The New York herald., 1871-02-21
The Troubles in Arkansas.

There is serious likelihood of lively times
In Arkansas, and lively times in Arkansas
means blood, hair, corruption and the 'sground
tore up" The old bowie-knife duels across
handkerchief and the famous shotgun COM
bats over table are mere miniature instances
Of what may be apprehended In q few days,
unless the tendency towards blood among the
high officials of the State is summarily stop
ped. The case stands thus Governor Clay
ton, who is most unrelenting radical, has
had articles of impeachment presented
against him by the democratic House Of
Representatives for various alleged offences,
such as conspiring to oust the Lieutenant
Governor-one johnson, rabid democrat
aiding in election frauds and other malfeasance,
in office; but ALL without a doubt, merely
covering the real charge of being radical.
On the strength of this impeachment, and
before the articles are presented in the
Senate, Lieutenant Governor johnson declares
himself acting Governor and directs Clayton
to vacate his Office. This Clayton declines to
do and surrounds himself with State troops
and calls into the field all the remaining State
militia that will obey him. Then Acting
Governor Johnson calls on the militia, too,
and so the game has arrived at that interest
ing point which has been SO frequently COM
memorated in the history of draw poker in
Arkansas, where the preponderance Of aces
and revolvers wins the "pot."
In the meantime the managers of the i'm
peachment present themselves to the Senate
merely to find that body thinned out below
the consistency of quorum by the absence Of
the astute radical members, and therefore they
cannot present the articles officially. Why
they should cling to red tape at all in such q
lawless muddle is remarkable, but it seems
they do. Then, again, Clayton, if we may be
allowed to continue a simile that will be per-
fills out his hand" by swearing new and
specially prepared Chief Justice, whose first
duty is to serve an injunction on the Acting
Governor to restrain him from acting The
Johnson men ''fll' with another impeachment,
the new Chief Justice being the object Of the
present, and all now depends upon the most
judcious drawing Of aces, militia and re-
volvers.
The whole fight seems to be merely politi-
cal contest for supremacy. The democrats
are trying to carry the State, just as they have
carried North Carolina, and the result will be
the martial law and bloody scenes and out
RACES enacted by Kinks lambs and the Ku Kluz
| in the latter State. The people of the State
are not interested in any great degree in any
such revolutionary movement and they GER
tainly do not desire o change Of government
80 heartily as to undergo the terrors and
| horrors of civil war to gain It, Governor
| Clayton is the United States Senator elect and
| is to take his seat March 4, and 1t would have
been better for their own purposes If the
democratic agitaters had waited his natural
withdrawal from the governorship. As 1t il
we are likely to have another Mexico among
our newly reconstructed States-anothea
synonym for anarchy and disorder, another
byword of scorn and ridicule among the order
| loving States of the Union and another argu
ment against amnesty and Vance.