Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-01-14

4
b formation that q great part Of the tim
o taken to canvass the votes, was consume
? By the arguments Of lawyers, several Z
2 whom represented each party before n
J, board. / have no evidence that he prr
e ceediDgs Of this board were not in ACCORD
e ance with the Law under which they acted
4 Whether In excluding from theireount eer
a tain returns they were right on wrong. is
! question that depends upon tie eviiienc
they had before them, but it is very ciea
that the law gives them the power. if the,
chose 70 exercise It, Of deciding that war
and prima facie, the persons whom they re
turn As elected, are entitled to the Office:
for which they were candidates.
Respecting the alleged Interference b,
81 the military with the organization Of tn
Legislature Of Louisiana on the 4th inst
have no knowledge or information whicl
: has not been received by me since .thai
J time and published, Ny first information
vas from the papers Of the morning Of the
9th Of January. Ibid not know that any
such thing was anticipated, and no orders
and no suggestions were ever given to any
military officers in that State on that sub.
leet prior to the occurrences. am vel
aware that any military interference
by the officers or troops Of the United
States with the organization Of a State
Legislature or any Of its proceedings, OF
with any civil department Of the Govern
ment, IS repugnant 70 our ideas Of govern
ment. L can conceive o. no case not in
VOlving rebellion or insurection, where
such interference BY authority Of the Gen
eral Government ought 10 be permitted or
can be justified. But there are eircum-
stances connected with the legislative i'm
brOgliO IN Louisiana which seem to exempt
the. military from any intentional wrong
in that matter.
The enforcement Of the State laws, the
officers and troops Of the United States
may well have supposed that it was their
duty to act when called upon by the Gov
ernOr for that purpose. Each branch Of the
Legislative Assembly is the Judge Of the
election and qualifications Of its own mem
berss but if a mob or a body Of UnauthOr-
] ized persons seize and hold the legislative
hall in tumultUOus and riOtous manner,
! and 50 prevent any organization by those
| legally returned as elected, it might become
I tho duty Of the State executive TO interfere,
/ if requested by a majority Of the members
| elect, 70 suppress the disturbance and ena-
! bic the persons elected to organize the
House. Any exercise Of this power would
be justifiable under most extraordinary
circumstances, and it would then be the
duty Of the Governor TO call upon the con-
st4bulary, or if Necessary, the military
force Of the State. But, with reference to
Louisiana, is to be borne in mind that any
attempt Of the Governor 70 use the police
force Of that State at this time, would
have undoubtedly precipitated a bloody
conflict with the White League, as
it did on the 18th Of September. There
is no doubt but that the presence Of the
United States troops on that occasion, pre-
vented blOOdshed and the loss Of life. Both
parties appear to have relied upon them as
cOnservatOrs Of the public peace. The first
call was made by the Democrats 10 remove
persons obnoxious to them from the Legis-
lative Hall, and the second was from the
Republicans, to remove persons who had
usurped seats in the Legislature, without
legal certificates authorizing them to seats,
and in sufficient number 20 change the
majority. Nobody was disturbed by the
military who had a legal right al that time
to occupy a seat in the Legislature. That
the Democratic minority Of the House un-
dertOOk to seize its organization BY fraud and
malice; that in this attempt they trampled
under foot the law; that they undertook to
make persons not returned as elected men,
bers, so as to create a majority; that they
acted under precOncerted plan, and under
false pretenses introduced into the hall men
to support their pretanslons by force, if
necessary, aud that conflict, disorder and
riOtOus proceedings following, are facts that
seem to be well established, and am cred /
IDLY informed that these violent proceedings L
were part Of a premeditated plan to have
the House organized in this way, recognize /
what has been called the AIcEnery Senate, /
then to depOse Gov. kellogg, and so revolu-
tiOnize the State government. Whether it |
was wrong for the Governor at the request |
Of the majority Of members returned as
elected to the House, to use such means |
as were in his power to defeat these
lawless and revolutionary proceedings, is |
perhaps a debatable question, but It is quito |
certain that there would have been no |
trouble if those who now complain Of ille- |
gal interference had allowed the House to |
be organized in lawful and regular man
ner. When those who inaugurated disOr-
der and anarchy disa7Ow such proceedings,
il will be time enough to condemn those |
who, by such means as they have, prevent |
the success Of their laWless and desperate /
schemes.
Lieut.. Gen. Sheridan was requested BY /
me TO 90 TO Louisiana 10 observe and re-
port the situation there, and, if in his opln-
ion necessary, to assume the Gem
maId, which he did on the 9Th L
inst, after the legislative disturbance
had occurred, at o'clock P. NJ, a number
Of hours after the disturbances, No party
motive nor preiudicas can necessarily be
imputed 10 him, but honestly convinced by
what be has seen and heard there, he has
characterized the leaders Of the White
Leagues in severe terms, and suggested
summary modes Of procedure against
them, which, though they cannot be
adopted, would, if legal, soon put an end
to the troubles and disorders in that
State. Gen. Sheridan was looking
at facts, and possibly not think
ing Of proceedings which would
be the only proper ones to pursue in time
Of peace, and thought more of the utterly
laWless condition Of society surrounding
him at the time Of his dispaich,and Of what
would prove a sure remedy. He never pro-
posed to do an illegal act, nor expressed a
to proceed beyond what the
law in the future might authorize for the
punishment of the atrocities which have
4
which cannot be successfully denied. Iti |
a deplOrable fact that political crimes and
murder have been committed in Louisiana,
which have gone unpunished. and which
have been justified or apOlOgized for, which
must rest as a reprOach upon the State and
country, long after the present generation
has passed away.
l have no desire to have United States
troops interfere in the domestic concerns Of
Louisiana or any other State. On the 9th
CT December last, Gov. Kellogg telegraph
ed TO me his apprehensiOns that the White
League intended TO make another attack.
Upon the same day made the following
answer, since which no communication has
has been sent to him:
"YOur dispatch Of this date has just
been received. 1t is exceedingly unpalata-
Die to use troops in anticipation of dangers. ,
Let the State authorities be right, and then !
proceed with their duties, without appre-
lensiOn Of danger. If they are then mo-
ested, the question viii be determined
whether the United States is able 10 main
ain law and order within its limits or
lOt.n
1 have deplOred the presence Of troops | !
among them. / regret, however, 70 say
hat this state Of things does not exist, nor
does its existence seem to be desired in
localities, and as to those it may be proper
for me to say, that to the extent that Con-
rress has conferred pOWer on me to prevent /