, 1872-10-15
while under the influence Of these citizens, 1s-
sued the following order disbanding the militia:
PERRy STATION, Ark july 49, 1872

Special Order No. II '' 10'e'
| pany Of Pope County State Guards:
a2n s 9nt f9@ @ es s2 g. under
y in the serving Of civil process, cause all proper.
such as horses saddles, bridles and camp equipage
and al arms taken BY your command for the use of
such forces taken from citizens, to be returned to
them without unnecessary delay and require them to
return to their respective homes quiet and good
citizens. O. A. HApLEy,
/ Connmander-i1-Chief
THE POLITICIANS M1x IN.
When Governor Hadley got home, however,
| and fell under rhe influence Of Mcclure and the
rough advisers of the Clayton school, he recon-
misses toward the Pope County people, and ship
ped quantity Of arms up to the militia. There
! is some question as to whether these arms were
placed IN the hands Of the same militia who had
figured in the assassination OF Tucker and Hui1e.
As late as July &C. the Governor wrote q letter
to Gibson, who commanded the State Guards in
Yell and Pope Counties, to take said arms from
the tn custody OF the men directly charged with
this assassination. He also demanded that
Clonager be dismissed from the militia, and said,
in terms: ri am satisfied that Clonager has act.
ed badly, and ia q gross vio1ator Of law; and
hope there will be no means spared to bring him
to Justice. or any others thus offending"
LINUS It is very eleaF lie l., th4t Governor Hedlsy
while he was amongst them, but grew q little
severe after: he got home to Little Rock !;
| and, when was at the State Capital,
he was hardly willing to admit anything against
son or Hickox, although it will be seen, by The
| above orders, that he was "satiafed" That the
militia we're about as bad as the boys Of Dover.
a mild comment on Governor Hadley would be,
that he is one of those men whose Judgment
| is not his own, and that, surrounded by per-
| fectly good influences, he would bo one Of the
| best and most exemplary rulers.
Enough has been said to show that, in the
| Minstrel faction at Little Rock, he and Clayton
we're probably chief counsellors to moderation
| and clemency, while the rest Of the Minstrel
| faction supported Hickox, :Dodson, and martial
law. The Brind1e-Tails and the Democrats,
| however, set up such q horrible howl over what
had taken place in Pope County that one might
ing the son1s Of their departed braves toward
| the spirit-land. Rice Brooks, Weeks, Whipple,
and ali that sat shouted TINT Hadley and Clay
| ton had met together, resolved that Pope County
must 60 to war, and that Hichox WAS the man to
| begin it by killing people.
Where both sides are go bad, it is hnrd to dis
! criminate; but got the idea that the Minstrel
party had moro natural conservatism than the
| Brindles, although the latter happen just now
| to be acting with the Democrats. It is to the
| interest, however, of Pope County and the rest
| Of Arkansas that the Government be made
| more representative there, and I believe the
success Of the Bcindlos and Democrats this year
would achieve that result, willie the Minstrel
! party is only moving forward with wasted REIN
forcements to Inevitable discontinue at last.
INTERVIEW WITH ]. II. DATTESFELD.
Amongst the persons whom interviewed was
Battenfeld, editor Of the National Republican,
Of RussellTille.- tho only newspaper of Pope
County, and whose Office was burned down by
some Of Dodson's :: Minstrel band, on Sunday
night, the 8th OF September.
j. q. Batto1 1feld was born in Virginia, and
joined the Federal army with the Sixth Ohio
Cavalry, and remained in the service until the
end. He had lived, at one time, in ArkanHes
and his sistor was married to Shinn, the chief
Russellville, Battenfeld, who appears to be
about the average type Of the country political
editor that is, grinding al1 the axes for the
party, and pulling the strings Of the county Or
organizing in Pope County; and Battsnfeld ad-
nitted to me that he had presided over one Of
the Union Leagues there and had recommended
Hickoz to Clayton ia being perfectly capable Of
paying onerous taxes and that ho furnished the
sinews Of WAT to Battenfeld's paper; at any rate,
the Russe11ville Republican went over to tho
Brindles and got the general support Of the
Democratic party, and Bntenfeld became aterri-
BILE scourge to the popo County Ring,
publishing every week lists OF figures to show
that they we're plunderers. When the military
we're ordered out, Battenfelds Office was DOOM
ed; and this act is one for which the Republic
cans are wholly responsible, aud it is relatively
as base an act as the killing Of Brown by Halle.
ARKANSAS AND LIBERTY oF TEE PRESS.
The Constitution Of Arkansas, gotten up by
those carpet-haggers, is very explicit as to the
contains the following section:
Sec. 2. The liberty Of the eha1l forever remain
inyio1ate. The free communication Of thoughts and
all persons may freely speak, wTite and publish their
sentiments on ai subjects being responsible for the
abuse Of such rights II al criminal prosecutions for
and II it shall appear to tho jury that the matter
charged libelo,,s is true and published with
good motives and for jushabe ends the party shall
Battenfcid is thick-set, hnza1-eyed man,
with black hair, and the look Of one who in
brafed the destruction of his Office by getting on
spree and cursing General Uphnln, and mar
Captain Battenfeld, said I, you have prob
ably very thorough notion Of the inside Of Ar
kansas politics; viii you tell me whom you con-
slider the ring-leader Of the Minstrels ?"
q Old John Mcclure. He is big heavy
whiskered, braying old fellow, whom Clayton
brought here to furnish him with wits. He has
a splendid mind. and is corrupt FROM his 1teya!
to Lis scalp; and you can imagine what sort OF
Bench we have in Arkansas when Mcclure iB at
the same time Chief Justice, Public Printer, ed
itor Of the State organ, and with his hand in
burgh Soldiers Convention, representing Ar
Kansas"
:, Who is g, at the head Of the Union League in
this StateY
"Poweu Clayton. The last time I
attended the League Convention was in
the Governors room in the State House,
and Clayton administered the oath. He inter
polated into the regular oath Of the League the
words And We swear to sustain the present State
Administration of Arkansas.' When the rest
held up their hands, I kept mine down, and
made up my mind that would give the thing
up"
81 Who constitute the Central Clayton Ring in
the State p
"Well, Mcclure, Clayton, Hadley, Bowen.
Wiltshire, Scott, Tankorsley, and Belden. As 7 !
said before, the only number one man amongst !
them is Mcclure. Il he had any honesty, lie
would make drst-class Supreme Judge but lie
screens anybody in the party, and makes all the
money he can, ;"
You do not think Hadley bad man 2"
"No, think him green man. These fellows |
never meant to make him Governor, but only to |
give him the State 6enatorship. They |
dared not trust johnson to be Gov |
ernor, and they pushed him !
off into side Office, and we're obliged to put up
with Hadley:. He won't do all the dirty work
H.