The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-20
JUDGELUDELING'S VIDALIA SPEECH

Judge Ludeling, late Chief Justice Of the
Supreme Court Of Louisiana in the Republ-
can administrations Of Warmoth and Kellogg,
but since deposed from judicial service by the
will of the people, has turned his attention to
politics, and is a candidate for the representa-
ton in Congress Of the Fifth District Of the
State, In which he resides. He. Of COURSE re-
lies principally on the suffrages Of the colOred
people attached to the Republican party. and
that very naturally. We have no idea that he
will get the support of any respectable num-
Der of the white men OF the district, who can
not ignore and will never forget his conduct
in his official capacity, as well rs his private
and personal behavior as citizen They
know that from the year 1863 when he became
Chief Justice Of the State by the appointment
of Warmoth. down to his forcbIe ejectment
from the Supreme Court room in New Orleans
in 1877 his influencein the administration of the
governmental affairs Of Louisiana, executive,
Legislative and judicial, was of the most
malign and wicked description. He was yir-
tually the Governor of the State during the
time mentioned, because, without his CO.
operation and concurrence. WarmOth and
Kellogg and their followers could not possibly
have carried Into effect the wicked legisl ation
which characterized the government Of the
State during the term Of service Of those in
famous men in the executive chair Of Louis
lana. Judge LudeiDg was the MephistopheIes
who with deviIsh secresy, cunning and
malignty. enforced by judicial process the
Radical legislation Of that period, and sane
toned. SO far as he could sanction through
l. i,l
the Republican purity. II the truth were
known, that policy was never carried into
effect without his knowledge. consent and
approval 1t Is to be presumed that
he was present ut all the private
conferences of Warmoth and Kellogg,
and their supporters, and was the directing
as well as inspiring brain Of the Republican
party In this State. Possessing most de-
termined will, tenacious and obstinate be-
yond al conception, holding an office which
invested him with almost unlimited power in
the adjustment OF constitutional questions,
the settlement Of litigation In which the
State was q party before the court, and the
disposal of the lives and property Of the citi-
zens, his opportunity Of directing the most
important affairs, public and private, without
open exposure, was improved by him to the
utmost advantage of his party and to the no
less advantage Of himself. When we review
the opinions Of the Supreme Court Of Louisi-
ana during the time Mr.. Ludeling was It's
chief, we can trace the footprints Of the man
through nearly all the judgments of the
court, and detect in them his I'M
will in the subsection of
II oatn i,JHr 70 4hn mi bo.
had formed, or, at all events, to the DEGREES
which he had, In advance, resolved upon hay
ing rendered by the court. The dissenting
opinions rendered by 1t were in cases where it
was Of no consequence to Ludeling or the
Republican party that there should be q
unanimous court. The administration and
decisions of the court during Ludeiings
lncumbency Of the Chief Justicoship we pro-
pose, In another article, to review and gcru-
tinize. In the meantime our purpose Is to
direct our attention to O recent speech delv-
cred by Judge Ludeling In Vidalia, Concordia
parish during his canvass of the Fifth Dis |
Of Congress, which speech is one Of the most
mpudent attempts to defend and justify the
Infamous misuse OF the process of law in the
robbing of absent parties not represented
before the court nor notified of the
Of which he and his associates, |
n the transaction referred to, were guilty as
ound by the Supreme Court of the United
States, in very memorable opinion and de-
cree published in the twenty-frst volume of
Nallaces reports, as rendered In the case of
Jackson ct al. vs. the Vicksburg. Shreveport
Ind Texas Railroad Company and John T. |
Iudeling and associates The excoriating
anguage of the court In pronouncng this |
Judgment with reference to Mr.. Ludelng's |
onduct in the affair to which we allude is
robabiy unparalleled in the annals of iuris-
rudence either In America or Europe. Ger