The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-01-25

to overthrow the State government and
l was forced to garrison the State House
with troops, l was denounced as tylant
and 'usurper. When extravagant1egis-
lation was enacted, I was denounced as
protligate and dishonest, and when /
drove George NJ. Wicklife from office,
a man who had robbed the State of mil
lions OF dollars, I was denounced as a
tyrant and a despOt, and it took me a
whole year to convince the people that
Wickliffe was not prosecuted and on
pressed. When B0vee, Secretary of
State, published as a law an act which
he knew | had in my possession, and
would veto at the meeting of the Legis-
lature, and was by me suspended, my
motives were miscOnstrued, and my ac-
ton was imputed to the most dishonest
and dishOnOrable reasons.
Thus, Mr.. President, ] have been m
barraSsed-suspected, misunderstood
and misrepresented for nearly five wears
of the most ~eventful administration
ever known in this State. No II is to
blame for this. It arose out of the ano-
malous condition of affairs. Tt could
not have been otherwise. A stranger,
hardly more than a boy, elevated to the
highest office in the gift Of the people
by a population until but recently held
as slaves, and made free by war, and
against the will of the people who had
always controlled the government be-
fore with all of the prejudices of race
and of section stirred up by Il long and
terrible civil war, | could not have reas-
Onably expected to perform the duties
of Governor except under the most trv-
ing difficulties.
Yet we have much to CONGRATULATE
ourselves upon. If We have increased
the debt OF the State, we have built 1853
new and substantial levees, containing
9,544,417 cubic yards andnearly 2OOmiles
i'll length. Over 800 miles of new raj
way, the best built in the country, are
running in and to the State. In add
ton to this We have 100 miles more
graded, and $500 men are busy to-day
in grading and laying track as fast as
can possibly be done, to connect New
Orleans with Shreveport, and with
Houston in Texas. The State Peniten-
tiary is we'll supplied with the best ma
chinery, and is not only self-sustaining,
but is yielding the State a yearly reve-
nue.. Our State debt is limited 6y con-
stitutional amendment to $25, 900, 900,
and with all that has been said to the
contrary, it has not yet reached 100000
600, and will not and cannot by past leg
i~slatiOn exceed 1922, 0O0 ZOO, and during
my administration the interest has been
promptly paid.
] have said thus much, partly in vim
dicatiOn of myself. Ihave been the hest
abused man in this commonwealth, if
not in the Union, but have seldom felt
it necessary to reply to the wild and
baseless charges that have been made
against me. l now venture to ask q
friendly attention to this somewhat re-
markable fact-that with all the charges
made against me, no man has ever pro
duced a scintilla of evidence duplicating
me in a single act of official corruption
or dishonOr. My conduct was investi-
gated by a Legislative Committee in
1870, and bya Congressional Committee
in 1872. Tt is now undergoing another
investigation by what is styled a process
OF impeachment by the body sitting at
Mechanics Institute. Every one of these
Investigations has been prompted by the
most determined hostility; has been
aided by the ablest legal talent, and has
been carried on with the most unrelenf-
ing vigor. Yet, tho reports of these
committees, and the charges themselves
preferred by the managers of the pend
ing impeachment (so-ealled), stand to-
day as the best yindicatiOn of an integ-
rity which has been attacked, I might
say, every day for the last five years. In
not one of these penetrating inquisitions
has human being, dared to raise his
hand in the presence of God and deliver
q jot OF testimony against my official
honor.
And now felloW-citizens, [ surrender
the Office to my lawful successor. It's
responsibilities have been onerOus, it's
duties trying and thankless. I regret
that even graver complications APP
pear to surround my successor. The
same band of Federal Ofice-hOlders and
Otfice-seekers who, in August, 1871.
packed the "Gatlin Gun Convention"
in the C~ustomhouse of New Orleans
with deputy marshals and troops; who.
in january, 1872, ma~liciously arrested
opposing members of the Louisiana
Legislature to prevent them from voting
and concealed their partisan friends Of
the same body on q revenue cutter to
break the quorum; who in June, 1872.
packed the Baton Rouge Convention
with otfce-hOlders and marshals who in
December, 1872, under cover of an ille-
gal order from an inferior Judge of the
United States seized the State House Of
Louisiana and placed it in charge of the
United States Marshal, with deputies
and troops, will continue their despe-
rate conspiracy against law, deceney,
liberty and good government.
The Mechanics Institute, used for
some time as the State House, is nos
sessed %tortuously to-day by the United
States Marshal, with the help of United
States soldiery. Arms are stacked in
it's halls and its corridors ring with the
tread of troops. Nota person is allowed
to enter there except by permission of
the United States Marshal. The order
by which he took possession is still in
force, and it makes the Marshal the sole
judge of the question of who shall be
admitted. From the Chief Justice who
somtimes presides there over what is
called a Court of impeachment, down
to the youngest page who frolies in the
halls or the hnmblest spectator who
tolteTs in the lobby, there is not a hui
man being in the building whom the
marshal cannot at any moment drive
out at the point OF the bayonet.
Behind this order and this hedge Of
steel a pretended Legislature has been
organized and now takes it's cowardly
refuge. As "the thief doth fear each
bush an o~fficer,n SO these frauds unon
the people, covering behind the gallant
soldiers of the Republic, imagine every
word from you to be q. menace against
their miserable existence, and see the
air filed with phantom daggers.
Nor have they been slow intheir deeds
Of mischief. They have pretended to
impeach and suspend the Chief Exeer-
tive OF the State without an affidavit or
an examination, well knowing that such
course was in fat violation Of the law
which has stood on u statute book for
nearly twenty years. They have mt in
his plaee u pretended Lieutenant and
MISREPRESENTATION. b nalsnn Mhnsa form