American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-06-21
Address of Governor McEnery.
STATE OF LOUISIANA. EXECUTIVE OFFICE
NEW ORLEANS, May 30, 1873.
To the People Of Louisiana:

STATE OF LOUISIANA. EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
NEW ORLEANS May 30, 1873.
To the People Of Louisiana:
As the duly elected but deposed Cover
nor of Louisiana, overthrown solely by the
Intervention of the judicial, military, and
executive authorities of the United States,
l deem it my duty, in view of the recent
proclamation of the President relative to
Louisiana affairs, to address you some
words of advice and counsel.
The Federal Executive, in the face of
the report of the Committee of the United
States Senate, declaring unanimously that
the United States District Judge usurped
Jurisdiction, and that his court was with
out authority to coerce State or seize or
overthrow its Government has issued :,
proclamation commanding the c",,rIzens of
the State to submit to the nellogg u.urpa-
ton.
1t is apparent to you, as well as TO all
the people of this Union, that the Presi-
dent is resolved at all hazards and at all
costs to sustain, by the military arm of the
nation, the present usurpation of the State
Government, ushered into existence by
the midnight order of United States
District Judge DureIl, executed by United
States bayonets, and presided over by
Mr.. William Pitt Kellogg. You are
ordered and required by the President
to view with calmness and resignation the
overthrow of the legal Government of
your State, elected by you in pursuance to
all the forms of law; the displacement of
Judges, Clerks, Sheriffs, Recorders, JUS
tees of the Peace, police, jurors, ETC.; in
fact, the displacement by force of the
whole machinery of government State,
parochial and municipal-and the install
latiOn, by force, of persons VIGOROUSLY de
feated at the election, and whose only title
to office rests upon the return of return
ing board without single afficial return
or vote before it to canvass or count, and
predicating its illegal action Upon affida-
Wits Qn many instances forged), certifi-
Gates, statements, census returns, etc.
You are commanded by the President
to oppose no armed resistance to this adj
mitted usurpation, which, without the po-
tential aid of Federal authority, would
cease to exist in thirty days, and counsel
and advise you to obey this peremptory
order of the President. President Grant,
as the Chief Magistrate of the nation, has
assumed the high and grave responsibility
of foisting upon the people of this State a
usurpation without precedent in this or
any other free country, and he is answera
Bile before the bar of public opinion of this
Republic for this high-handed measure, so
utterly destructive of free government in
this country.
The President of the United States, with
the army and navy at his command, has
the physical power to coercc the people
of this State into any line of policy he may
be pleased to dictate, and it would
be but folly and madness to inter
pose any resistance likely to bring us
in conflict with the national au-
thority; and as it has already been sue
cessfully demonstrated that Mr.. Kellogg's
Government, unaided by Federal power,
was powerless to enforce Its mandates,
further violent demonstrations will prove
barren of useful and practical results.
While the Presidents proclamation will
speedily repress any threatened outbreak
in any part of the State, yet the deeply
fixed sentiments of irrepressible hostility
in the minds and hearts of an outraged
people, against the vilest usurpation ever
attempted to be fastened upon freemen,
will find their full scope and vent, and 1
advise that these manly and patriotic SEN
timents take form and shape through all
moral and legal agencies possible to be
devised.
To abandon at this crisis of our affairs
the peaceable and legal means within our
power, by which we may contest until the
last hope is gone the pretensions of this
usurpation to the title of being the legal
Government of Louisiana, would be an
abasement of our manhood, and thrustlng
our necks in the yoke of tyranny and OPP
preston already prepared to receive them.
With the Executive of the United States
to support him, Mr.. Kellogg may, until
Congress meets, administer his Govern
ment with some apparent degree of sue
cess, but this should not cause us to de-
spair of ultimate relief.
The public sentiment throughout the
Union, and the sentiments and opinions
VI Mient'crs of Congress, lead me to the
Weli-considered conclusion that when
congress assemblies in December our
ulmculIleS VIII h1c roo6i1xr
that If we fail in securlns a recopnition of
the Government elected by the r.srlo
land an earnest effort will be made in that
direction), at least Congress will surely
initiate and pass the necessary measures,
according to Louisiana a legitimate
Government, to which her citizens of all
classes and of all parties will bow in will
ing and loyal obedience.
In the meantime l trust that peace and
order may reign supreme throughout the
State, and that all our industrial pursuits
will be unembarrassed by political diff
culties into which, unhappily, we have
been so unnecessarily and ruthlessly
plunged, and especially do l urge upon
the people of the two races, who are num-
erically nearly equal in this State, to cult
vate the one towards the other but feelings
of amity, good feeling, and mutual I'M
derstanding. The fears and prejudices
that have been instilled into the minds
anu uedTuS Oh tne cOlOTeu man against HIS
white neighbor, should give place to
reason and judgment, if the people of the
white race are frank and open in their
avowal to concede to the colored man all
the rights guaranteed to him under the
law. On the other hand the colored man
should accept with sincerity the plighted
faith of his white neighbor, and thus by
an interchange of candid opinions, preju-
dices entertained by both races may be
obliterated, new and brighter career
opened up for both peoples, and the an
tagonism now existing will give place to
mutual forbearances and the destiny of
the two races, so indissolubly united with
the fate of Louisiana, will be placed in a
higher scale of advancement than at pres
ent appears to be the outlook for poor, OPP
pressed, unhappy Louisiana.
While l am not permitted to fulfill the
functions of the high position to which
the voice of my countrymen elevated me
by large majority, yet will remain at
the Capital of the State, promising a re-
newed energy and zeal in behalf of the
people of the State in their endeavOrs to
obtain from the Congress of the United
States that even handed justice which once
was, and l trust will again be, the pride
and glory Of every American citizen.
JOHN MCENERY.
Kellogg and the North.