Year: 1877

drawn with fair and judicial hand. 1


contains nothing but clear, visible, actu ,


facts And yet ask you, fellow citizens


does il not sound like an Indictment


TGov. Chamberlain went on to say tha


Hayes found in Louisiana q republican


State Government. whose validity haC


been affirmed by the judgment of al


august special tribunal


That judgment was an indispensable


support to the Presidents title to hi


own Office Without il he was himself q


usurper without a shadow Of legal righ


or semblance of lawful authority. No


an element of legal regularity or validity


was wanting to Gov. Packard's title


This State Government was menaced ano


beleagured by an armed, violent, and


revolutionary organization, which had


already forcibly seized a considerable


part of the public Offices and property al


the capital, and stood in avowed resdi


ness to complete its usurpation. whenever


this could be done without actual col


lission with the military forces of the


United States. Not only was every fea-


ture of the situation known to President


Hayes, but he was subsequently. in due


constitutional form, informed Of it by


the Legislature of Louisiana. No public


exigency ever arose in which the consti-


tutional and political duty Of the Presi-


dent Of the United States was clearer or
more imperativeg


TGov. Chamberlain continued


| leave out of view. for the moment,


all consideration Of that most peculiar


and to many most humiliating feature Of
| this business. which consists i'm a willing


ness on the part Of the President to


accept for himself the fruits of the cleo
/ tion in Louisiana, although it is an in
/ disputable fact that the vote in that
| State for the Hayes electors fell short OF
that for Gov. Packard by several hun
dreds, and yet. while clutching those
fruits with a ready. if not eager hand. to
plan and carry out the overthrow Of Gov.
Packard. I leave out OF view here also


the general question Of party fealty, Of
which shall hereafter speak. as we'll as
Of the general consequences Of the Presi-
dents conduct. If Gov. Pack rd had
been a corrupt poltroon. instead Of man
whose honor and courage matches that
Of any man in the Union. the Presidents
duty would have remained the same.
inquire only at this point. what was the
official duty of President Hayes toward
the State OF louisiana And I answer
that il is beyond intelligent dispute or
reasonable question that il was his duty
to protect the lawful Government Of that
State from domestic violence by the mil
itary forces of the United States and to
make the measure of that protection. as
well as its continuance. the extent nee
essaTy to render Gov Packards authority
effective throughout the State of Louis
lana. Read the section
of the Constitution and the act Of 1906,
with the opinion of Chief Justice Taney.


I l.. 4. - IL.
honest purpose to do his duty could miss
his path. What was the action Of the
President under the circumstances stated2 |
Did he discharge his constitutional duty |
by protecting the State of Louisiana |
against domestic violence2 He made no /
attempt to do it.


Sir, | have seen the hot Indignation Of /
outraged patriotism poured upon the /
weak old man in whose feeble hands the /
great rebellion found the powers Of this /
Government in 1860. because he treated /
with the leaders and agents Of that rebel.
lion. and could find no warrant in the /
Constitution for 'coercing a State"
He was the decaying fruit OF half cen
tury of Northern subservience to South
ern dictation, the poor dregs of a worn
out politician whose life had been spent
in covering submission to the will Of
those whom he was now called to con.
front But what shall be said of this
President educated by the events Of the
last seventeen years-the long and peril
Gus struggle to save the nation to free
dom and justice-the representative OF a
party whose life and inspiration in every
hour of its xi.tence has been political
Justice and freedom for all American cit
i?ens-a President who had literally
climbed to hIs high seat over the dead
bodies of hundreds Of loval men in Lou
isiana who had met death in forms far
more terrible than any battle field in
order that the liberty of which thew had
tasted might be kept for their children
This President enters upon his negotia-
tions with those who are in arms against
the lawful Government of Louisiana in
order that he might the more surely be.
tray the friends who had trusted him and
the cause he was sworn to uphold.


We shall see that as the final result OF
this business was n disastrous blow at
State rights as well as human rights, So
the methods employed to reach the end
were conceived and executed in fitting
of constitutional powers and
limitations OF what concern was il to
him-I sp' az in a constitutional sense
to know two Governments could be re-
duced to one, or two Legislatures com
bined in one? Ask the Pres dent under
what power, express or implied. he enters
Louisiana to secure one Legislature or
one Government No man can answer
you. 1t was bold, arrant, usurPa'ion
without even an excuse that il was un-
dertaken in a good cause. He dared not
question Gov. Packards title; but he
thought, in the face of an intelligent
people, to accomplish by indirection the
purpose to which he stood committed
Called upon under the Constitution and
laws OF the country, as its chief executive.
to discharge a grave public duty-a duty
to the maint ntainance of human
rights and the principles of the political
party which had elected him-the Presi
dent not only declines the duty, but he
~tabs the State that sought his aid, and
betrays the principles and men whom he
was bound to uphold and protect.


But we are told, we are especially as
sured by Col. Higinson, that there was
peace at this time perhaps, he says, a
hollow peace" but still peace" Now,
| say that, as a matter Of fact, or of rea-
son, or of law, there was no more peace /
in Louisiana at this time than there was
in Virginia in the winter of 1868 to Ga 4
when the armies OF Gen. Mead and Gen /
Lee lay silently confronting each other |
on the banks of the Rapidan. / mean /
exactly what | say The authority Of |
the lawful Government OF Louisiana was |
much assailed. the peace Of that State |
was as much disturbed. by armed resist |
ance. from March 4 to April 20. as was
the Government and peace Of the United |
States when active military operations
were suspended, for any cause, during
the four years of the rebellion.


You have already. no doubt, asked
why have tested the Presidents South


Ii. L 4 Il