Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1868-02-29

Y 80, 1868.
49, -----'-'------------H-E-Hz
o The Grani.liancOek C0rrepOnd
encc.
NEw ORLEANS, Feb, s, 1868.
To Gen, L, s, Grant;
: Il have removed members of thu
City Council fhr contcmp. ofthc or
dcrs OF the Military Commander, il
: proceeding tn an election for Re
corder ofthe Second District, whicl
is nm elective office, under the laws
by the people, and not by the Coun
ell, The attempt TO hold the clecti ln
was made while was absent In
Texas, but tho council was referred
To Con, Shcridan's order fnrbidling
elections until reconstruction wa,
completed, without tho authority
of the Comd, General, nevertheless
these members voted for an immc,
diate election, and the project was
carried, Tho election was about to
bo completed, when ono or two
members, moro timid than others,
then LEFT and broke the quorum -
\ case in punt is the order of Gen,
Mower, Of October 18th, 1865, re.
moving the Jefferson City council,
for n like offence. My action in the
matter was in accordance with the
power granted by the reconstruction
net, which allows the District Com.
mnndcr 10 suspend or remove per
sons from Office.
w. S. HANCOCK,
Major Gen. U. S. a.
WASHINGTON, Feb. S, 1868.
To Major Gen. Hancock
/ Suspend your orderrcmoving City
Council, in New Orleans, until full
report of reasons is sent. Answer
by mail.
L. S. GRANT.
General.
New ORLEANS, Feb. ., 1868.
To Gen. U. S. Grant:
Your dispatch of the Sth Fcbru-
airy, directing me to suspend my
order No. %, OF 9TH instant, rcmov.
ing certain members of the council
Of New Orleans, until full report Of
the reasons therefor should be sent
to you, was received ut 10 p. W, to-
day. | request that you may re.
consider your action, and that my
order in the premises be not sus-
pended until you have the full re
port of the reasons called for by
you. | telegraphed you at the mo-
ment the order was issued, giving
rs full statement of my reasons
for my actions as | thought could |
be made. l referred you to the
order of Gen. Sheridan, forbidding
elections, which you have on file at
your headquarters, and stated that
the City Council had been previous
ly notified Of this order by me. |
also referred you to an order of Gen.
Mower, issued in October last, which
set forth a parallel case, and which
you have on file. In that case an
appeal was taken to you for rein
statement of the Council removed
by Gen. Mower, which appeal you
had not sustained. The present
case was a defiance of that exam
pie, Of Gen. Sheridan's orders, of
my letter cautioning the Council to
desist in this election, and forwarded
to you. 1t was also illegal under
the law by which they claim to act
| was astonished at the action Of the
Council, and could not account for
it, except by the fact it had been
instigated to do so by designing
men, who believed that if | dared
to make these removals it would
end in my own removal from this
place, and that they would be pro-
tected at any rate. My self respect,
as Commander of the District, made
it absolutely necessary that I should
take summary measures, regardless
of the consequences with which par
tizens might threaten me. do not
know what filter report could be
forwarded in the case, for all pareis
explaining my action have been
sent to you. TO suspend my order
would be to destroy my Usefulness
here; then in such an event, sense :
of what | consider due TO me and
my position in this matter, would ,,
necessitatc a respectful request to -,
be relieved from my present COM
mand. Although have been here
seventy days, this is the second oc. !
casion | have taken, on my own J.,
to mako a removal, {
The first, two days previous to one }
his; both for grave causes reported :
10 you in detail by telegraph, and :
while | recognize tho power of the :
COMMANDMENT. Chief to disapprove =
my action, ] respectfully request,
hat as ! have acted upon full 4,
knowledge of facts, tho General-in- \
Chief may desire, in addition to '
what has been already furnished y
lim a full understanding of the :,
,asc under consideration. NJ y :
lction in the premises was original ?
y based on the first supplementary =
'econstruction act OF July 18th, {
1868. await your reply before !,
ssuing the order :,
w. S. HANCOCK,
Major Gen. U. S. A.
WAsHISGToN, Feb. IL, 1868. l.
To Major Gen. Hancock: !,
If your order removing the City E
Council has been executed, and new +
Ippointees are in, you need not sus- .
,end the order as directed. >
U. S. GRANT, h
General. a
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. IL, 1868. O