The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-01-14
Louisiana.
SHERIDAN'S STORY.

OI1ERIDAN' = 0lOh1.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8.
| The following official dispatch from
I Gen. Sheridan was received here late last
! night:
| HEADQUARTERS
| MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSOURI,
! NEW ORLEANS, Jan. s.
| To the Hon. W. ". Betk;10p, SecretQyv NJ, IVoy
Washington, D. c.
l have the honor to submit the following briet
report of affairs as thev occurred here in the or
ganizatlOn of the State Legislature of January 4,
| 1875. was not In command of this mill AIRY de
partment until O'Clock at night of the 18th inst
| but fully lndorse, and am willing to be held re-
! sponslble for. the acts of the military er-
YatOrS of the public peace on that occasion Dur
ing the few days in which was in the city, prior
to the 4th of January, the general topic of con-
versatlcn was the scenes.o Of blOOdsheL that were
/ liable TO occur on thai day, and | repeatedly
heard threats of asSassinating the, Governor and
regrets expressed that he was not killed on the
14th OF September asT also threats of the assas-
slpati0n of Republican members of the House. in
order to secure the election OF a Democratic
Speaker. L also know OF the kidnapping by BAN
dlttl OF Mr.. Cousin, one of the membeTs-elect of
the Legislature. In order to preserve the peace
and make the State House safe Tor the peaceable
assembling of the Legislature. Gen. Emory, on
the acquisition of the Governors stationed troops
in the vicinity of the bailding. Owing to these
precautions the Legsla ure assembled in the
State House, without any disturbance of the
peace. AL ten clock William Vigers Clerk of
! the last House of Representatives, proceeded to
81 call the roll, according to law he was EN-
powered to do. One hundred and two legally re-
turned members answered to their names. Of
tbs number hfty-two We're Republicans and fifty
Democrats.
Before entering the House, L. A Wilt had
been selected II caucus Democratic nominee
for Speaker, and Michael Hahn as the Republic
can nominee. Vigers had not finished announc-
ing the result when one OF the members, Billion.
of Lafourche nominated L. A. Wilt for tempo
hn
motion out of order at that time when some one
put ne quee ton, and amid cheers on the Demo,
cratic side of the House, Wilt dashed on the
rOstl UNI, pushed aside Nigers, seized the Speak
ers chair and gayel, and declared himself Speak
err. A protest against this arbitrary anu unlaw-
tul proceeding was promptly made by members
of the majority; but Wilt gave no attention to
the protests. and on mOuOn from some one on
l he Democratic side Of the House, it was de
clared that one TreZeVant was nominated and
elected Clerk of the House. Irrelevant at once
sprang forward and occupied the Clerks chair
am DIST the widest confusion over the whole
House. Mayor Wilt then again, on another
nomination from the Democratic side Of the
House declared one Flood elected Sergeaut-at-
Arms, and ordered d Gel tain number of assist
ants to be appointed.
