The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-16

tlemen would avoid the suspicion OF cowardly
evasion Of duty they must return Immediate
ly to their places In Congress. The man who
falls his country and his party in this emer-
gency will be marked for all time as a party
to the fraud 1t is proposed to investigate, with
personal interest In having it's secrets hid
den from the sight Of honest men. The dis
patches, however, speak confidently Of a
quorum by Friday, and the eventual passage
Of the Potter resolutions seems to be assured
The course the Dem ocrats have pursued In
this matter cannot be too highly commended
for its wisdom and moderation. Their in
structions to Mr. Potter to press his original
resolutions, refusing to make any concessions
whatever, Or to allow them to be encountered
with outside and Irrelevant issues. is de-
serving Of special appreciation. All that is
necessary, now Is little firmness, and the
true inwardness of this whole iniquity will
soon be made manifest. Mr. Potter bases his
demand for this investigation upon high
grounds the necessity for vindicating the
honor Of the nation. Certainly this is seriously
impugDed when a sovereign State declares,
by formal resolution Of her Legislature, that
due effect has not been given to her electoral
votes by reason Of fraudulent votes cast in
two other States; when the chairman of the
Board of Canvassers of another State de-
cares on oath that false and fraudulent re-
turns were secured from that State with the
knowledge and at the procurement Of % per-
son whom the beneficiary of those false re-
turns has rewarded with the mission 10
France; when by other testimony, not less
explicit, the Secretary Of the Treasury Is
made party to the Infamous crimes of the
Louisiana Returning Board; and, finally.
when all OF these things attaint with q
foul dlshonOr the title to the chief
magistracy Of the nation These are
facts that cannot be ignored and all that Is
proposed In this investigation is to discover
and proclaim the truth. This is not d party
but national question, In which every Amer
lean has direct personal interest. When
Republican Senator, of the commanding in
fuence OF Mr.. Conkling, declares that he has
personal knowledge of such collision on the
part of the leaders Of his own party with the
crimes perpetrated in this State as would
sink the President and his admin stration In
infamy, the very least that the opposition
could do would be to give him the opportuni-
ty to tell all he knows.
There is no question raised as to the presl-
Dental title. Facts may be disclosed by the
investigation that would lead to the i'm
parchment Of Sherman, and even Of Hayes:
but 1t is not necessary to cucumber
tho issue before the country with such aues-
tions as this Let the guilt Of the persons &C
cused of concentrating the fraud be first
made plain, and then impeachment may be
found necessary. We here in Louisiana, who
are cognizant of the whole matter, who are
confident that an Infamous crime has been
committed, and who are familiar with all its
details, know very well to what this investt-
cation must eventually lead. We know very
well that the shadow Of this fraud can never
be removed from the nations honor, |
until the beneficiaries of 1t are driven In |
disgrace from the high places they now
occupy, and that after this investigation
is opened Congress can never stop short
of impeachment. But the Democrats
have shown wisdom in leaving this question
to arise in its natural order. 1t is entirely |
unnecessary to thrust it forward now or to |
allow 1t to in any way interfere with the real
issue before the country-the investigation Of |
the frauds by which the people were cheated |
out of their will. Let the consequences of the
lnvestig alton come in their regular order, and
be met and disposed of as they arise.