The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-03-27
Tn. E-cape 90 IA R~turning
RBOarders

MBDSAr0t T@
The escape of Anderson and his con-
Tolerate Returning Boarders from i'm
prisonment in the Penitentiary, on the
technically. discovered by the Supreme
Court of Louisiana, that a ''cOnsoll-
dated election RETURN is not within the
meaning Of the law "a public document,
and that, therefore, its forgery by An
derson & Co, does not constitute penal
offence In the eve of the law-does not
remove the uncontradicted add estab-
lished fact that The result of the election
was changed by fraud and that the Re
turning Boarders committed the deed.
l. only happened to be under the laws as
framed by the late Radical authorities in
Louisiana in such form that the accesso-
ries could not be reached But after all
the belief cannot be removed from the
public mind that the search for a place
through which the guilty c0nspirators
might escape was inspired by motives OF
political expediency. 1t is fixed
public opinion that the Democrats and
Conservatives in Louisiana after brave
and successful struggle for their redemp-
ton from misrule succeeding liz realizing
its fruits at the haul- of the federal ad-
ministration by pr - not To prosecute
the knaves who had tempered with and
altered the election returns and had been
guilty of other crimes to keep their party
in power and that this decision was
rendered to make good this unfortunate
understanding between the high contract
ing parties As the Philadelphia Times,
a neutral paper, with Hays proclivities,
expresses it, "the understanding that
seemed to fill the air about New Orleans
when the Nichols Legislature was in
stalled as the undisputed authority of the
State, and that has been pressed upon
Governor Nichols with more zeal than
discretion as the ground for a pardon, has
evidently premeated into the Supreme
Court, and all doubts as to the law have
been resell we'd i'll favor of an era of gen
eral forgiveness and peace. Judges are
but men after all, and those who made
the decision owe their present unques-
toned titles to their places to the atmos-
phere that was crowded with whispers of
general agreements that justice should
be suspended for a season to bridge the
hideous chasm of crime and partisan
undeclared law of the Hayes Commission,
has been affirmed by the Nichols Su-
preme Court. We may mistake the
marrow of the case, but it isn't worth
while to waste time looking into political
millstones, if the guess has missed the
truth.
Any way, the public verdict remains as
we have stated it--that the people of Lou
isiana by eight thousand majority carried
the election for the Democratic nomi-
nees-that the election returns were tam
pered with and so forged-that in nu-
merous instances with which this trial
had nothing to do, votes actually cast
were rejected and others not cast were
added-all worhing together to defeat
the public will and secure the counting
of the eight Louisiana votes for the can
didates who were rejected by the people
at the polls. And the public, since the
highest judicial tribune Of the State, has
IN league with the AID ministration, that
the guilty should go unwhipt of justice
will, in order to the preservation of the
elective franchise and the right of the
people in future elections to have their
voice respected, continue to "agitate"
the stupendous fraud by which Presi
dent not of their choice was installed.
To show the efforts of the Administration
to procure the release of the criminals, by
hook or by crook, see what a Washing
ton writer in the Cincinnati Gazette,
{ administration says:
From the first tho President has insisted
that the arrest and trial Were in violation of
the plain spirit of the agreement entered |
into by Governor Nichols at the time of |
the Louisiana settlement. The preside mt |
sent confidential friends in the very first |
stages OF the affair to confer with Governor |
icholls, and to ascertain from Gen. A nder- /
son what steps he desired the administra-
ion 10 take IN regard 10 his case, and in
what legal and proper way the most effec-
i've influence could be txercied in his behalf.
Both the presidenr and mem bers of the
cabinet made known their views in most
pointed terms, in regard to the question of
lonor involved on the part of the people of |
louisiana and in this way and through
hese who visited The officials of that State
or the purpose, most potential influence
vas eserted ia favor of stopping these pros
rnfinIS |