New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-05-11

! 70 insure economy. reform and The advance
| men. OF :he material interests uf the State.
+: Renea.ei conferences we're had with the
! authorized committees of the Fusionists.
! a. their own instance, with view 70 al
! adjustment. and / believe they vii. do me
F.: the !astice ~ say that they were convinced
of nv sincerity in desiring srcE q solsum.
! nation.
| During she las. days Of the session :.
! committee authorized by :he Odd Fellows
! Hal! asscmblage waited upon myself and
! others. and finally it was understood that d
! proposi..on TO seat fOrty-hve fusiolis;s
; .E the lower house, and eleven Senator's.
| would be- satisfactory 70 the majority.
| With cOmnendable patriotism amt sell.
sacrifice members Gf tie lower hoase.
snrf.i.n, ia number 20 make up Che :e.
! cured torty.five, With .hose Fus. .onis:s re.
!:rned by the ega: beard. came forward and
signed written pledge so resign sheir
seats III faves Of those claiming - repre-
sent ,nair respective districts then sitting
in the Fusion assemblages A written pledge
was also made br majority rf the
SeraSe that they wOnld seat nearly Or ruite
the required humber OF Senators. IN addl.
:ion TO those returned by the legal board, &c
being conceded. for the purpose of this pro.
posed adiastmer;, thas the contesting SenH
tors had received a majority OF the sotes
cast in their respective districts. We had
satisfactory assurances from our friends.
both in Washington and here. that this adj
: justment, if effected, won!d be approved.
was well aware that my action IN this
matter would send to bring upon me the
| suspicion Of MY swn party, and every kind
! of diseOntent and niscoDstrnction from
| both my friends and opponents. but was
! willing 20 risk all this. ia by so doing. !
could reasonably expect to restore harmony
and 1rosperityto the State. Yets while |
| was dong thi-. IN she interests of uhe
! States certain prominent fnsiouists were
| endeavoriEs TO negotiate trade with
/ Lieutenant Governor Antoine. by which he
and other coiore2 men were to desert me
and JOIN theno
R;sht at this S,nc.ure ;s vas insisted.
among o;Sy :Llngss tia. the old War
luo.h Senator'S who had seeded from
the legislature AMI had subsequently
been expe!leds should be f.saateds anu
i!s :. caucus Of the opposition the Nuese
ton was sprung that ru proposition
would be entertained that did not incluae
tie readmiss:on " these Senator's 1t
had been traudu,entlS declared elected
IN 1870. that they did not represent, the
districts from which they we,s accredited.
that :heir Legislative career had been such
as ga We no reasonabie assurances that they
would work in the interest Of reform o.:
tina: they had tie prosperity OF the State
a: heart. S.:. the combined efforts ot these
me:,. their urgent appeals :" :heir assoc
ciates in Oda Fellows Hall. added 90 the
votes Of those who were opposed 80 any
adjustment at all. resulted in the adoption
O.. a resolution by the Fusion body tina. 10
adjustment would be acceded 20 shat did
no. incl.ie these expelled Senators. Here
aya.n the influence which has beer: the
haue Of louisiana made itself felt. and
these Warmoth Senators. who bad seeded
from the legal Legislature. in order 20 garry
out the origina! compact looking :" the
destruction OF the Republican party. con.
iribu'ed largely, a. least. 10 the defeat ci
an adjustment SO nearly reached.
An appea: to arms was made. Tie opnH
si.ion-. .hough they had specifically de.
c.ared. through tho peIsen claiming TO be
:h,i, Attorney General. that ;hey only de.
sired TO :na.gurate their government SO as
: - obtain a lega! status AMI make a
case FOR ths ccur:s--procured arms and
| mentions OF war. and made systematic
effort 10 organize militia fer che avowed
purpose O: uverthrowing the established
yovernmen.. This militia was scattered by
the iacal authorities. and the next day the
Odd iel.oss' Hall assembla.e was dis.
?ersed.
More recently, when the COMMITTEES Of
Two Hundred took the matter of adj ust.
ment in hand. ! me. their subcommittee
by invitation. together with leading
men Of my own party, both white ana
black. and the result was asprop0sltIon to
seat forty.tiyc Fusion members in che lower
House and ten Fusion Senators, including
those already in the Legislature and those
re:urued ty the iega! returning board.
with an additional assurance that there
should be "a fair hearing in all contest. d
J cases. The sub.comMitteeo ! believe. re.
ported in favor of this proposition. bu! the
Committee rf Two Hundred replied that
"the proposition OF cOmptolnise submitted
90 them through 'heis subcommittee was
not such as they deemed proper to recon.
memo"
1t will b. thu. seen tha. all efforts in the
direction OF an adjustment have failed.
None Of these proposed concessions were
! made because we had the least fear OF the
overthrow Of our government, but because
we wished pesces because We wished to
satisfy the opposition as far rs possible rec
garding the Legislature. If the failure to
effect a satisfactory adjustment he ca aaln'
| ity. as many insist and many more admit.
the fault does not rest with myself.
! nor with She kepublican rar'ye nor
| with the national Administrations iar
responsibility !i-s with the Fusion as.
sem blage. ard with the Fusion pre'
tenders to Office and ihc: allies anu s.pct'
| tors. Every effort on our part % effect
| an adjustment whici, would BE eats.
| tactnry 80 this whole people. white as
| well as colOrei, was taken as an
evidence OF weakness. Charges Of bad
| faith wcse made against acts %h:c:!
| could have had no possible motive except
! to allay public excitement and resfor" pcbhc
| confidence. 1t would seem that from Eece ut
events continuance of agitation in more
violent torn has been almost the only
result OF the efforts OF the State gOvern'
1uenr and of the Republican party to give the
! III nuch needed and much desired repose to
the people. and i. has become evident that
nothing short ef the complete abdication OF
the State government will satisfy those Flu.
sion leaders. who live upon tumul: and
keep alive disseus:on to further the!. oWh
selfish ends.
While desirous. Therefore. that there
should bs fair hcalng in all
eases Of contes. growing out c: the
late election, whether in the cou:ts. or
AN Compelled to discard all idea Of pres.
-nt adjust lnent. and. without turning to the
right hand Or to the left. shall proceed
III the discharge OF my constitutional du'
ties. as Governor of t!e State. until am
depcsed or di.possesspd by .:ghttul a,l.
shoritv. !, il impossible 10, me to believe
that the people OF this State prefer anarchy
To order, "ar To peace ;Gln to prosperity.
aud no government at al. !: they Can not
get :ia: which presumes w!thou: any OF the
machinery. appliances. Or authority OF
government, TO call itself tho government O.
their choice. 10 :hat which is to-day the ex.
;s!ing government OF Louisiana. The present
government: represents party known
to be in the majority in this State. 1t is the
only one recognized by the nationa! ex'
ecutive: it is declared to be the legal gov.
ernment by the courts Of the United States
and by the inferior and Supreme courts of
this Statee The Senate OF the Calted
States, by its action, practically approved