas out of his debt But would 1t
ike such an advantage2
THE PEOPLES RIGHT TO ELECT
Your technical argument in favor of the
raud deserves notice. because IL is almost your
ny attempt at reasoning, and because your
0und. w." ,
You declare. in broad and unqualified terms.
ect their own Chief Magistrate" no s sucI
ght Is imbedded in the constitution or else
'nere-lhat. on the contrary, the trainers of
no constitution were careful to exclude from
le people the right to elect their own Chief {
lagistrate." admit that this. il true ends the
ontroversy in your favor: for 1t cannot have I
cen legally wrong to defeat the attempt which {
10 people made to exercise a right from which :
icy were carefully excluded by the constitu-
on. But this opinion Of yours Is total mis-. I
inception, and will not be adopted by any hu- :
IAN being who has the faintest idea of our in {
buttons. +
You put your proposition with even more d. '
speak ain | ,
hen you say, as you do ON the same page. that t
e people. OF Louisiana and Florida have not t
o power to appoint electors of President and c
Ice President. This goes to the root of the | O
after II proves logically enough that the t
e t,s 1l at which the Tilden candidates were g
ectors. was mere abortion-a vain fort to b
q function ul''a oireS and merely void.
ission were justified in treating it with con n
npt. or such an election 1t was no harm to i
lsify the records for in their best estate thew
ID no value or validity. To forge them was no O
ime, for 1t prejudiced no right. "
10 ~ To,, toto |