The Van Buren press., 1874-04-28
REVOLUTION.
The First Skirmish 200 Shots
Fired-Naj. D. F. Shall Killed.
The Secretary Of State Orders Brooks
and His Mob Out Of His Office.
lGqsette. Wednesday, ?2d J

t again to Markham, and up the latte
I streetlo the Anthony House, where the,
were halted and faced to the front. Ih
band was stationed about ten steps be
u low Main street, at the head of the col
, umn. Col. Rose, commandant of th
: United States forces was on horseback il
, the center of the street. twenty steps
: above the band. Behind aud arount
him was n crowd Of citizens and Brook
strikers. In all the upper stories of th'
buildings-Anthony house, Odd Fellows
hall, Wait block and Adams block
were armed men a9d citizens of the Bax
ter side. When the troops halted, three
cheers were given for Baxter. aud loud
calls made for him He appeared on the
balcony and made the following speech,
which we give verbatim:
GOV. BAXTERs SPEECH.
SOLDIERS: / am, in point of fact, too
unwell 10 address an audience. My
health, for number of weeks, has been
such as to almost disqualify me from
business.
But there is an emergency-there is an
| insun cction-the government has been
| seized-the archives are in the hands OF
the insurgents. have called you here
| for the purpose of asserting, not the
rights of Elisha Baxter. but the right of
the sovereign citizens of the State of Ar
kansas. Great cheering The seizure
of the archives wus effected without my
ever having so much as been served with
process Of Court am making prepara
tions | intend to assert my right, so
far as respects the governmental func.
tions of the Executive, to govern the
State OF Arkansas. Renewed cheers,
and cries of Hurrah for Baxter
have, however, to say, that it is a
well known fact, in military service. that
officers and commanders cannot give, in
advance, to the troops or to the country,
detailed account of their proposed op
erations. There are. necessarily, militia
~ secrets; there are matters which must
necessarily be kept quiet; and you will
not expect Of me, on an occasion as pub
lie as this, to detail my plan cooperation,
Col. King White, commander Of the
first regiment of the colored troops,
said "Just tell us whether you are go
ing to have US take the State House, or
not p
Gov Baxter replied:
ask you, gentlemen, to be patielt and
quiet, conduct yourself orderly, as good
soldiers, such as / know you to be; and
in due time proper orders will be given
you, TO assert the rights Of the State.
Continued cheering. Cries Of +" Hurrah
for Baxter"
Soldiers, | would fain address you at
greater length; bui-and say so with
out any resort to this as a subterfuge in
order to, shirk the labor Of specch-I
am physically unable to address you
longer.
Thank you!
Governor Baxter retired from the bal
cony, enid cheers He was, however,
Immediately requested, by general of.
iicer of his forces, to resume his posi-
ton there for moment when Colonel
White, from the street, addressed him as
follows:
REMARKS OF COT. WHITE
Governor Baxter Il did not come
here, OF course, to make speech !
came here, to night, to assist in ieinstat.
inc what | consider to he the legal con
stitutcd authorities of the State Of Ar.
kansas Ihave brought with me, here, a
number of colored men 1t has been
said, sir, that these colored men will
prove treacherous to you. | now ask
these cololed men, in your presence, and
| in the presence Of this assemblaoc,
whether we shall stand firm to Elisha
Baxtcr2 Cries of "Ies = Yes y
I've vill aud loud cheering
am here. Governor Baxter, for the
purpose, if necessary, of surrendering
our lives to reinstatc the lawful authority
of the government Of this State. Furnish
us, simply, with the means-giye us the
authority.-and | will guarantee to YOU
sir, that in twenty five minutes from the
time the order is written, Joseph Brooks
will either be in hell, or the archives
[The remainder of the sentence was lost
to the reporter, in the shouts of the men
have battalion Of men, sir, who
have been summoned from their fields
taken away from their plows-every one
Of them They are anxious to get home
But say to you now, as have said here
before, let it take us one day or one year
the eolored people, commanded by my
self and Col Havis. and the other and
subordinate officers of this command,
will stand by YOU until you are the recog.
nized Governor of the State of Arkansas
| Enthusiastic and prolonged cheering.
This is all have to say, sir. know
that YOU, in your good judgment. and
the other officers commanding us, in the
good and proper time will give MS the
order; and all we ask 10, that that time
and those orders will soon come. Re.
newed shouts of applause. and cheers for
King White
RESPONSE OF GOV. BAXTER.
Gov. Baxter replied:
Col. White II wish to say, in re-
sponse to your remarks, that for one,
have never for one instant doubted the
patriotism and loyalty of these colored
men who stand before me. Cheers
| well know that attempts have been
made to change their sentiments and at
ttudc; but in the midst of it ALL they
stand as firm as the Rock of Gibraltar
T" Amenv' Laughter and continued
cheers
And allow me TO say to you now, tina,
in consequence of the condition of my
L,,I,h I nust hp permit, cd SjtNDIu Ia sr.