Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-09

lJOpy-I eIe gram.
HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION Missouri
NEW ORLEANS, La, January :, lS1.
To Hon. w. w BelsaaP, Secretary oJ War, RdSt-
tHgfOH, ID. C.:
have the honor to submit the following
brief report of af..irs as they occurred here in
the organization of the state legislature on
January 4th. 1875. was not i'm command OF
this military department until o'clock at
night on the 4th instant, but l fully endorse
and am willing to be ed responsible for the
acts OF the military as conservatOrS OF the
public peace upon that day. During the few
days in which was in the city prior TO the
Attn of January, the general topic Of cOnversa-
tiOn was the scenes of blOOdShcd that were
liable to occur on that day, and repeatedly
heard threats of assassinating the COVER
nor, and regrets expressed that he was
not Killed the litn of December last.
also threats of the assassination of republi-
can members of the House, i'm order to secure
the election of democratic Speaker. | also
knew of the Kidnapping by the banditti OF
MIR. COusinier, one of the members-elCct of
the Legislature In order to preserve the
peace and To make the State House safe for
the peaccable assembling of the Legislature.
Gen. Emory. upon the requiSitiOn of the
Governor, stationed troops IN the vicinity of
the bu'ldlng. Owing TO these precautions,
the Legislature assembled in the State House
without any disturbance of the public peace.
At twelve o'clock William NigerS. the clerk
of the last House of Representatives. pro-
ccedCd To call the roll, as according to law
he was empowered To do. One hundred and
two legally returned members answered
10 their names; of this number fifty-twO
were republicans and fifty were demo-
Gratis. Before entering the House, Mr.. L.
y. Witt had been selected in caucus as
Tie democratic nominee of Speaker and Mr..
Michael Hahn as the republican nominee.
Nigers had not yet finished announcing the
result when one of the members, Mr. Bill
can, of LafOurche, nominated Mr.. l.. y.
WIZ for temporary Speaker VICES
promptly declared the motion ont OF order at
that time, when some one put the question.
and amid the cheers of the democratic side
r tEan
TOStrum, pushed aside Mr.. Nigers. SeiZct
the Speakers chair and gavel, ami declared
himself Speaker \ protest against this
arbitrary and unlawful prOce2 ling Wa,
promptly made by the members of the ma
jority, but Witt paid no attentiOa to these
protests, and upon motion from some one
on the democratic side OF the house declare
one TTeZcvant nominated and elected clerk
| OF the house. Mr.. TreZervant az once sprang
forward and occupied the clerks ch -ir
amidst the widest confusion over the whole
house, Witt, then again on another nOmi-
nation from the democratic side OF
the house, declared one FlOOr1 elected ser
gcant-a arms, and ordered that certain
| number assistants be appointed. Instantly
| a large number of men throughout the ma IL,
| who had been admitted ON various
| Pretexts, such as reporters and MEM
| bers friends and spectators turhed down
the lapels of their coats, upon which
were pinned blue ribbon badges, on which
| were printed in gold letters the words, AS
| sistant Sergeant at Arms, =" anu the assembly
was in the possession of the minority, and
| the White League of Louisiana had made
| good its threats OF selzing the House, many
| of the assistant sergsants at arms being well
| known as captains of white league cOmpa-
| nies in this city. Notwithstanding the sud
| GenneSs of this movement the lea ding repub-
| lican members had rot Iailed 10 protest
| again and again against this revolutionary
| action of the minority, but all TO no
| purpose, and many of the republicans rose
| and left the House in a body, together with
| the clerk, Mr. NigerS, who carried with him
| the original roll of the House as returned by
flfAS SpfrG nf Gfp 70 ifnrs
| now very great. The acting speaker directed
| the sergeant-at-arms to prevent the egieSS or
| ingresS of members or others, and several
| exciting Scutt1eS, i'll which knives and pistols
| were drawn, took place, and for few mo-
! ments it seemed that blCCdshed would en-
sue. At this ju1cture Mr.. Dupre,
| democratic member from the parish of
| Orleans, moved that the military power
| of the general government be InvOkC
| be appointed to wait upon Gen. DeTrO-
| BRAND, the commanding officer of the u ).
| troops stationed at the State-hOuse, and re
quest his assistance in clearing the lobby.
| The motion was adopted; a committee of
| five, of which Mr.. Dupree was made chair
| llan was sent to wait upon Gen. DeTroriand,
| and soon returned with that officer, who was
| accompanied by two of his stat officers As
| Gen. DeTrObriald walked dOwa to the
| Speakers desk loud applause burst rom the
| democratic side OF the House. sGen. DeTrO-
| BRAND asked the acting Speaker If il was not
! possible for him to preserve order without
| appealing TO him as a u. ). army officer.
1 MI w llIL Sdll III was not, WncfcupOn the
| general proceeded to the lobby, and ad-
| dressing few words to the crowd, peace
| was at once restored. On motion of
| Mr.. Dupree Mr. Wilt then, i'm the name of
| the General Assembly of the state of Louisi-
| ana, thanked General De TrC BRAND for MS
| 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 10 the Governor,
| stating their grievances, and asking his aid,
| which petition signed by hfty-twO legally re-
| turned members of the House; is in my POS
session. Immediately, subsequent TO the
action OF Mr.. Wilt in ejectins the clerk of
| the Old House, Mr.. Billien moved that two
| gentlemen from the parish of De Sofa, one
| from Urim, one from Bienville, and one from
| Iberia, who had not been returned by the re-
| turning board, be sworn in as members, and
they were accordingly sworn in by Mr.. Wilt
| and took seats upon the floor as members of
| the House. A motion was now made that
| the House proceed with its permanent organ
| iZatiOn, and accordingly the roll was called
| by Mr.. TreZeVant, the acting clerk, and
| Wilt was declared elected Speaker and
| Trezevant clerk OF the House. Acting on the
| protest made by the majority the governor
! now requested the commanding general
| of the department to aid him i'm restoring
| order and enable the legally returned mem
| bers of the house TO proceed with its organi-
| Zation according 10 law. This request was
membering vividly the terrible massacres
| that took place in this city on the assembling
| Of the constitutional convention in 1856 al the
| Mechanics Institute, and believing that the
/
1 or would be endangered in case an organiZa-
| ton under the law was attempted the posse
| was furnished with the request that care
| should be taken that no member of
| the legislature returned by the return
J ing board should be elected from the
| floor. This military posse performed its duty
| under directions from the governor of the
| state, and removed from the floor of the house
| those persons who had been illegally seated
| and who had no legal rights to be there,
| whereupon the democrats arose and left the
house, and the remaining members proceeded
| to effect an organization under the state laws.
In all this turmoil, in which bloodshed was
imminent, the military posse behaved with
| great discretion. When Mr.. Wilt the
| usurping speaker of the House, called 70
troops TO prevent blcodshed, they were given
him. When the governor of the state calle |
| for posse for the same purpose and to en-
| force the law, it was furnished also Hal
| this not been done, ii is my firm belief tina:
| scenes OF bloodshcd would have ensuad.
z. III. SHERIDAN, Lieut. Gen.
Mr.. DAWES DEcL INES TO BE WINKEp AT
OR INTERvIEwED.-During the examination