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

lar majority, That our maIOrlLleS were aLounh
the capital; yours In New England, North
west, and the Pacific coast; that the moral
sense OF tho country was that our man was
elected and yours not; that You had nothing
on your side but the control OF an army, OF
which 10000 men could not be got together,
the privates mostly in sympathy with us,
and commanded by officers educated
to understand the supremacy OF
the civil over the military authority; officers
who, excepting the leaders Grant, Sherman
and Sheridan could ] believe, never have
been generally used to resist the declaration
of the House of Representatives II am told
this will appear certainly, whenever the Sc
cret correspondence OF the War Department
| Is revealed) and that you were laden down
with the care of the national 2rcdt--thc first
| shock to which would have arrayed against
you all the mOneyed institutions in the COun-
try; that under such conditions, / say your
| leaders CODtrlved, and were able to carry
through, the capture Of ell these seventeen
votes, will bo regarded as one OF the
i greatest political performances of history.
" ! admit the success of the Republican
leaders; having, lain down where the law
was on our SIDE and when we ought to
have stood up, it is not for us now to
! stand up as long as the law remains against
| us: but you will ask whether, II there be no
danger to the public order from legal pro
ceedings, there may not be from action by
Congress. No. No more than from the az
| ton Of the courts. Congress represents the
people Of the country, but does not anticipate
| their will. Should fraud connected with cleo
toral counts appear SO gross and palpable
that you and ali honorable men should unite
! in denounCing IL, Congress might then act;
| but, If SO, what Congress htdO-bctng the
result of the action Of men of all parties, Of
the great body of the people, not Of a party
would BE- in effect, quietly, certainly and with
out violence or disturbance. In saying this
| do not mean that / expect the inveetiga-
tion TO be followed by either legal or con
| gressional action. What, If anything, should
| Ia Of
upon the results of the inquiry; but | do
mean that whatever action, If any. should
follow the investigation, such action can
neither disturb order nor the prosperity OF
the country. This cry of wolf when there Is
no wolf; this effort to make it appear that
| there Ia danger to peace or order from this
investigation Is u Republican pretense like
the bloody short justification of carpet
excuse, so as TO enforce Durells infam-
GUS order, and the protection OF the
Returning Board by bayonets; like
! the cry set up after the election to pre-
vent any agitation and to secure submission.
What then you ask is the purpose OF the
Investigations / answer, to ascertain facts,
so that II frauds be established Il repetition of
such frauds may be prevented, and II not, to
| clear up tho general belief throughout the
country that there were such frauds. The
feeling among many Republicans after the
election was that while we had been cheated
| In the returns, we had buIldozed the negroes
| as badly, so that the accounts OF wrongs were
equal. This belief in the bulldOzing of the
| negro was based mainly upon the fact that
| In certain districts in the South which
usually gave the Republican majorities,
| there was not returned that year sin
gle Republican vote. Now the people
of the North have never understood that this
condition of things was fraudulently prepared
by the Republicans. They ought to under
stand that there never was anything so dan
gerOuS to free government as returning
keep in the votes of the other without cause
to invent a pretext for such wrongs TO aC-
Cept after COntriyed protests and manufac-
tured objections as color for their action to
permit figures to be altered, returns to be
Forged frauds to be perfected and generally
every means by which the will Of the people
may be frustrated and the popular voice sti'
fled, 1t then becomes possible and there may
be thus a condition OF things absolutely de-
struCtive Of free government. We believe that
it was by such proceedings we were cheated
out of the election, and unless the proceedings
be exposed the outrage will be repeated.
Whatever may result from the proposed in
yestigatiOn you may be sure nothing can re-
suit that will disturb your stocks or bal
anCeS. The trouble to capital, property and to
freedom will come, not perhaps In your time
or my time, but come at last from refusing to
inquire into frauds. To confront the evil if
You may not right it, is to prevent its repeti-
ton. To shut your eyes to it supinely, is to
jeOpardi2e and not to preserve the future
peace, safety and prosperity of the country
eve must have very sorry sort OF pop
ular government II Congress cannot even in
quire into frauds In the choice Of the execu-
tive without endangering the peace and pros
perity of the country.
What then, you ask, is
THE PURPOSE OF THE INVESTIGATION?
answer: To ascertain the facts, so that If
frauds be established a repetition of such
frauds may be prevented, and, If not, to clear
up the general belief throughout the country
that there were such frauds. 1t is true that
not every allegation OF wrong is to be in
quired into by Congress, but when large
portion, II not q large majority, of the people
believe that the last presidential election was
secured by organized fraud, surely all inquiry
to ascertain the facts ought to be had;
"The feeling amongst many Republicans
after the election was that, while we had been
cheated in the returns, we had bull-dozed the
negroes as badly, SO that the accounts Of
wrong were about equal. This belief in
THE BULL-DOzING OF THE NEGRO
was based mainly upon the fact that in GER
tain districts in the South which usually
gave Republican majOrities, there was not re-
Now, the people of the North have never I'M
derstOOd that this condition of things was
| fraudulently prepared by the Republicans:
They ought to understand that, and beyond
there never was anything 50 danger
turning Board A delegation of persons
vested with discretionary power to revise
the votes cast, become thus the body
that elect. So long as they exercise their
functions under tue protection of the State
alone the influence and Indignation of the
people will prevent them from any fragrant
and enormous outrage The public press will
necesstate some excuse for subvcrting the
choice Of the people; some limitation upon the
OutrageS they do to the popular wish But
separate them from the people by Gordon Of
Federal troops under the pretense Of pre-
serving order, surround them with Fed
eral bayonets, and they cease to be respon-
sible to any one but the national admin
istration, which protects them. There
need then, be no limit to, as there is no
longer check upon their abuses, To throw
out the votes of one side and keep in the votes
OF the other without cause; to invent pretext
for such wrongs; to accept after-COntriyed
protests and manufactured objections as color
for their action; to permit figures to be al
tered, returns to be forged, frauds to be per
feCted, and generally every means by which
the will Of the neODle NAV be frustrated