The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-16
THE ENGINERY OF GENERALIZATION

the Republican leaders to spgn the Presl
dency spite 81 the results Of the election .
1876 was full aedged. and no effort was mad
by the Democratic leader who had bee
elected by the people It'd prevent The ronsum
nation of the schemes Of the rpvolutiunlsts
and when to the audaeuns claims Of the par
tisana Of Hayes the friends Of Iilden replies
1--WE prefer ballots to bullets, IL became evi
dent that II was the determination Of The Re
publinans that the voice Of the people shout
not again be permitted an honest expression
! It was also manifest that II was the determi
nation ofthe Republican leaders that the con
troll of the Federal government should no
only never pass out Of their hands. but that /
should be transformed Into eentralze,
moneyed despotlsm. Grant, rude. mercl
less and INSCRIPTIONS soldier, sought to ao
compish this end by the methods Of Caesa
and Napoleon. and he sent his pro-consuls /,
plumber and Cypress and his troops to rid
down the Southern people. But his schem.
was q failure. Mr.. Hayes and his counsel
lofs, however, have found q safer and bette,
plaza plan which. free Of the rudeness ant
violence Of military methods, is far more
effective, while II commands itself to those
/
az there Is neither tumult nor clamor. are con
tent TO sec the most sacred principle sub
verified. or any outrage perpetrated upon their
fellow-citizens.
| 1t was when the Returning Board Of this
State was performing the villalnous work Of
its masters In this city that the country
first heard, from the Republican visiting
statesmen. of the supreme sanetity Of "the
forms Of the law" and the inoonsequence Of
Its spirit. This one brief sentence indi-
Gated the new process by which the character
Of this government was to be changed and the
domination Of tine Republican party perpetll-
| ated The constitution Of the United States
and the constitutions Of the States were to be
ignored, and Federal statutes however viola
tive Of those instruments and Of the rights o (
the States. however arbitrary. tyrannicai and
unjust, were to DO enforced by the Federal
courts In short Congress was to become
the paramount authority In the Union, and
It's acts were to constitute the supreme law OF
the land.
IL is remarkable but nevertheless true. that
the enemies OF constitutional liberty ever re-
sort to the same means Of accomplishing
their ends. The masses of the people are
ignorant OF history or neglectful Of Its les
sons, and the ambitious OF rapaoious leaders,
finding the old methods for their ruin ready
devised and tried. insolently refuse to display
any originality In their plans.
Junius wrote too soon after The reign Of
James III to forget the power Of the judiciary
for the destruction Of civil liberty and
the furtherance Of the basest and bloodest
schemes Of tyrant "A judge" said that
illuatrious writer ''under the influence
Of government may be honest enough
In the decision Of private causes, yet
q traitor to the public When victim Ia
marked out by the ministry this Judge will
offer himself TO perform the sacrifice. He will
not scruple to prostitute his dignity and be-
tray the sanctity Of his Office whenever an
arbitrary point is to be carried for govern
ment or the resentment Of court ia to be
gratifed." A Scotch judge under the intiu-
ence Of government" on the most frivolous
grounds. sentenced the Duke OF Argyle To
death. u know nothing Of Scotch law"
said Halifax to King Charles. at whose
dictatton the Infamous sentence was passed,
but this / know, that we should
not hang dog here on the grounds
on which my Lord Argyle has been sen
fenced" What citizen Of New York, or Of
Massachusetts, OF Of Vermont who shnnld
hear Of the character Of the witnesses on
which two Federal Judges. Billings and
Wood. both under the influence Of govern
ment," have been directed TO convict and SEN
tence to the Penltentiary more than hun
dred citizens Of this State, would not say,
almost In tho words Of Halifax, Il know moth
Ing Of Louisiana law. but this know. that we
would not convict dog here on such
grounds and on such testimony
The type OF the Judge under the influence
OF government who Junius had In his
minds eye. when he wrote the great letter
from which the above xtract III taken, was the
notorious and infamous Lord George Jeffreys
With manners softened by the more polished
civilization Of the present day and temper
restrained by personal cowardice, Billings and
Woods answer the description full as well as
Jeilreys. And II the department of the govern
ment which holds the purse, sustained by
public opinion. shall not exercise its power to
rebuke and, II necessary, sweep from the
bench, all such supple judges, these latter
years of the Nineteenth Century will witness
the complete organization Of merciless judi
ciary under the influence Of the Republican
oligarchy. under which liberty. justice and
law will have as little protection as they had
under James Ii and his Chief Justice Of the
Kings Bench.
THAT man" said the predecessor OF james.
has no learning. no manners, no sense and
more impudence than ten carted street
Work was to be done, however"
says Macaulay (which could be trusted to no
man who reverenced law or was sensible OF
shame; and thus Jeffreys, at an age at which
q barrister thinks himself fortunate If he is
employed TO lead an important cause was
made Chief Justice OF the Kings Bench"
The story-the sickening story-of the fierce
and bloody judicial prosecutions to which |
this wretch-this Judge under the influence
81 government" . subjected every miser-
lble victim, man or woman, even suspect
sd OF hostility to the government, causes the
blood to run cold Ia our veins. The govern