The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-01-12
The Lesson cf Louisiana.


Tuesday are significant far beyond the prac-
tical Inauguration of the Tilden State goy-
eminent and judicial authority in that long
plundered and distracted Commonwealth.
The people who gave Mr.. Nichols ten thou
sand majority at the polls in November, as
sembled with quiet but fearful earnestness,
to put into their proper official trusts those
who had been called by an overwhelming
vote to administer their government. They
had to brave all the organized power Of the
State authorities, and as they feared, all the
organized power of the State authorities,
and, SIS they feared, all the power of the ma
tional government, but they came in the
name of the law to restore a tempest-tossed
community to order and peace by the law
and in severe obedience to its mandates.
How far they succeeded, and by what means
they achieved their success, our full special
and general reports from New Orleans fully
explain. The day closed with the Nichols
administration in indisputed possession of
the police of the city, of the courts, and
practically the recognized and lawful gov
ernment of the State. True the carpet bag
pretender, Packard, is in possession of the
State House, surrounded by few trembling
militamen who could be swept away by any
demonstration that seriously threatened an
attack upon them, but the friends of the su-
premacy of an honest ballot resorted to no
violence, and it is evident now that they
make no miscaculation in assuming that n
day or two at the latest must utterly and
forever dissipate the whole carpet-bag dy.
nasty, unless the bayonets of the Federal
army shall interfere to protect them. Gov
ernor Nichols published proclamation
yesterday that breathes the most patriotic
tone and il may now be accepted as reason
ably certain that there will be no violence
in the dying throcs Of the most disgraceful
and despotic political domination that ever
cursed any country. 1t is not doubted that
the lawful authority of Governor Nichols
will be speedily recognized by a majority of
the Legislature as returned even by the Kel-
logg Return Board, ii there shall be no cOer
Give measures adopted by President Grant
and it is not now certain that the power Of
Federal bayonets would be sufficiently poten-
tial to hold the Legislature from disowning
the Packard usurpation. It is known that
Ex-Governor Yarmouth is preparing to lea&
revolution within thekellogg party against
the palpable Kellogg election frauds, and
the recognition of Nichols by all the i'm.
portant departments o! authority and by II
large majority Of those who voted against
him. is now assured unless there shall be
some unexpected folly committed by the Til
den leaders, or some inconceivable revou-
tionary measure adopted by the President.
Such is the history of an eveutful day
in Louisiana but the pointed lesson for the
country is in the official dispatch of Secreta-
ry Cameron sent To General Augur, com
mander in New Orleans. The repeated and
importunate cries for ''more troops from
Packard and his fellow pretenders called a
protracted Cabinet consultation yesterday,
and the result of it was that General Augur
WAS instructed to notify all lawless organ-
zatious to desist from any disturbance OF the
peace, but. added the War Minister, "ktepiag
il mMd the fact that this order has no ,'cte-
ence to tie recognition Of either Of the cIaim-
ants .Jor Gocernor o. eith.r Legisiatuye." This
is notice to Packard that his cause can no
longer be sustained by the national admins
tration and that he must bow to the sover.
eign will of the people of Louisiana. 1t is
a repetition OF the policy that surrendered
Florida TO the verdict of her own people, ai-
ter exhaustive efforts to t,lsten another ear.
pet-bag government upon her by fraud and
it leaves tie whole gang OF Kellogg piunder.
ers without any other support than the fee
bic following they can rally from their own
now hesitating coniederates. A month ago
Secretary Cameron seemed to consider il Il
matter OF amusement TO have his bayonets
CLEAN from the doors Of the South Carolina
Capitol, to inaugurate a Governor and Leg
islature that nobody believed 10 have been
elected. In that state the electoralsvote
was practically free from dispute, and the
revolutionary intervention Of the admins
tration was intended as a lesson to the coun-
try that the might OF the sword WAS to settle
the Presiientia! election; but gradually the
omnipotence OF homes: public opinion reach
ed even the arrogant Cabinet Ministers, and
Florida whose electoral vote is in doubt,
was allowed to inaugurate IA full Tildtn ad-
mlinistraton and Legislature, and now Lou
isiana will do the same without the sword
being drawn to hinder the victory of justice
Mr.. Secretary Cameron is evidently wiser
man to-day than he was IL few weeks ago,
aud it is evident that he has at last learned
the lesson that law and honesty have some
rights which even Cabinet Ministers are
bound to respect. Slowly but surely the
Presidential problem is reaching just solu-
tion, and law and peace will triumph in the
vindicalion Of the purity and majesty OF free
Times.