Instantly large number of men throughout the
hall, who had been admitted on various preteXts,
Such as reporters, and members, friends and spec
tatOrs, turned down the lapes of their coats, upon
which were pinned blue ribbon badges on which
were printed i'll gold the words, "Assistant- Ser
SCdul-dt-A fIuS, anu TIC Assembly WAS III the
possession of the minority, and the White League
of Louisiana had made good its threat of Selling
! the House. Many of the Acknowledgements at
| Arms being we'll known captains of the White
! League companies in this city. Notwithstanding
| the suddenness of this movement, leading Repub
llcan members had not tailed to protest again an(
again against this revolutionary action OF the mi
| nOrIty; but all to no purpose, and many of The
| Republicans rose and left the House in body, to
gether with Clerk Vigers, who carried with him
the original roll of the House. as re- urned by the
| Secretary of State. The excitement was now very
! great, and The aching Speaker directed the Ser
geantat Arms to prevent the egress or ingress OF
members others, and several exciting Scu11ies
In which knives and pistols drawn, took
place. For few moments it seemed as il blood
shed would ensue. At this juncture, NJ. Dupre,
Democratic member from Orleans Parish, moved
that the military Of the General Government be
invoked to preSerUe the peace, and that commit
tee be appointed TO wait on Gen. De TrObriand,
commanding officer OF the United States troops
stationed at the State House. and request his as
S5StGnCe IN clearing the tObby The motion was
adopted A committee OF five, OF which Dupre
was made Chairman was sent to wall upon Gen
De TrObrland, and soon returned with that Off
Ger, who was accompanied by of his staff
officers. As Gen. De Trobriand walked down to
the Speakers desk, tOUd applause burst from the
Democratic SIDE of the House. Gen. De TrObrl-
and asked the Acting Speaker if it was not posi-
BILE for him to preserve order without appealing
to him to preserve order United States army
officer. Witt said it aUGS not; whereupon the
General proceeded to the lobby, and, addressing
a few words to the excited crowd, peace was re-
stored at once On motion of Dupre, Mr. Witz,
in the name of the General Assembly of toe State
of Louisiana, thanked Gen. De Trobriand for has
interference in behalf of law and order, and the
General withdrew. The Republicans had now
generally withdrawn from the hall, and united in
signing petition TO the Governor, stating their
grievances. and asking his aid, which petition.
signed by ftty-tICO legally returned members of
the House, is in my possession. Immediately
subsequent to the action of Witt in ejectng the
Clerk of the old House, Mr.. Billion moved that
| the following persons be sworn in and seated as
members: Messrs. J ohm A. Quinn, of the Parish
of Avocilles; j. j. Koran, A. d. Land and Thos.
T. Vaughan, OF the Parish OF Caddo; ]. Jeffriess,
Il. l.. Luckett and g. w. Stafford OF the Parish
| of Rapides and William Il. SchWlng of the P dr-
| ish of Iberia. who had not been returned by the
| Returning Board, and they were accordingly
| sworn in by Wilt, and took their seats on the
ho,r as members of the House. A motion was
now made that the House proceed with its perma-
nent organization, and accordingly the roll was
| called by TreZivant. Acting Clerk, and Witt was
| declared Speaker. and Treziyant Clerk of the
| House
| Acting on the protest made by the majority of
| the House, the Governor now requested the COM
| handing General of the department. aid hIm in
rest ring order and to enable he f gally returned
| members of the House to proceed with its or
| ganiZatiOn according to law. This request was
| reasonable, aud il accord lance with law. Re
memheriug. wildly, the terrible massacre that
| TO place in this city on the assembling of the
Constitutional Convention in 1865, at Mechanics
| Institute. and believing that the lives of mem
/
| gered in case an organization under the law was
| attempted the posse was furnished, with request
| that care shou be taken tnat no number of the
| legislature returned by the Returning Board
shOnld be q Oet~d from the -four. The military
| posse performed its duty under direc ions fl ON
| the Governor of the S ate, and rem.Ved from the
| floor Of the House those per Ons who had been
! illegally seated, and VIII had no legal right to be
there, whereupOn the Democrats rose and left The
| House. ana the remaining members proceeded
! TO effect an organization under the State laws.
| In all the turmoil, in which blOOdshed was i'm.
| minent, the military posse behaved with great
discretion. When Wilt. the usurping Speaker oil
the House, called for troops to prevent blO0ds he'd
| they were given him When the Governor of the
State called for posse for tee same purpose, and
| to enforce the law, it furnished also. Had
this not been done, it is my firm belief that scenes
| of blo1dsned would have ensued.
| (Signed.) P. II. SHERIDAN,
| Lieutenant General.
New ORLEANS, Jan. 9.
The Tribune representative this evening
visited Gen. Sheridan, who stated thai
when he came to this city he found very
peculiar state of affairs. He found a Sc
cret organization here so powerful that NJ
one was able to cope with it. The State
government was not strong enough t
meet it, and the fear of ostracism and los
of business was so great that merchant
and business men not only did not dare
attack it, but when it was attacked, APP
peared as It's defenders Murder for polit
ical reasons was considered no crime
This society was so strong that it appear
ed as if the people had got used to 1t, an(