New Orleans Republican., 1877-05-30
SENATOR MORTONB EETTER
His Views on the Southern Question

II
dianapolis Journal of May %. Meagre
extracts were sent hither by the Associ-
ated Press last Saturday:
| To the EditOr Of the Journal:
| Several weeks ago an open letter was
addressed to me through the columns of
the New York Times, written on behalf of
| more than one hundred prominent South
ern Republicans, stating their views of the
| political situation and inviting mine.
have also received many letters from diff
| ferent parts OF the country iDquiring the
condition of the senatorial question from
| Louisiana, as it stood at the adjournment
/ of the Senate. At the meeting of the SEN
ate on the fifth of March last William P.
Kellogg, of Louisiana, presented himself
for membership upon credentials that had
some weeks before been read before the
Senate and laid upon the table.
A motion was made to refer the creden-
tials to the Committee on Privileges and
Elections. This was opposed on the ground
that Mr.. Kellogg had a prima facie 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 Lou
isiana. If he was, then the certificate
gave Mr.. Kellogg such right as under the
general practice in the Senate entitled
him to take his seat, leaving the legality
of his election to subsequent investiga-
ton. In argument it was shown by the
Legislature that each house of the Legis-
lature which elected Kellogg had quo
rum of members certified as such by the
Returning Board. This board was en-
powered by the laws of Louisiana to
examine and count the vote, and deter
mine who had been chosen members of
the Legislature, and to transmit their
determinations 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
transmit 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 furnished by the Sec
retary of State. A quorum of persons in
each house thus certified as elected met
on the day fixed by law and organized
each house Of the Legislature, and the two
houses met the next day in joint conven-
ton, in accordance with the provisions of
the constitution, and canvassed the vote
for Governor and Lieutenant Governor,
and declared S. B. Packard to have been
elected Governor and G. G. Antoine Lieu
tenant Governor. Afterward, on the day
| fixed by the act of Congress for the cleo
ton OF United States Senator, a majority
} of the whole number of members so re-
turned as elected met in joint convention,
and elected William Pitt Kellogg to the
Senate for the term of six years. begin
ing on the fourth day of March, 1877.
On the motion to refer Kellogg's Gre
dentials to the committee the Democratic
) members voted solidly in the affirmative,
together with five Republicans, and it was
adopted.
The Committee on Privileges and Elec.
tions met soon afterward, and the Repub-
0 lican members united in a report that
0 prima facie s. b. Packard was the lawful
0 Governor of Louisiana; that the Legisla.
ture was the lawful Legislature, and that
3 William P Kellogg had been elected in
conformity to the act of Congress, anG
was entitled to be sworn in and take the
3 seat As q number of members of tht
Senate were absent and the subject would
a lead to q long debate, and there was 6
, general anxiety to adjourn, the report was
1 not laid before the Senate. If a majority
I | Vi lu6 Oeudl0 buhll hb bu0 u6Ab bGhSlOu ut
of the opinion that Kellogg was lawfully
= elected by the Legislature of Louisiana
he will be entitled to his seat, notwith
standing the events that have since oc
CURED. No subsequent breaking up o.
that Legislature, combination or arrange
ment can affect his title or destroy the lie
gality of what took place at that time
I Though the very members who proclaim
! ed the election of Packard and made tha
Of Kellogg should subsequently declare
| that of Nichols and take part in the elec
tion of Spofford, it is too clear for argu
ment that they could not take away right.
which had vested, or make that unls wfu
/, which lad been before lawful. Unless
Kellogg voluntarily withdraws, the Senat,
will have to decide the question of hii
= election as it stood at the time of the ad
journment.
! The Republican governments of Louis
Q lana and South Carolina have yielded tC
: force. They have gone down before al
Q armed minority, whose threats of future
/ violence were guaranteed by long traiI
/ of bloody deeds in the past. regret tina
l the real character of the transaction shoulC
be obscured in the least by pretended in
: vestigations or negotiations. Stripped o
{ all DISCUSSES and pretenses, the simple
: fact. is that Packard and Chamberlain
1 were not able to maintain themselves il
authority, and the government of th,
u United States, in the exercise of its dis
8 cretion, refused them its support. Thei
. Legislatures, finding themselves defense
less, fell to pieces, and from their ruin, il
;, part, new Legislatures have been con
t structed, whose legality consists only il
the faes that they exist, and thai there al,
r none to oppose them. The law and tn
rights of the majority have yielded to al
, armed and aggressive minority. Tn
o Democratic party in Louisiana, an un
4 doubted minority possessing the most o
the wealth, arms and military experience
% were determined to govern, whatever i
n might cost in the way of life. Their pre-
9 tended majority at the late election hat
J, cost many lives, and was the product o
q the most infamous and damning Of crimes
r The murders and crimes had been proved
and the blood-stained majority set asidt
|. by lawful process. The administration
-s decided that such case of insurrectioI
" and violence was not presented as author
, lied the national government to intervene
and that the contending parties must b.
"A be left to their own strength and resources
n II was apparently worked out through tn,
e presence of the commission, and seemet
3 to take the form Of negotiation. Assur
= ances were given that the rights of al
"a classes should be protected, and the gov
, ernment administered for the equal bene