Show no hope hopa tor eor the south from this WS congress speculation is rife about the 1 probable action of the repa republican caucus committee of the house H ous they are now considering what to do to reestablish establish re the lost of their theli party at the south it is said that a majority of the committee strongly favor the declaration cl of martial law in louisiana ana mississippi alabama and arkansas and the free us usi of the army as a partisan instrument this may be true but we doubt very much whether the committee will for prudential rea reasons sous sons report that recommendation to their brethren of the house and if they do it ia Is highly improbable that the republican members as a body will approve it what is the need of asking for martial law at the south when it already exists there in in sufficient force for partisan uses the violent removal of five live members from the louisiana legislature under an escort of federal bayonets bayonet was an exercise of martial law as funy fully as if ir it had been proclaimed in advance from tile the housetops martial law never appeared more haughty and oppressive than when major head with a squad of regulars I 1 entered the ruice euice of ot sheriff flanagan at vicksburg and anti forcibly ejected him this case e i by the wy has peculiar elements of wantonness and audacity wanting in the louisiana outrage the president preg Prep ident was an avowed of kellogg and aud had told and the nation that he should on recognizing and sustaining man until Cong congress fess settled tile the troubles of louisiana by legislation it was expected that if it oe casion occasion arose the president or his representative senta tive ab at mew new orleans would assist kellogg with the tb earmy army the tho brutal raid upon the legislature legis latura lature was only the execution of a pledge by which the president held himself bound a part of his hia announced policy but in the affair at vicks vick s burg the president had not previously committed himself against flanagan and therefore cannot plead any prior obligation as an excuse in the louisiana case the president justifies the action of the military on the tile ground that it saved an outbreak arid bloodshed but he cannot say that of ills his at vicksburg vies burg sherin Flanagan having been chosen at a special election 31 was in peaceful possession of office and anti awaiting any leapal legal proceedings which hia adver adversary siry chose to commence no N 0 appeal h hau aal been made to the law against him and the business of his hia office was progressing to the general satisfaction when the government steps in without the least provocation and pulls him hl smout out what could the full sweep of martial law do indre ingro more than this there was here no pretence predence pre tence that a republican r form orm ef of government was being subverted republican institutions were not in danger because Fl atiagan held the small office of or sheriff Neit nelt neither herthe the governor nor the legislature of mississippi had asked for this intervention ven tion it was in its origin and performance purely a federal act and was probably ordered from froin washington for it ie is not likely that in the present state of public publio opinion any subordinate officer would take such suell a step without sanction at head quarters we may therefore fairly assume that the president ent by these twin acts of usurpation the one at new orleans and arid the other at vicksburg merely illustrates the policy which he intends to pursue towards the south if ir this is so it is a waste of trouble for the republicans in congress to recommend any further military domination in the southern states president grant shows himself willing and ready to interfere in the south in the interests of his party to any extent walthou without a word of advice from congress C congre ss his friends and accomplices in that ing this will if they are shrewd avoid the mistake of atte atto attempting m epting to give the color of law to such outrages there are good grood republicans in congress we are satisfied who will never consent to put the gouth south under martial law and who will make open rupture with their party if it is seriously proposed there are other republicans who wilo are willing that somebody else the tile president should maintain martial law at the south but are not candid enough to vote for it themselves r only tile the extremes radicals will I 1 stand stall up and boldly avow their determination atlon to control southern elections by the military arm as the he president has been doing of late the great peril to the country W will not come from the action tac of congress in the adoption of or new tyrannical measures toward the south but from its inaction in permitting president grant to go unchecked the silence of this congress we fear will give consent to the tho presidents policy and the south will remain under an undeclared martial law and infamies amies like those of new orleans and vicksburg be frequently repeated until a new now congress takes seat and that congress we flatter ourselves will have something to say nebout about it new noo york journal of commerce jan xan J an 21 |