Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1877-07-26
TIE LOUISIANA CRIMES.
From the Pnilndelnhin Tim

Stlc 6llSCb lndb tue llIUICJul6Hb VI ltlS
members of the Louisiana Return
ing Board by the New Orleans grand
jury, is a violation of the plighted
faith of the Nichols government
and breach of the vital terms or
conditions precedent to the peaceful
establishment of the Nichols admin
istration by the Commission Of Pre-
sident Hayes. These utteranees
have buObled out from all sorts of
places near to the fountain of power,
and have sobbed through trembling
organs to the public; but until yes
terday there was no authoritative dec
laration to the world that one of the
means employed to drive Packard
from his usurped mockery of author
ity and install the officers honestly
chosen by the people of Louisiana,
was the agreement between the rep
resentatives of the President and the
Nichols government on the one side,
and the discounted revolutionists
who had desolated the State and
shamed the nation by their infamy
On the other side, that all lawless-
ness, FROM murder down through
forgers, perjury, embezzelment, to
assault and battery, that could be
called polit ical, must be above the
law and defy its retribution.
Judge Lawrence, of Illinois, re-
garded as one of the most intelligent,
upright and conservative of the
Louisiana Commission, yesterday
made the apparently official state
nent to the public, through the Chi
cago Inter Ocean, that the indict-
ment of the members of the Louisi-
ana Returning Board us gross
riolation Of the pledges made by the
Nichols gouernme,pt. 1t ,ras the dis
tinct understanding that there should
be no political prosecutions. This
startling confession from one of the
leading members of the Commission,
that one of the achievements of that
lody was the successful compound
ing of some of the graYest felonies
ever perpetrated in any portion Of
the Union, is a declaration that
holds up the names of Lawrence,
Hawley, Harlan, MacVeagh and
Brown to the execratiCns of every
lover of law and justice. That pure
ly political offenses were to be con-
doned upon the withdrawal OF the
troops and the restoration of a soye-
reign State to the Tightful sovereign
ty of her people, was admitted and
approved by all dispassionate citi-
Zens; but what are political offeuses?
They are easily defined aud well un-
derstood even by the wayfaring
man. Two rival governmentsc claim
ed to exercise authority in the State.
each with its complete departments,
executive, legislative and judicial;
with military and police; with tax
gatherers and sheriffs, and with all
the agencies and ceremonies of de
facto administration. Both could
not be lawful, and one or the other,
with ali It's subordinates, was amen
able to the law for usurpation, OPP
preston, trespass, etc. 1t was GER
tainly well that when the people
found a lawful government estab- |
2ished, with peace and protection to
all as its offerings, they should be
rescued from the turbulence and
discord and infamed passions which |
must have followed the vindictive |
prosecution of those who had Offend |
ed under color of law or under the |
pretence of exercising lawful author |
jty; and to forgive all of that multi !
tude OF offenders and restore Com
monwealth to tranquility and law,
was but the Office Of wisdom and |
patriotism.
But is the public thief who has
plundered the revenues Of the people
TO escape because he stole in the
name of party ? Is the Official en-
beZzeler to go unwhipped of ius-
tlce because he was a standard bear
er in political battles Is the fOrger
to escape because he forged for a
party to defraud whole communities
or whole State out of the express
ed popular will ? Is the perjurer to
defy the law because he perjured his
Hcsl to put a political friend in the
Legislature, in Congress, in State
once sr even in the Presidential
Chair Is the red-handed murderer
10 DE above the law because he slew
only those Who were contriying To
defeat his party at the polls =? Was
this the mission, this the s'distinct |
understanding" made by such men
rs Lawrence, Hawley, Harlan, Mac
yeagh and Brown, when they were
ostensibly seeking to have justice
born Of law in land where both
have long been strangers If 50.