The Van Buren press., 1875-02-23
THE ARKANSAS MESSAGE.
How it is Received at Washington Among
Members Of Congress.
New York Herald Special.l

authority this evening for the statement
that the president said to day positively
that he did not mean to be understood
as intending to interfere in Arkansas uu.
less congress should direct him; and
that, if congress chooses TO give him no
policy or directions, he will not interfere
in any way in the state. This statement
does not rest on rumor, but on the word
of a prominent northern republican, n OF
q member of congress, who saw his cx
cellency the president to day, and whom
his excellcncy said this to, The Star
also this evening has semi official state
ment to the same effect. 1t says:
"If congress adjourns without decid-
ing the questions at issu :, it is more than
likely that the president will consider
that congress acquiesces in the present
political status of Arkansas, and leaves
Gov. Garland to manage the affairs of
that state "
This denial Of revolutionary purposes
comes none too soon, and it was said to
night, in republican circles, that if the
president were well advised he would
send in another message 70 explain the
first, or at least take some decided means
to reassure the public and congress for
there has been. during the last two days,
a growing feeling Of deep uncasness and
alarm on all sides The president was
understood by everybody to mean that
he intended to Interfere, whether congress
gave him direction or not, and the log
ic Of that policy is, " said prominent re
publican to day, "that though he may
wait for laws to be enacted, il none are
enacted he will act without law. = This
was the universal impression and belief,
and for, perhaps, the first time in our
history congress felt authority slipping
president could be curbcd who, men
were persuaded, had declared his ntcn-
ton to act whether the law making pow
er gave him authority or not. What
added to the irritation and the alarm was
that it became known to day that the Ar
mitted to cabinet meeting, but was not
even shown to any member Of the cabi-
net Even Attorney General Williams
was not taken into counsel, and it is said,
on what seems to be good authority, that
Mr.. Alexander Shepherd was the only
person to whom the message vas read
before it was sent to the senate This
would not be strange, for, except the
president, 20 one is so strongly commit
ted to the present government IN Arkan'
sas as the attorney general AS to the
president. be would seem 10 be commit
ted to the present government 10y a sin
gularly strong tie, for though it may be
true that Brooks, in 1872, bad a majority
of votes, it was fact which ought not to
be forgotten, that Baxter and Grant were
both counted in at that election, aud that,
when Gen. Grant made haste to recog-
nizc Baxter, it was declaration also that
the state had gone against Greeley, and
for Grant 1t was in confirmation Of that
decision, whicl, gave the state to Baxter
and Grant, that the president refused to
sustain Brooks, turned him ont. Of office
by proclamation, recognized Baxter, and
commanded Brooks to dsperse his forces.
Nor should it be forgotten that Dorsey
and Clayton, who are the most vehement
adherents of Brooks, were originally
BaNter's most vigorous supporters.
Moreover, We remember, said re-
publican to day, THAT before this, the
president has refused to interfere in other
states, even when there were plausible
pretexts He not only recognized the
Baxter government when the recognition
gave the electoral vote Of Arkansas to
Grant, but he refused aid to Gov Davis,
Of Texas. He refused Gov Ames help
at Nicksburg last year, He refused to
interfere N South Carolina. Why, then,
this sudden changer
If the present government in Arkan.
sas is allowed to stand" said the presi
dent lately to a prominent republican,
" Mississippi may in very short time
change her constitution and fling out
Gov Ames, Other states may follow in
the same direction under this precedent.
AS soon as congress adjourns they may
change their state governments and the
whole south may be lost to the party in
the next election.
1t is not unfair to presume that here is
the reason Of the presidents change and
the motive for his message, and for his
reported attempt to influence the Arkan-
sas committee to make report different
from that which they have made. Mean.
time the danger is not over, for there is q
disposition to treat the southern govern
ments with great contempt When the
attorney general was lately examined be
fore the Alabama committee as to the
reason for directing the movement of
troops in that state from here, he une.
quivocaliy answered that the orders were
given without consultation or advice
from the republican governor Of the
state, nor was he asked for advice or
whether he was able to suppress the al
legged Instructions in the state. The at.
torney general, in answer to another
question, said he thought the friends of
the president were quite as competent to
judge of what was necessary for good
government in the southern states as
those who held Offices Of mere local i'm.
portance there
Again, Mr.. Snyder, administration
member from Arkansas. said to day open.
ly, If congress does not take some no
tice Of the Arkansas matter and leaves it
to the presidents discretion, we will, af
ter congress adjourns, endeavor to seat
Brooks, and in the event Of opposition
will call upon the president to help us,
as he has done in Louisiana. " A north,
crn republican. when he heard of this re.