The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-05-17
LA, SATURDAY, MAY II, 1873.


ing willingness to leave the count
ing of the returns to three or five dis
interested and unprejudiced citizens.
This offer was declined, and the rea-
son assigned was that Gov. Warmoth
would not agree to it. Subsequently Il
decision was rendered against the il
legal action of the then Executive in
the matter of the returning board, by
one Of his own judges. This judge
was deposed by violence, and another
judge commissioned and installed i'll
his place, before the votes had been
counted or any returns made; but
finally the issue both in the federal
and State courts was decided in fayor
of the returning board, which declared
myself, the Republican State ticket
aud Republican Legislature elected.
During the excitement which pre-
ceded my installation rs Governor |
was desirous, and at all times expressed
Il willingness, to favor an adjustment,
on fair and equitable basis. After l
was inaugurated, the chairman of the
Republican State Committee made
an offer to leading members of the
Fusion party to seat forty-five mem-
bers of the lower house, and a number
OF Senators. This proposition met
the appreciation of many of the lead
ers of the party. It was rejected, in
part, OH the alleged ground that we
would not reseat the six expelled Sen
ators who had deserted their seats and
betrayed their constituencies by going
into the Fusion assemblage.
At all times after this there was 4
disposition on the part of leading men
of the Republican party and of the
Legislature to make any reasonable
adjustment.
1t will be borne in mind that the
composition of our Legislature, al
legged to be inimical to wholesome
legislation, was the strong objection
made to our government. Without
admitting the justice Of this objection
which, indeed, is abundantly dis
proved by contrasting the Legisla-
ture with past Legislatures, or even
with the body styling itself IL legisla-
turc which met at Odd Fellows Hall,
which passed no reform measures-we
yet were willing to concetle to the oppo
sitien such 4 representation rs even the
admitted would enable them, acting in
concert with Republican members
known to he in favor ofreform, to secure
the passage Of such measures as would
tend to correct existing abuses, t"
restore public credit, and to develop
the internal resources Of the State.
The proposed adjustment would have
given a white majorityin both branch
es of the Legislature, and, as they
themselves conccdc, would have ena-
bled the opposition, if so disposed, to
prevent all unquestionable Legislation,
had any such been attempted, and to
insure economy, reform and the add
vancemcnt of the material interests
Of the State. Repeated conferences
were had with the authorized COM
mittecs of the FusionistS, ut their own
instance, with view to an adjust
ment, and believe they will do me
the justice to say that they We're con-
vinced Of my sincerity in desiring such
a consumnlation.
During the last days of the session
a committee authorized by the Odd
Fellows Hall assemblagc waited upon
myself and others, and finally it was
understood that q proposition to seat
forty-fye Fusionists in the lower
house, and eleven Senators, would be
satisfactory to the majority.
With commendablc patriotism and
self-sacrifice, members Of the lower
house, sufficient in number to make
up the required forty-five, with those
Fusionists returned by the legal board,
came forward and signed II written
pledge to resign their seats in favor
OF those claiming to represent their
respective districts then sitting in the
Fusion asse,nblage. A written pledge
was also made by a majority Of the
Senate that they would seat nearly OF
quite the required number OF Senators,
in addition to those returned by the
legal board, it being conceded, for the
purpose of that proposed adjustment,
that the contesting Senators had re-
ceived Il majority of the votes cast in
their respective districts. We had
satisfactory assurances from oul
friends, both in Washington and here,
that this adjustment, if effected, would
be approved.
was we'll aware that my action in
this matter would tend to bring upon
me the suspicion OF my own party
and every kind of discomfort and mis-
construction from both my friends
and opponents, but was willing tc
risk all this, if, by so doing, l could
reasonably expect to restore harmony
and prosperity to the State. Yet
while I was doing this, in the interests
of the State, certain prominent Flu
sionists We're endeavoring to negotiate
a trade with Lieutenant Governor
Antoine, by which he and other col.
ored men were to desert me and joii
| them.
Right at this juncture it was insist
ed, among other things, that the ole
Warmoth Senators who had seeded
from the Legislature, and had subse
quently been expelled, should be re
seated, and i'll caucus of the opposl
I IL %1.>&