Year: 1875

this question of gift-taking would be
just as legitimate subject to consid-
er here to-day as the subject we have
now under consideration. We could
consider just as well resolution eX-
pressing an opinion with reference to
officers of the United States. Why
not consider subject like this? Let
the popular heart understand it, and
let it respond. 1t is time we turned
our attention to things like this. /
merely allude to it for the purpose of
making general application TO any
body who is guilty of like conduct.


Mr.. johnson next spoke of the ac-
ten of the President in the Louisiana
affairs. and said: I'VE find that the
United States shall guarantee to every
state in this Union a republican form
of Government. Has the President OF
the United States such power? 1 do
not understand him 10 be the United
States. Does that provision authorize
the Executive, upon his own volition,
to &c and take charge in person or by
his agent-some man selected from
the army-of the government of a
State? No, sir. There is no such
thing in nthe Constitution; and inter-
fering in the State of Louisiana in TAX
ing control Of that government is a
palpable violation of the Constitution
Of the United States. If this course is
to be practiced, and the Federal Gov
ernment is going to be partner to
disappointed candidates to Office or
the Governor of State, say we have
inaugurated state of things which
will result in the overthrow of the
Constitution which binds the nation
together and is the foundation of the
Government.


Why, the time has been in this
country, and since my recollection, too,
that if an act like this, if an usurpation
like this had been attempted, it would
have produced shock throughout
the Nation. The Nation would have
been indignant from one extreme to
the other, aud would have been ready
to hurl form power the perpetrator of
such an act. But now we see things
differently. We can see men come
into power, and exercise power not
authorized by the organic law of the
land. We have gone outside of the
Constitution in a way that will bring
this Government 10 an end or change
its character so that its present features
and present structures will all be lost.


The Senator here referred to the or
ders sent to Sheridan to proceed to
New Orleans, and said: "Here is a
General of the Army who is sent back
to a people that repudiated him. with
authority to go and look over this
country and to mark himself out an
empire, prescribe the limits of his
government, or what he shall take
under his control. lie marks out the
area, he describes the points and limits
of his command; his power is as ab-
solute as that of an Emperor. Look
at the growth of power; look at the
advances which usurpation is making
and when we come to consider calmly
and deliberately, without party bias
or prejudice, we find that these acts
are none other than those of usurpa-
ton and tyranny. Where does all
this power come from? And might
ask. Upon what meat does this our
Cesar feed that he hath grown so
great : that he can prescribe and lay
down empires and place commanders
over them? 1t is time the country was
awakened, ,and considered these things.
If the excitement has been so high in
times gone by that many things have
been overlooked, l think that time
has arrived, and 1 trust that excite
ment has gone down, and that the
American people can return to the Or
ganic law Of the land. 1t is time that
the people had begun to consider and
weigh well these things. ~.


10


Mr. johnson described the organi-
zation of the Louisiana Legislature,
and continued: 81 can not regard the
action of the military or of the Pres
ident as in accordance with the Com
stitution. I cannot record my vote
for this resolution. I will not vote
against the resolution because it is
Republican measure, but l will vote
against it on principle. This resolu-
tion calls on the Senate to express an
opinion favoring practices which
think are unauthorized and unwar-
rantcd, but if we record one vote
sanctioning Presidential interference,
what are we to do in other cases P
Why single out this particular act,
and in principle sanction it, and not
sanction all the high-handed measures
which preceded it?


The action of the President in Ar
kansas affairs was denounced by Sem
ator johnson, who referred to the
growth of Federal power as followes /;
"We see how this power travels. An
empire laid off in the South. COM
manded by military chief. Then we
come along to the Endorsement by
Congress and looking over these
things we inquire what lies behind all
this? Don't we see that the change of
opinion. that the change of position
must be for some reason? There muut
be something that underlies all this.
The force bill, with authority TO take
State Governments; all arbitrary mil
itary empire laid eff in the South. and
placed under control of dictator,
must mean something. We can only
look at it in the light Of events that
will transpire in the approaching
Presidential election, when we have