New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-22
TILE ARKANSAS CLIFTON.

Notwithstanding an occasional accidental
collision, like that reported yesterday, there
seems to be good reason for believing that
the civil war in Arkansas is to break up
in horse laugh Every one engaged in 1T
appears to regard it more as a joke than any
thing else, with the natural exception of MIR.
Elisha Baxter who finds himself out of his
seat and deprived of the hOnOrs and dignities
which were all there is of him. SO great
humonst as Thackeray once said that, al
though he had kept the company of clever
men all his life, he had never heard good
Joke mt his own expense. We could not OK
pect therefore, that politician such as Mr..
Baxter. who, like most of his class, is probably
as deficient in taste as in morals, should APP
preciate the full favor of joke the point of
which is aimed directly at himself. But his
obtusencss will not save him if his followers en-
10Y the humor of his discontinue, and the advices
both from Washington and Little Rock would
seem to indicate that most men Inside of
"politicsn think it excessively amusing that
Brooks has got the State House and Baxter is
on the town. There is none of the dignity Of
misfortune about the dispossessed Governor.
He was counted in by gross frauds. He
got a majority of the Legislature in harmony
with him by the same means. lie refused any
satisfaction to his competitor, who wished a
legislative investigation OF the canvass. When
Brooks, driven from the Legislature, sought
reparatiOn in the courts, Baxter was 80 sure
of his hold upon the government of the State
that he treated the citations of his competitor
with contempt, and allowed Brooks to gain
his cause by this cOntumacy. The next thing
he knew, Brooks was in the State House, and
he had nothing to do but to call on the people
of the State to put him back in tho place he
had fooled away.
For day or two it looked as if "the
"people" would answer the appeal and come
to the Capital in sufficient numbers to begin
a sangunary and perhaps disastrous conflict
in the State. But fortunately neither side
was much in earnest The volunteers came
more for holiday than anything else.
Amusements are not plentiful in that
region, and the most eligible sprees are
funerals and revolutions. SO that there was
no difficulty in raising company almost
anywhere to 60 to Little Rock and "vindicate
" the insulted dignity of the Commonwealth
Most of the companies were colored, and some
of them were uncertain which side they were
on, but this uncertainty formed no objection
to the jaunt. 1t is much simpler thing,
however, to make proclamatioDs and 20 on
pleasure trips than it is to cut threats by
wholesale Neither Brooks nor Baxter has
appeared to know exactly what use to make
of the parti-cOlored legions which were
thronging to the respective standards. The
small detachment of the regular army, which
was fortunately in the neighborhOod has been
of inestimable service in keeping the peace.
The measures of the Administration, also, no
matter from what motive they proceeded,
have been in the highest degree prudent.
The simple act of taking possession of the
telegraph Office, when it was impudently held
by the agents of Baxter, was Won
derfully effective. Baxter himself said,
This breaks me down." 1t showed
distinctly that though the Government
was not taking sides in the controversy. il
would not permit one of the parties to inter-
fere with matters so essential to the public
welfare as the transmission of intelligence.
Mr.. Baxter had sagacty enough to see that
he could not safely proceed to acts of yio-
lence unless he could persuade his followers
that the President was with him, and that all
they did would be condoned at Washington.
1t is highly probable that the Arkansas dele
cation i'm Congress advised this course of pro
ceedings, as they seem to be unanimous
against any action which should restore Baxter
to his place by force of arms.
IL would be hard for those at distance to
sympathize with either party in this disgrace
full quarrel. Our readers have been informed
fully of every phase Of the affair from the