Year: 1873

fbey will mislead, and cause vOy


troahle. They are manufactured 10 Ordel
| here more far the Northern market thar
| for home consumption; for surely these
| men can not hope or expect TO deceive the


people at home much longer Their incon
| sistencies and contradictions are too palpa-


ble-toO glaring They profess retrench.


of Drirting-and vet for the few months
| during which they managed tbe registration
| Of vOTers preceding the late election extr2y.


agan+ and extraordinary expenditures Oc-


Cured. far exceeding anything ever charged


or even imagined against the Republican


party, by It's most bitter and unprincipled
| and unscrupulOus enemies.


| will simply state, then, that il is not


true that the Fusionists here have in any


sense or to any degree been recognized by
| the national Congress, or by any committee
| OF Congress. by any inference or implica-
! tiOn, as either the Ge jatTe or de tdct0 gov
! ernmeut of Louisiana. The United States
| senatorial committee distinctly announced
| the late election IN Louisiana fraud on
| the part of the FusiOnists, but referred TO
| their returns as the only legal or de jHle
returns under the State la Ts, but de-
| uoupced their returning board "as illegal
| and Irregular" while our board-that is.
| the Lynch board, which returned Kellogg
| and our Legislature as elected-was recog-
niZed as the only legal board, and the only
power authorized TO make a count and
| # this board had not the regular
| legal returns 10 count from, and was
compelled to make a return upon secondary
| data, it was on account OF wrong perpe-
| trated by the adversary, wrong of which
| that adversary could take no advantage.
and which could not, in the very nature of
Justice and fairness, entail any material
hardship or disability upon those against
whom il was peYpetrated. There was and
Ia nothing in the action Of Congress- or the
report OF any committee, which, in fact or
law, gives validity or lends any aid or com
fort TO the Fusion usurpatiOn. Read and
ventilate as you will, and still this will be
found true. II is true, some members OF
the senatorial committee ''mOuthed" con-
siderably about the irregularities under
which our State government went into
power; bat they failed TO show that
these irregularities were our fault, or
that thew were not really essential TO the


maintenance of right and justice-just as
the well known Irregularities and usurpa-
tiuns OF Mr.. Lincoln were necessary to the
suppression of the rebellion. But truly, l
have never thought there were any irregu-
larities or usurpations on the part of any
power either here or at Washington, in
putting into operation and sustaining the
present State government of Louisiana.
That there were some new phases TO be
dealt with / will not deny, but they re-
suited legitimateiy from the national law
| under which the case came up-was indeed
part Of that law-aDd but for which law


it is very clear we would to-day have no
Republican State government in Louisiana,


but would be cursed with a Fusion or


rather rebel State government, fOisted


upon us over a prostituted ballOt-box,


TO be run, not in the interest of the people


as such, but in the special interest of Sc


lect and chosen few-the elect of defunct


aristOcracy, too lazy to work and, doubtless,


too honest 70 steal But this thing failed.


through the Justice and equity of law OF


Congress which well fitted the case; and


can not believe it will be long before every


honest man and true friend to Justice and 20


liberty throughout the land will rise up and


bless Judge Durell for the noble and firm


part he has taken in this matter. If he is


70 be blamed, the law is to be blamed; and


if either or both, then let local fraud and


persecution for opinions sake run rampant


and go unwhipped of justice. Let loyalty


languish and let treason triumph. For such


as the sole issue.


Then il is a mistake-it is false-that Con


gress III any manner or to any degree is up


holding the so-called Fusion or McEnery


State government. majority of the com
mittee only proposed a new election, be-
caUse the pretended Fusion triumph was
naked fraud, and the Republican success an
nounced upon and under some Irregularities.


But new election was not ordered-vill


not be. The United States Senate voted
down the proposition, and in doing so voted


TO sustain the present State government,
with William p. kellogg at the head; which


government, so organized, President Grant


has sustained, is sustaining, and will con
tirue 10 sustain. And all efforts against
this government will result only in
more ruin 70 the State and in
creased danger and trouble TO the in
dividual citizen. Therefore would l most
earnestly advise all who do not deserve
ruin to be cautious and look well before
they leap. L you have not yet incurred
curse, see that you do not incur one. | can
say this plainly and candidly; for all who
know me, very well know that / am not
false teacher, am not false prophet nor
an alarmist, and that l hold no ill-win
against any one because of political diff
ference Of opinion. Would to God all
could say the same as to their dealings and
intercourse with myself. But, alas It IS
not so. And | say it, not as complaining,
but in sorrow for my race.


plead with the people Of my section TO
be just to themselves. ! do hope aud trust
the honest masses will 10 longer be led
astray by deceivers-will no longer bother
with or tie their fortunes to the malcOntents
and most inconsistent Otfice-seekers who
have so long disturbed the peace and pros
perlty OF TIE country. None in my section
shall do so il the dark, for intend all shall
ne constantly and well posted as to the true
facts of the case. will not be deferred by
any odds or any opposition. When know
1 am right, there is no power on earth that
can deter me. ! know there are to-day II
my senatorial district some good and true
men, both black and white whose lives are
constantly menaced because Of heir devotion
to their country and 20 the cause of justice. l
know the signs and indications are that 1t
will be dangerous in the future. as ii h.ss
been IN the past, for men of my political an
tecedents and present status to open their
mouths and move about. | have written
proof OF this N my possession. But all this
shall not deter ne. Nor shall the addl-
tional disgraceful fact that some former
friends at the North may now be weaken
mgiA the cause OF truth and justice, detract
one JOt or little from my frmness. would
rather die than that the cause of liberty
and ~ stIce should fail; and if this cause Is
TO go down il America, am willing TO
sink with II. Are you, gentlemen OF the
twentieth senatorial district Are you,
gentlemen OF the free and enlightened
North II you are, then say not that it
matters nothing whether Louisiana ls
Republican State 1t matters everything
with those Of Us here who stood firm in the
cause OF right when the nation was almost
IN the agonies Of death-when the snake
Ike coils o. treason were fastening upon
the "i-ais O! the harassed, tatigued and
glorious eagle. Be with or against us-only
let II De known upon what and whom truth
has 20 rely n this contest.


There .s cne other living, fostering evil
against which, il this connection, must
warn my people, and against which would
fain warn the people of the entire South.
1t Is the corrupt and hcentious newspaper
press-a press which seeks TO create a rot;
ten public sentiment, that it may feed upon