The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-11
QUARANTINE EMBARGOEs.

dispatch 10 j. q. Mercy, OF tho Chicago,
st. Louis md New Orleans Railroad Com
pany, yesterday. announces TINT Chatta-
uooga, Tenn, has removed oil quarantine
restrictions on passengers and frnlghts from
New Orleans "For thlsreief much thanks.
IL is d little tnrtly, aud might just ns we'll
have been extended two months aEo, but tho
freaks of Some communities and their fears
a,s alike uuacemantablc. We nre prepared 10
admit that Chattanoogh's action was founded
upon fenr, however absurd and groundlesa.
bit for Galveston there can be no such sx-
c,iae She has porsstently maintained y
shameful embargo against this city. inIet-
ing incalcalable injury upon our merchants
and commerce.. until she stands before the
world III MI attitude which not oven this ut
most stretch Of charity enn palliato or ex-
cuse. Tho maintenance Of her rigid qnarnil-
tine III this face OF tho notorious llahtthfnlnees
Of our city. ANA her refusal To llsfon ~ feasou
Is al, net III unfriendiness which could only
ha Inspired by ungsnrrous rivalry OF by
malice 5.F.m=.5m.sn~
To-day whom every Other town and city nI
Importance has rniaod quarantine against
New Orlc,na both as To goods and passon-
send thoir correspondence vim st. Louis
IA we'll might Philadelphia have declared
quarantine against Nav York. because there
wore II few cases pf fever there. and have pro-
hibited goods. malls, pRssongers railroad
trains. etc, from New York entering her
limits She had rs much right W 80 50 ~
Galveston had to quarantine Now Orleans.
but II she llad attempted H., some remedy Tor
tho foolish and nnfrieudly act would havo
aoon boon discovered by tho Congressman
and lawyers Of New York. and Philadelphia
would huvo discovered that there was q
higher power than her honrd Of health OF
city council.
There must DO a lint 10 this nonsenso.
Tho State Ut Louisiana cannot permit tho NAL
loo or rivalry Of Galveston TO Interfere thus
must move. and move actively and with de-
termination, To prevent In future my such
embargo IT, was declared against Now Orleans
by Galveston and Montgomery. Our Con
greasnen must bcstr themselves and cause
Congress to pass nm net forbiddng any such
outrageous md palpably absurd restrictions
upon the c0mnlercs OF any State by any other
State.
They must Insist that the general govern
ment shall exercise the power which was
specially delegated to IL Ut regulating COM
mercc between tho States and put an end for
over to embargoes which are attempted to be
concealed unt;ar the thin gulse Of guarantees.
The attempt to iustlfy such embargoos on the
ground that thsy are police regulations will
not hold. and there Ii power higher than tho
- ,,tt }.,r I.yt
upon tho necessity for the declaration md
maintenance al . quarantine which amounts
to nh actual embargo upon commerce.
The point, which under our systom of laws
is d very nice one, has fortunately been deter
mined by the Supreme Court Ut tho United
States 10 tho celebrated case Of the Kansas
City Railroad va. Henson. which involved the
right Of Kansas City to prevent the importa-
tion Of cattle from Texas during certain
months. Justice Miller, as tho organ OF the
court, held that any exercise Or the police
regulation beyond the exclusion Of persons or
cattle actually Infected with contagious dis
eases, WINS 4 violation Of the constitutional
provision giving Congress the exclusive
right to regulate commerce between the
States.
This is broad enough and comprehensive
enough to cover tho cnse 81 the Galveston and
oil other similar guarantees, and II is really
annoying that no move should have, as yet,
been taken BY our merchants, who arc stlch
grievous sufferers, to place this question be.
fore tho Federal courts where, under tho
ruling referred To, they would inevitably OBJ
tain relief and redress. We have tried kind
words with Galveston long enough, lot us
now proceed To compel by legal proceedings
a recognition Of those rights which she treats
with seornful contempt
The question Involves such tremendous in
forests md SO deeply affects the people Of
New Orleans that we feel no hcsltancy III call
ing the attention Of our Congressman thereto,
and In asking for 1t their serious considera-
ton and active interpretation.