The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-21

General Buchanan, the justice and impartiality
of whose action during all his intercourse with our
people cannot reasonably. we think, be called in
question, has addressed the following communica.
tion to Senator W. P. Kellogg, to whom was recent
ly laddress ed by G. vernon Warmoth, letter max
ing certain assertions concerning his (the gene
ral's) course:
HEADQUARTERS. DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA, !,
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, !
January Is. 1869. J
Eon W. p. Kellogg United States Senate wahisgtoa.
District Commbis:
Dear Sir-In a printed letter of the date OF
December 10, 1865, addressed to you by Cover
nor Warmoth. two passages relative to myself oc-
cur which i cannot allow to go unnoticed with
ont having my motives aud conduct during the
November election entirely misconstrued. The
governor says that "at an interview between Cen.
| Rousseau, Gen. Buchanan Gen. Hatch ard nv
self became satisfied that the State had no friend
IN Gen. Buchspsn, and that but little reliance was
to be put In his active cooperation. He was
severe N bis criticisms and seemed TO sympathizs
with the hostility entertained by the enemies Of
the government TO the metropolitan police DEPART
ment, ard suggested as a necessity that the old
rebel force be restored. Our interview termina.
ted without any satisfactory understanding"
The assertion that was not a friend of tbs
State would be cruel, if it were not well known
TO yourself, sir, TO be absurd. No one ia moro
fully aware than Governor Warmoth that to my.
tcH anu tue prompt measures taken DV me the
day after the assembling of the Legislature, was
due on that, and several davs following the
preservation OF the lives of himself aud all the
prominent members OF the Republican party in
The Legislature and of the new State government
Does he call this hostility to the State
As TO the "criticsms" referred to, he has for.
gotten TO state that they were made by me as
soldier and not as a politician. A few days be-
fore the election the Legislature had created q
Metropolitan Police Board, with view to the ap-
peintment OF police force to supersede the old
force under the control of the mayor of the city
and chief OF police. The appointment of the
members of the new force created intense ek.
citemeDt throughout the city, and at the time re.
ferred to very seriously threatened its peace.
The eonstltutionality of the law was questioned,
and hence resistance TO il was openly advo-
Gated. The members of the metropolitan
police force became utterly demorazed The
governor became alarmed, and when, at that in
terview, i was consulted as TO my views, | ex-
pressed the oplHion, as military man, that the
change Of the force at that juDcture was unwise
and iniudcious, as it was similar in its effect to
changing the forces of general at the moment
when he expected TO have to fight battle and
therefore thought it better TO continue the old
force on duty Until after the election. / had used
that force to keep the peace during the April eec-
tons and the peace had been preserved. Its chief
had been appointed by General Sheridan, and its
members generally by Mayor Heath, himself an
eppointee of the same general, and hence the idea
OF calling it disoyal force struck as not only
improper, but at absolute variance with proba-
bility. All this was known to the governor, and
yet he has thought proper to rfk his ieputation-
for veracity by SO unnecsssAry snd unwsrranted an
an attack upon one whose authority he well knew
TO be subordinate TO that of the department COM
mander. And wthsl, he finds himself compelled to
assai not my GctS but what he is pleased to con-
slider ny motives and this too, in the very face of
the acts themselves. And what were my actsg
When called on for troops to protect the citizens
of GJetna, sent a company over at once. When
informed that the ferry boats were taking men
over TO that point TO create riot, stopped the
boats from running. until they were released by
higher authority. When informed thst large par
ties from the city were about to proceed to st.
Bernard, in three steamboats,, with a view Of i
keeping up the war of races then going on in that
parish, sent force down TO the landing and pre-
vented the movement Was all this hostility to :
the State government? think not. hope not.
1t certainly was not so intended. My fault imag-
Inc consists 10 this: Congress has passed certain
laws, ard have executed them without consulting
aDy one, exactly in accordance with what | be-
lieyed TO be their intent and meaning a soldier
and not a politician. This have done con-
scieniiously and this shall do as long as hold a
commission. The next passage IN the governors
letter TO which | refer Is a follows: IL was so
small that Gen. Buchanan stated in Gen. Rousseaus
presence that he (Gen. ROusseaul would be as
much justified in retiring with bis troops as he
would before an enemy of superior force" This
passage relates TO the number Of troops at the
generals disposal in the city during the election
excitement. The inference from ii plainly is, that
Gen. Rousseau told the governor OF this alleged
statement Of mine. Unfortunately for the cause
of truth the lsmented general has passed from
among us. But know what he would have said,
and therefore unhestatDgly deny that he ever
made such statement 10 Gov. Warmoth, for the
simple reason that it would not have been true.
| am, sir, very respectfully,
Your obedent servant
ROBERT Q. BUCHANAN,
BTevet Maj. Gen., u. S. A, COm'd'R