Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-01-22
construed into an electioneerine scheme

] and, therefore, he long bore the discredit
| Of Government which did not protect
its citizens, and consented only when all
| other hope of good order had failed
After having been thus goaded to despera
| tion, the Union men have finally resolved
to have peace at all hazards They pro
pose to 90 Just far enough with the militia
| to attain this end, and will withdraw the
military as soon as they can be safe in SO
doing. The Union men are not influenced
in this move by malice. Their only aim
is the enforcement of the laws which
guaranteed in this move safety and pro-
lection to all persons.-Nelo York Tribune.
REPORT OF GENERAL PORTER, OF GENERAL
GRANTS STAFF. a
The following official report relative to
affairs in Arkansas has been received at
General Grants headquarters from GEN
eral Horace Porter, of his staff =:
LITTLE Rock, December 26
GENERAL General Babcock and I ar
rived here two days ago. So many con-
Trajectory reports have been in circula-
tion in regard to Governor Clayton s mill
tia that it may be well for you to know
the fact. The present State government
was certainly in some danger previous to
the Presidential election. Senator Barker
had been shot and wounded badly; Mr..
Upham, of the Lower House, wounded; !;
Mr.. Hines, member of Congress and
Freedman's Bureau agent, killed, and also
other agents and a United States Marshal
were driven from their posts by threats
The Governor, Senator Rice, and others,
had to sleep in the State House under
guard for fear of assassination. The Gov
ernor wisely restrained from taking any
violent measures until after election, fear
ing that the opposition might make capi-
tai out of it. AS soon as it was over he
organized a militia force of about eight
hundred men, one-fourth colored, with
General Catterson in the southwest
and Upham in the Northeast, with or
ders to live off the country, taking what
was absolutely necessary and giving
vouchers. His intention is to pay all
loyal holders of vouchers and no others
Two assassins have already been executed
by sentence of a military commission and
others are in prison, and a great number
have been run out of the State. But the
best result can see is the disposition OF
all business men to voluntarily enroll
themselves as posse, pledged to assist
sheriffs, to arrest lawless characters, if the
Governor will relieve them from martial
law. He has accepted many such pledges,
and martial law exists only in parts of
seven counties. The entire conservative
wing of the Republican party was OPP
posed to the declaration of martial law,
including General Smith, United States
army, commanding the troops. They ad-
mitted the reign Of terror established by
the rebels, but wanted the United States
to make the arrests. Governor Clayton's
argument in favor of his policy is fol-
lows: "The United States troops do not
know the people and the country. The
lawless behave well while the United
States troops are in their vicinity, and
break out worse than ever when they
leave. The rebels are generally anxious
to have them, Jas it creates an expenditure
of money in their midst from which they
reap benefit. The militia ferret out the
disloyal and extort pledges from them to
respect the laws, as these people have
threatened to break up the State Govern
ment as soon as the United States troops
are removed. This teaches them that the
State is able to protect itself. The militia
has been under tolerably good control, and
the plundering reported in the press is the
taking of supplies under orders. One
negro militiaman committed a rape on a
white woman, but was Immediately arrest
ed by General Catterson (who seems to be
very good many, and was by him tried,
convicted and executed" LA ,..,..... i,
The Government policy has, no doubt,
interfered with business, where martial
law has been proclaimed, and injured busi-
ness men of all parties, hence the opposi-
ton from loyalists. 1t hasinterfered with
travel, taken off hands for the militia at a
season when they were being needed, and
created many panics. 1t has, however,
accomplished much more good than the
most sanguine3 expected, and General
Smith acknowledged lie thought the Gov
ernor's Judgment was better than his, and
the result would fully justify the act of the
former. The Governor is now disposed
to relieve each county from martial law,
as soon as 1t can be done safely. The Gov
ernor is certainly man of intelligence
and nerve, and has labored under difficult
ties that would have deferred less able
officer. Four thousand arms were seized
by the Ku-Klux and thrown off boat be-
low Memphis. He could seldom secure
good men for officers, and in the eastern
counties he had to depend entirely upon
the negroes for soldiers. Very respect
fully, HORACE PORTER, i.
Camp.