New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-13
y YQLNEY Y.


no manner of consequence to anybody. But
his Christian name-for he had one, and it
was the only Christian thing that survived the
ruin which Joseph Brooks OF al. had brought
upon the Republican party in Arkansas-was Vol
ney "; and that was Of the utmost Importance
to everybody. Volney V.-and why the ", or
what it stood for, nobody ever knew, and in
those turbulent times in Arkansas nobody ever
had time to inquire TUNED up at the opening OF
the last session, of tho last, and last-of-its-
kind Congress, with his cOuntenance OF most
unhallowed red, and his mouth of that unac-
countable roundness that comes to boy who
sits down suddenly and unexpectedly In
slippery place. OF that fixes itself upon tn
face Of statesman who gives his days and
nights to running away from home crying out
81 More Troopsr-and he said-VOmey V. said,
in his brcathless way, as one who had run all
the way from Little Rock, Arkansas, to WASH
ington, in tho District of Columbia, so as to
be there in time to tell it to the Attorney
General in person before Congress met-that
he was the Governor of Arkansas. His hair
strcamed back toward Little Rock, but his
nose rested OIL the National Capital, and he bore
under his arm the Opinion of I. d. w. Yon-
lev, O. great constitutional lawyer OF Arkansas,
that ho, Volney w., was the Governor OF Arkan-
Sas.
Volney Y. was elected or believed
to have been elected-or at any rate was
counted in as elected-Lieutenant Gov
ernOr of Arkansas, when Elisha Baxter
was elected, or supposed to have been
elected, or at any rate counted in as elected,
Governor Of that State. Everybody is familiar
with the political history of Arkansas under
the regin,e of Senator Clayton and Poker Jack.
We need not repeat it. Suffice it to say
that when Gov. Baxter-Elsha Baxter,
so called-ferl out, with the remark
that they were carrying things too
far, and Joseph Brooks fell in with
the remark" Them's the jOckies for me"-and
when by tho adoption Of new Constitution
Joseph Brooks found that he was nowhere,
without any friends except Senators Clayton
and DOrsey-which WAS as much worse than
having no friends as punishment after
death is worse than death-when this
all happened, and Lieut.-Gov. Volney V.
found tlfat the people had slipped every
thing out from under him. including the Con-
stitution, no made up his mind that ne was
none of your LieutsSant-G OyernOrs, butA whole
Governor. Baxter had abdicated, and he was
next in the order of succession. He would
have no new Constitutions, and no Gar
lands Straightway Vclney V. telegraphed
to Attorney General Williams that, Bax-
ter having abdicated and the new Con-
stitution being unconstitutional, he himself
had succeeded to- the Executive chair. and
was Governor And then volney V. did the
very next thing in Orier-thc thing he knew
would draw him at once to the heart OF tho
Attorney G eneral-he autographed for more
troops. He wrote for more trOOps-he sent
messengers for more trOops-and then
Gov. Garland " having heard of him
by this time, and offered d reward for his
apprehension-he put both hands to his mouth,
and lns face toward Washington, and howl
ing "More Troops" followed the sound of his
voice to the Capitol, while his coat-tails and
hair streamed toward Little Rock. Meantime
all Arkansas searched with lighted candle
for Volney ", partly ot OF curiosity and
partly for the reward, and the Border States
caught flying glimpses of his horizontal coat
tails and his streaming hair as he went toward
Washington.
He appeared to the Attorney General very
early in the session, and in a most impressive
way said he was Volney V. Smith, and the
Governor of, Arkansas, and that he wanted
More Troops, and then he unrOlled Yonley's
Opnon 1t took the Attorney General some
time to read the Opinion-some little more
to find out who YOnicy was; and then the
President sent message in to Congress, say
ing in effect that Arkansas was in very bad
way without Volney ", and that probably the
best thing to do in the interests OF peace was
TO vote that the new Arkansas Constitution
was o very revolutionary and unconstitutional
piece of business that it did not count for
anything; and that as a matter OF fact, Volney
V. was the dc jure. de tact0, pro bono iublico,
ipse DIRT, Governor.
Congress, for some reason or other, possibly
not unoonneoted with the results of the Fall
elections, failed to comprehend the Presidents
meaning, but in perverse and contrary spirit
recognized the validity of tho new COnstitu-
ton and the legality of the Garland Govern
ment. And there was VOlncy V.-lgft hang
ing in the air. He was neither Governor
nor Lieutenant Governor, and instead of hay
ing "More Troops" he had MT 80 much as a
police officer to support Mm-except upon
those rare occasions, if he ever had them,
when he had drowned his sOrrows in the bowl.
Here was Governor without a State, a
Lieutenant-GOvernO without Constitution, a
Reconstruction without troops Something must
be done.
What do you suppose they did, Yesterday
they appointed him Consul at st. Thomas,
West Indies. All but what things are in store
for st. Thomas. st. Thomas! accept our con-
CALCULATIONS! We offer you Volney V. His
last name is Smith.
CONCERNING GAS.
Every Winter there is q crop of bills at Al