The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1877-01-17
ALEXANDRIA, La, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY It, 1871 !
The Superior Civil Court.

AAe NuAIp ana lfauQuient DO0Y,
pretending to be the Legislature OF
Louisiana, which has been 'sorgan-
lied" in the St. Louis Hotel by the
agency of an armed force, backed by
United States soldiers, and which
has excluded majority Of the mem.
bers elected to the General Assembly
OF Louisiana, rushes through a pre-
tended bill or act abolishing certain
courts and creating what is called a
Superior Civil Court, armed with
powers and jurisdiction that could
not be vested in q judicial tribunal in
this State, even under all act passed
by a constitutional legislative body.
The Governor de .facto, who has
been the chief conspirator in organi-
zing this illegal and fraudulent Leg
islature, approves this bill and pro-
poses to execute it. He has appoint
ed the Judge and Clerk of this illegal
court and will go through with the
forms of inauguratiug it.
The question Immediately arises
shall the people and the public Off
Gals respect and obey the orders OF
this court? The legal government,
now sitting at Odd Fellows Hall, re-
ply no, and demand that this court
shall be resisted and opposed by all
good citizens and their representa-
tives in public offices. The Sheriff
elected by the people at the last cleo
ton in this city is called on to exc
cute the processes of this court.
Can he do this consistently with du-
ty and conscience? The legal govern
ment, including the Governor elect,
declare that he cannot; that the
Sheriff cannot recognize the preten-
ded authority which enacted and now
proposes to put in force this bill, and
will incur a large responsibility by
treating its orders with any respect
or obedience.
We do not know the exact posi-
tion of the Sheriff. We hear, how
ever, he claims that 'Ethe govern
ment' at the st. Louis is a de facto
government, and he is bound to obey
its orders and its enactments until
the government is subyerted by force
and the dejure government.
His position has the sanction of
his legal adviser, but it is not in &C
cord with the views of many of the
ablest members of our bar, nor with
those of the Governor elect or of the
legal Legislature.
1t is apprehended that the Sheriff,
with good intentions and desires, has
been deceived by the fallacy that the
government installed by military
force at the St. Louis Hotel has the
sa meauthority claimed for and con-
coded TO the anteeedeut de facto gov
ernment of Kellogg. 1t ought to be
evident that these two governments
stand on different grounds. Kellogg
was conceded to be Governor de tacto
as long as there was constitutional
General Assembly recognizing him.
There is no such General Assembly
at least no such as Kellogg recog-
nizes as in session at the St. Louis
Hotel; therefore there is an entire
dissimilarity between the two cases.
kellogg's government was de facto
government previous to the violent
dissolution of the General Assembly
by arms on the 1st of January.
Since then it has been a gross and
violent fraud and usurpation, which
no citizen can or ought to respect
and obey, either as individuals or
public officers N. 0. Democrat.