Year: 1874

McEnery's Telegram.


The news from Louisiana CRATES harshly on
the ear in this season Of good fellowship and
rejoicing. 1t falls upon the people of the
United States like national calamity, and is
full of alarming portents. For some time it
has been hoped that the unprincipled men
who, as the Returning Board OF the State,
have been conspiring to falsify the results OF
the recent election, would be deferred from
consummating the proposed outrage. 1t is
true that there seemed but slender foundation
| for the hope. The secret sessions of the


Board, its protracted proceedings, the salts


factory proof that returns were being TAM


pered with and in some cases actually forged,


the bad character of the actors in the con-
spiracy, all indicated determination to COM
plete the usurpation initiated by kellogg and
his partisans two years ago. Nevertheless, it
could scarcely be credited that sane men, with
the example of the re cent elections in the
Northern States before them, would be reck-
less enough to persevere in policy SO en-
phatically condemned by the whole people
and to still further provoke public indigna-
ton. The final action of the Returning Board
proves that the agents selected Tor the work
have as little prudence as honesty, and leaves
us with the painful certainty that the people
of Louisiana have no choice but to submit as
patiently as they may to the cruellest injus-
tice and oppression or to place themselves in
the unfortunate and fatal position of resist
ance to the authority of the United States
government. This latter resort, we have the
authority of Governor McEnery in his tele-
gram to the HERALD this morning for saying
is not contemplated. In this there is ground
for hope that peace will be preserved until JUS
tice can be done to the oppressed people Of
the unfortunate State.


Looking at the effect of this outrage from a
political point of view alone it is impossible
not to see that it must eventually be fatal to
those who take part in its perpetration or
abettaL Indeed, it almost induces belief in
fatality when we find men of apparent shrewd-
ness rushing heedlessly on in the pursuit of
policy that cannot fail to accomplish their
destruction. Recently President Grant made
any moro resistance to the Kellogg govern
ment somebody will be hurt" The whole
miserable history of this Louisiana business,
from the usurpation Of Kellogg down to the
second overthrow of the form Of republican
government, is Of a character to hurt all who
figure in it. The republican leaders have
already been seriously hurt by their criminal
partisanship in the business Of reconstruc-
ton. The national administration has been
hurt by its injudIcious and despotic inter-
ference in State elections and in the aid it has
afforded to usurpation when the will of the
people has been in conflict with the interests
of radicalism. Should this latest and most
fragrant outrage be consummated, should
the government elected by the people of
sovereign State be deprived Of power through
fraud, forgery and conspiracy, rendered
effective by the force OF United States
bayonets, the one man who will be hurt be-
yond all hope of recovery will be Ulysses S.
Grant The bright record of the hero of
the war will be forgotten in the general de-
nunciation that must follow such treason
against republican government. Nor can the
principle Of republicanism fail to be hurt by
blow struck at its foundation by hands that
should protect it and be foremost in maintain
to predict that the political effect of the
Louisiana business and like outrages will be
very different from that anticipated by their
authors and abettors. Whether designed to
perpetuate the present national administra-
ton or intended simply to prolong the rule of
corruption and plunder in the reconstructed
States, the policy that produces such fruits
will assuredly be strangled at the earliest
moment the people of the Union can lawfully
place their grasp on its throat


Another and more momentous inquiry sug-
gests itself in connection with this miserable
affair. What will be the effect of the action
of the Returning Board on the people of the
unhappy State? We are told that they are
GLOOMY and respondent, and it is easy to
imagine how the hearts of men must be cast
down by the prospect before them. Aside
from the indignation that every one must feel
whose rights are thus outraged the citizens of
Louisiana know that the honor and credit of
their State must suffer, that property must
deteriorate in value, that foreign capital will
be shut out from them when they are most in
need of it, and that ruin awaits their business
classes. They have also the apprehension
that some of the more daring and thoughtless
spirits among them may rise up in rebellion
against the usurpation, and plunge the State
into yet more deplorable troubles. Upon this
point Governor McEnery's letter has great
significance. While renewing his promise of
obedience to the federal government, he is
outspoken in his declaration that resistance
has become necessity. The wrong done, he
free people. Heretofore McEnery has be-
haved with great circumspection, and
such impassioned language from him, even