Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-03-21
Affairs in Richmond Va.

Affairs in Richmond Va.
RICHMOND, March 19.-Gov. Walker to-
day addressed a letter to Gen. Candy. Alter
stating the fact that a military force had inter
fered to prevent the legal Mayor of the city,
elected and qualified according to law, from
performing the duties Of his Office in the seem
ing intention OF enabling a mere pretender to
that office to discharge its duties, he asserts
that this action was taken without any request
of the Legislature or any civil authority OF the
State, and asks by what law or authority Gen,
Candy does this.
Gen. Candy replied as follows:
HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF VIRGINIA,
RICHMOND, VA, March l9. 1870.
10 his ercellency the Governor Of Virginia:
SRI have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt this morning, at 1875 o'clock, OF your
communication Of this date stating that from
the morning press aud other sources 4 military
| force under your (my) command has been in
| terposed to prevent the Mayor OF this city,
| duly elected, qualified, and acting under the
laws Of the State, from the proper discharge OF
| his duties, and with the seeming intention OF
| enabling another person, a mere preiender 10
that office, to discharge the current business OF
that Office" aud to state that the iuterposltion
Of tho military force referred to in your COM
municatiou was taken under the circumstance
and for the purpose indicated in the letter 20
Mr.. E!lyson of yesterday, a copy of which |
understand was at the time communicated TO
your Excailency with this protest. | have
not Disseminated in favor or against either Of
the contestants in this case. The legal qucs-
tions involved 10 this controversy arc proper
subjects for judicial determination by the civil
courts, and the action taken by ne has 10
other object than TO aid in the preservation Of
the peace Of the city until that determination
can be reached or the proper civil courts can
take jurisdiction Of the matters in question.
The warrant for that action Is the lns;rue
| tons Of the President Of the United States and
the Secretary OF War to district the Depart,
mont Commanders, and the preccdents cstab-
lished heretofore, taken under the authority
| OF SUCH instructions in precisely similar cases,
some OF which have already had the honor
to cite to your ExceIIency. These instructions
arc substantially that until legal questions in.
volVed III q controversy Of this kind are
solved there cen be 10 action by the military,
except By such lnterpOsltlon between the con.
testing parties az may be necessary to prevent
breaches Of the peace and hostile collisions be.
tween citizens, and to the end that in any
event the peace may be preserved.
The course | have taken is, | believe, pre-
ciseiy that which at the end of our conference
on the night Of the 18th instant it was conciu.
ded that 1t would tc proper to take, except
that | was obliged to do myself what | hoped
would have been done by the mutual agree.
mcnt OF the parties to this contest: and in my
judgment it was absolutely necess airy that it
should have been taken at the time it vas, in
order to prevent moro serious disorders thar
had already occurred.
| think it proper TO add to this that from
several conferences with MI. Ellyson and one
with MIR. Cuhoon [ had reason to infer that
this action would be concurred in by both,
and that both would abstain from action OF
force that would be likely to produce a hostile
questions involved in the controversy.
Your obedient servant,
Z. r. S. CANBY,
Brevet Major General Commanding.
RICHMOND, March 20.-The city is quiet TO-
night. Ellyson's police are in possession of the
city. Chahoon's force of forty men are still in
their Station House, around which a large
crowd Of blacks has been gathered all day. Gov.
Walker has sent a reply to General Candy let
ter, in which the Governor quotes all the acts
of Congress on the subject, to show that Gene.
raj Candy had no shadow Of authority for in.
~terfering municipal affairs, unless called on by
the Legislature or State authorities, nor has
any authority under the orders issued by the
President or Secretary OF War. lie says it is
clear, from a letter written by General Candy
to Chahoon, on the 18th instant, that he (Can.
by) had determined to protect Chahoon in ex-
e%rcisiug the functions of an Office which under
the laws of the State he did not and could not
hold. Gov. Walker says that as Chief Execu-
tive of the State he will see its laws faithfully
performed, and when he finds the power of the
State inadequate, he will call in the aid of the
United States. He contends that 10 a munich
pal difference in New York neither General
Candy nor any other military officer would have
interierel, nor should it be done in Virginia, g
State that stands on the same footing in the
Union with any other. An appended letter
from Mayor ElIyson states that Gen. Candy, on
the night of the 18th instant, said be would
getChahoon' friends,t to advise him to withdraw
his men from the Station House, and Ellyson
should discharge his special police and take
possession. The next day General Candy him.
self took possession.
RICHMOND. March 2O.--A dense crowd of
blacks which have been standing all day around
Chahoon's~ headquarters, at the Third Station
house, so blocked up tie streets that tonight
Mayor Eltyson determined to clear them. At
II o'c'oek lie sent a force who proceeded to
clear Jefferson street, when they were fired
upon by the negroes, and Richard Bush, a spe-
cial policeman, was instantly killed, and Cap
tain William Knox wounded. The EIIyson pc.
lice then fired on the crowd, and alter a short
tight drove off the negroes, who carriad their
wounded and dead, If there were any. with
them. The police succeeded in clearing the
streets, and at this time-m;dnight-alI is quiet.
Bush's body was brought to the City Hal.
The body Of Capt. Williams, OF the Oneida,
recovered from the wreck, and the funeral
honors were paid at Yokohama on the Sth Of
February. The civil and military representa-.