Year: 1878




Republicans said from the beginning
of the Hayes policy-that the Nichols
government, the white league, would
prove untrue to their promises, and
that they ought never to have an Op-
portunity to practice their treason.
The members of the cabinet have
been freely expressing their opinions
regarding the prosecutions of the Re-
turning Board. Secretary McCrary
said to a representative of the Inter
Ocean that in the Cabinet There vas
no difference of opinion about the in
justice of Anderson's conviction, and
he regretted that the people of the
South, and of Louisiana especially,
did not denounce it as an outrage.
The Presidents so-called policy, he
said, was undergoing its severest test,
and those who have had the streng-
est faith in its wisdom would be com
PEELED to confess their mistake, and
abandon 1t as premature, if the spirit
manifested in these prosecutions
proves to be the spirit of the South.
1t is claimed that these prosecutions
are set on foot by violent people. VIII o
want to excite the country and an
noy the president, and that they are
not sustained by the better class of
Democrats in the South. The Presi-
dent, however, is waiting anxiously
for some demonstration on the part of
this class, the business men. who
thought Democratic supremacy and
cessation of political strife were neces-
sary to business prosperity in the
South, and from friends of good order
and reconciliation In the true sense of
the word, and until he sees some
such demonstration l am afraid be
will be greatly discouraged. L think
the President, with tn best of motives
and patriotic intentions, at the risk of
displeasing a majority of his party
and his friends, started out iu his ad-
ministration with the tender of peace
| to the South and an effort for the re-


vival of good feelingan burial of Sec
tional animosities that grew out of
slavery and have not been quenched
since the war, with the hope and ex-
pectation that his manifestations and
concessions would be responded to in
spirit as generous and cordial as that
in which they were made. But it
must be confessed that he has met
with a great many discouragements
so far, and the trial of Anderson, be-
fore a prejudioed and corrupt judge,
by a packed and partisan jury, has
been the most discouraging thing of
aIl.'' ~ .,


Senator Stanley Matthews who is
as well qualified as any one to
speak of the obligations Louisiana is
under TO the President, said:


"It was especially unkind to the
President, who had done everything
he could in the most magnanimous
manner to befriend the people of Lou
isiana. Now they showed that he
could not place any confidence in
their protestatiOns and assurances.
They mad sOrely and in a most un-
grateful manner disappointed iIfm.


Whatever might be the results, they


a A., hn
them" Senator Matthews said that
when he was in New Orleans with
the other gentlemen, endeavoring to
arrange matters on an amicable basis,
they said: 'Oh, we don't care about
Senators or Representatives, nor any
of the political offices just give US a
good local government, with peace
and home rule, and we will restore
good feeling and protection within
the borders of our State" Now"
said he, what do we see? Just as
we have a right to expect a peaceful
condition of affairs, the old spirit of
sectionalism breaks out again, and
the line is drawn just as it was after
the war as soon as they are left to
themselves" Here he repeated the
forcible wish of Secretary Sherman,
that he had some strong power, even
military if it could be used coustitu-
tiOnally, to correct the condition of
things in New Orleans. He said that
such rules as General Sheridan and
General Butler gave to them would be |
salutary, for they recognized their |
strong hand and the beneficial effects |
which flowed from their military
rule. Mr.. Matthews said: THE eff |
feet of this unjust and ungrateful con-
dition of affairs now presented at |
New Orleans would be to make it i'm |
possible for the President, or those |
who had been struggling to pat be-
hind them all the bitterness and hate |
of the war eveTmore, hereafter to do |
for them, and this would go |
to the whole world There was one
very serious consideration which |
might arise from this, as he saw from
the public prints somewhere, and |
that was the question of the recogni-
ton of the State government of Lou
isiana. Iu no act of his had the pres
iGent been called on to recognize Of
ficially the government of the State
Of Louisiana. though be had removed
the troops aud left the people OF the
State to govern themselves under
Governor Nichols. But in the we'll
k known case of the State of Rhode Is
land, which is most generally quoted
in point of law as parallel case, it
W as decided during the Dorr rebellion
that the act of the Senate and House
Of Representatives in admitting MEM
oers to their bodies was means where
Dy it was decided what was the exist
ng and legal government Of State
md this too controlled the executive.
Now it will be seem" said be, THAT
he Senate of the United States ad-
nitted kellogg. and thereby recog-
lized the kellogg Legislature, while
he Nichols government had been al
owed passively to remain in force,
hough there was no official act of the
recognizing it. While he
lid not advance any theory on this
lead. there was.h be said. fruitful [
ood for reflection in it in determin-
ng whether the present condition OF
fairs might tend"