The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-02

| = had conferred and the opinion entertained
| ~" the effect OF the proceedings then going on
| in the House upon the Democratic party as
we'll rs on the country. ] looked upon them
aa nm wise and untimely and fraught with mis-
chief 1t clearly appears from these notes
TINT " as not in favor of the motion TO defeat
! the Invrs, gatiOn Of fraud OF any kind. was
| nnlv again It u One-sided investigation. was
also, as ha We been since the presidential CON
| tnst was cOne titutionalIy decided against any
| investigation with view to impeach or aesall
! The title of the hresent incumbent OF the Ex-
ecutive chair fl.e Democracy Of
THE SCHOOL IN WHICH WAS REARED
WIS placed upon the D riDCiple OF law and order
and ilpOn abiding by the law as constitution
ally expOunded This was the state o. things
when / made my appearance III the House on
| Thursday, the sixteenth instant. ] had not
heard from Mr.. Potter / had not consulted,
directly or indirectly, with any Republican in
the House or out Of the House. made m
| appeal to Mr.. Potter to Withdraw his call Tor
tho previous question, to allow mo three
minutes only. My object was to get him TO
withdraw the call for the previous question,
or If he would not, TO appeal to the House,
| to the patriots on both sides, To vote down
| the previous question and allow Mr.: Hale or
! any Republican to offer just such amend
! lnents for the enlargement Of the tnVeSttEA-
| ton rs they might see fit. II WIS then that
Mr. Potter declined to withdraw the call or
allow me the three minutes. lie said 1t was
| not do it, as he was acting under instructions.
Whether Mr.. Potter had communicated to
others the purpOrt OF my note, and because
| he determined that ! should not be heard
upon the subject, ] do not know; but ! Ger
tainly had not suggested in that note that the
Democrats bhoulI do anything else than re-
ceive all amendments or additional PROPOSE
ttOns for investigation that might DO offered
from any quarter.
o Mr.. Potter seems to cOnfound his dates.
He speaks Of what occurred when he rose TO
make the proposition to Mr., Hale, as II done
upon the second day upon which | asked to
address the House In this he Is mistaken
his propositions to Mr.. Hale were on the next
day (Fridny) and had no connection whatever
with the proceedings in which | was dented
hearing.
3. MI. Pott"rs reasons for refusing Mr..
HaIcs amendment appear to be singular and |
most untenable. He says IL Was because 1t
was not gormane. Why It was not germane,
cannot sce; all the frauds, it would seem to
me, are
OF A KINDRED CHARACTER.
They are all the Same class Of crimes; belong
to the same family and differ only in Charac
ter and degree. II fraudulent electoral
count In Florida was germane to like fraudu-
lent count in Louisiana, why not like the
fraudulent count in Oregon or any other
State equally germane to the proposition to
investigate frauds.
l. Mr. Potter iustifes his course in refusing
nm investigation into the frauds alleged in Mr..
Hales amendment, because he said: We I'M
dOTstOOd it contained reCitalS to which W.
cam assent and which would have forced w
to vote against our own resolution" This
seems to me again TO be an untHnabIc reason
In the first place, in allowing Mr.. Hal e To
offer the amendment, whatever rccitalS it
might have had, by no nouns committed the
House to the truth Of the allegations. 1t would
have only allowed him to make them good il
he could.
g. Mr.. Potter insists that the object was
not and IS not to
the title of Mr. Hayes. If 50, why did he not,
or the managers whose instructions he was
CARRYING out allow Mr.. Casey YOuRg'S amend
mcnt to go, in which hediStinctly stated, with
the purpose of quoting the country that the
object was not to disturb the title OF the pres
emit executive, which had been so COnsttu-
tionlly s*tled by the last Congress? But
have not time to say more at present except
TO add that look upon the whole OF this pro
ceeding cOnCOctcd as it was, conducted as it
has been, as most unwise, most unfortunat"
and most mischevOus. Its effect will be to
disturb the peace, harmony and quiet Of the
country. Neither Mr., Potter, nor anybody
else can prevent it, and | say to him, most
respectfully, that nothing short Of tmmG-
diate, general and firm concert Of action,
Of the law and order abiding people Of all
parties, Republicans and Democrats,
throughout the Union, In reprobatton, OF
this investigation proceeding any further,
with n view TO disturb the presidential title,
such as announced by the Pennsylvania De-
mOCraCy in their convention few days ago,
can arrest the most fearful consequences.
Those who have nnocently "9owed the wind
will reap the whirwind:" My opinion is as
repeatedly said, this affair will prove, in the
end either contemplate farce or q horrible
tragedy. Whether it will lead to the MeXi-
Civilization of our Federal republic the result
must show; but say as | said on another
recent occasion, that all soft words institute
ing in the mind of the people Of this country
the idea that Mr. Hapes can be peaceably un-
seated by Congress are as delusive and as
guiltful as the Whispering Of the great arch
fiend, in the shape Of q toad in the ear of Eve,
from which sprung all our woes Very re-
spcCtfully ALEX. ii. STEPHENS.