Year: 1877

other purpose than to preserve the peace his


course will be generally approved. 1t is


true that the Supreme Court has declared


that the United States are not called to per-


form police duty in the States, but there can
terposing in the character of bystanders, to
prevent citizens from cutting one anothers
throats and to put stop to lawless violence.
In State where there is an undisputed local
government even this degree of interference
would be Objectionable; for it is the duty OF
every State government to preserve local
order. But in Louisiana no competent au-
thority has yet decided which is the legal
government, and no reasonable blame can
be imputed to the President for his deter
mination to maintain the peace so long as
he takes no part in the political controversy.


One mistake is often the parent Of many
others If President Grant had been rs
wise four years ago as he has since been rem
dered by experience we dare soy he would
not have taken his first steps in favor of
Kellogg. But having imprudently assisted
to put Kellogg in power in 1873, and
thereby recognizing his title, the President
has felt bound to stand by him during his
tions for assistance. At a later period the
President discovered his mistake and sought
relief from the responsibility he had as
sumed. He laid the subject before Congress
in special message and asked legisla-
ton for his guidance, telling Congress
ho fhot n
persist in his first policy unless
they should require different course.
Congress did nothing, and as silence i'm
piled sanction after their attention had been
so urgently called to the subject, the Presi-
dent seemed excusable for making no
change OF policy with reference to that
State.


But President Grant took good cnre not to
get into another scrape of the same kind.
He refused an application from Texas, re-
fused an application from Arkansas, refused
an application from Mississippi, and in
each of these cases the result attested the
wisdom of his new policy Of non-interfer-
ence. The three last named States have
been as quiet and orderly as any three
in the Union since he left the people to set
tie their own political disputes Had he
interfered the history of Louisiana would
have been repeated in each of them. AS
soon as it was understood that the President
would take no part in their local quarrels
their State governments passed under the
quiet control of the majority, and order has
been preserved unbroken ever since. But
in Louisiana, where the mistaken policy Of
interference was persisted in, there has been
a constant series of disgraceful disturbances.
We are glad that the President, after
supporting Kellogg until the end of his
term, refuses to intermeddle to settle any
more political questions and limits his
action to the mere preservation of the peace
during tho dispute as to who is Governor
Kelloggs legal successor.


The matured views Of the President on this
class Of subjects were expressed with great
clearness In the correspondence which
passed in connection with the Mississippi
difficulty in September, 1875. Governor
for federal assistance, which were refused
with strong symptoms of impatience and
annoyance The President was then
at Long Branch, and the correspondence
on the part of the federal government
was conducted by Attorney General Pierre
On the 14th of September Mr.. Pierrepont
wrote to Governor Ames embodying ex-
tracts from telegram he had just received
from Long Branch. In that telegram the
President said to the Attorney General
'The whole public are tired with these au-
tumnal outbreaks in the South, and the
great majority are now ready to condemn
any interference on the part of the govern
ment" The President further said:-'T
would suggest the sending OF despatch to
Governor Ames urging him to strengthen
his own position by exhausting his own re-
sources in restoring order before he receives
government aid" Mr. Pierrepont proceeded
to say to Governor Ames:-''You see by this
the mind of the President, with which and
every member of the Cabinet who has been
consulted are in full accord" 81 suggest
that you take all lawful means and all needed
measures 10 preserve the peace Dy the lOrces
in your own State, and let the country see
that the citizens of Mississippi, who are
largely favorable to good order, and who are
largely republican, have the courage and
manhood to fight for their rights"
The President did not swerve from
these sound views and when Ames
found that the federal troops would not
interfere he yielded to the force of circum-
stances and made voluntary surrender of
his Office to escape impeachment. There is
no good reason to doubt that persistent nom
interference by President Grant in Louisiana
at the present time will be followed by
dissolution of the Packard government, and
that peace and order will thereafter be
easily maintained by the State nnthorifies