The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-12-08

8 stitutiOn and laws OF the United States
10 aid HIN In suppgCSsing the domestic
Il violence in that State. This call wa
}. made In view Of u proclamation issued o.
= that day, by D. i. Penn, claiming thu
D he was elected Lieutenant 0vernor II
Y 1872, and calling upon the militia Of tn
i State TO arm, assemble and drive from
= power the usuTpers, as he designated TIT
officers OF the State government. The mex
day | Issued my proclamation command
ing the insurgents to dispense within lV(
days from The date thereof, and subse
4 quently learned that on that day they
/, had taken iorcible possession Of the STATE
, House. Steps were taken by inc to sup
port the existing and recognized STATE
! government, but before the expiration o.
D the five days the insurreCliOnary move
! ment was practically abandoned and the
! officers OF the State government, with
+ some minor exceptions, resumed thGiI
powers and duties. Considering that the
present State administration Of Louisiana
has been the only government in that
, State for nearly two years, that 1t has
been taciIly acknowledged and sCQuiesced
in as such by Congress, and moro than
once expressly recognized by me, re.
garded 1t as my clear duty, when legally
called upon for that purpose, 10 prevent
It's overthrow by an armed mob under
pretenCG Of fraud and irregulRrity In the
election Of 1879. have heretofore called
the attention Of Congress 10 this subject,
stating that on account of the frauds and
torgeriCs committed at said election, and
because il appears that the returns there.
OF were never legally CanvsSsed, 1t was
impossible 10 tell thereby who were
chosen. But from the first sources oil in.
formation al my command l have always
believed thGprGsent State officers rcCeiv-
ed majority OF the legal votes actually
cast at that election. repeat what !
said In my special message of February
23d, 1878, that in the event Of no action
by Congress must continue 10 recognizes
the government heretofore recognized by
me.
regret TO say that with the preplra-
tiOns Tor the late election decided indiCa.
tioDs appeared in some localities in the
Southern States OF determination, by
acts of violence and intimidation TO de-
prive citizens Of the freedom Of the bal.
lot, because Of their political opinions.
Bands OF men, masked and armed, made
their appearance; white leagues and other
societies were formed; large quantities
OF arms and ammunition were i'm.
ported aud distributed TO these orgsnizl.
tiOns; military drills, with menaCing de-
monstrationS. were held, and with oil
these murders enough were committed
to spread terror among those whose po-
lltlcal action was TO be suppressed, il pos
sible, by these intolerant and criminal
proceedings. In come places ColOred Ia
bore's were compelled to vote according
to the wishes Of their employers under
threats o! q discharge, il they acted other.
wise, and there arc too many instances in
which when these threats were disregard.
cd they were remOrseessly executed by
those who made them. | understand
that the fifteenth amendment 10 the Con.
siilution was made to prevent this aud q
like state oil things, and the act Of May
81, 1870, with amendments, was issued to
enforce It's provisions, the object of both
being to guarantee TO all citizens the
right to vote and 10 protect them in the
free enjoyment OF that right. Enjoined by
the Constitution to take care that the laws
be faithfully executed, and convinced by
undoubted evidence that the violations OF
said act had been committed and that q
wide spread and fragrant disregard OF II
was contemplated, the proper officers
were Instructed toproscCutc the offenders
and troops were stationed at convenient
points 10 aid these officers ii necessary in
the performance of their official duties.
Complaints are made OF this interference
by Federal official authority; but il said
amendment and act do not provide Tor
such interference under the circumstances
as above stated, then they arc without
meaning, force or effect, and the whole |
scheme OF Colored Acknowledgement ia |
worse than moCkCry and little better than
crime. Possibly Congress may find it due
to truth and justice 10 ascertain by means
ola committee whether the alleged wrongs
to coloCed citizens for political purposes
are real,o the: reports thGrCO! were man
ulaCturcd for the occasion. The whole
number OF troops in the States Of Louis
ianA, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South |
Carolina, North Carolina, kentucky, |
Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Mary
land and Virginia at the times Of the ell
ection were 4.OS9, this embraces the gar
ris0ns Of all the forts from the Delaware
TO the Gull Of Mexico. Another trouble
has risen in Arkansas. Article 10 of the
Constitution OF the State which was
adopted in 1868 and upon the approval Of
which by Congress the State was restored
TO Its representation as one OF the States
Of the Union. 1t provides in effect that
before any amendments proposed 10 the
Constitution shall become part thereof,
they shall be passed by two successive
assemblies, ratified by majority OF the
electors OF the State voting thereon. On
the 1lth Of May 1874 the Governor con-
vcnCd an extra session OF the General
Assembly OF the State, which, on the 18Th
of the same month passed III act pvOvid-
ing Tor a convention to frame new Con-
stitution pursuant to this act, and at the
election held on the 30th OF June 1874 the
Constitution was approved and delegates
were chosen thereto, who assembled on
the nth Of last July and formed new
Constitution, the schedule OF which pro-
vidcd for the election OF an entire new
set OF State officers, in a manner contrary
to the then existing election laws OF that
State. On the 18Th Of October, 1874, this
Constitution, as therein provided, was
submitted to the people for their approval
or rejection, and according TO the election
returns was approved by large msjority
oil those qualified 10 vote thereon, and
at the same election persons were chosen
to fill I'LL tho State, county and township
offices The Governor elected in 1872 |
for the term Of four years turned over his
Office to the Governor chosen under the
new Constitution, whereupon the Lieu.
tenant Governor, Also elected in 1872 for
term Of 4years, claiming TO act as
Governor, and alleging that said pro-
ceedings, by which the new Constitution