New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-10
SHERIDAN.
The Lieutenant Generals Report OF tbe
Events Of January 4.
ECopy of TeIegram.l


in the organization of the State Legislature
on January 4, 1875. was not in cOmmtnd
OF this military department until fine
o'clock at night on the fourth instant, hit
fully indOrsey and am willing to be held
responsible for the acts of the military as
eonservatOrs of the public peace upon that
day.
During the few days in which ] wbs in
the city prior to the fourth of JanuarI, the
general topic of conversation was the eenes
OF blOOdshed which were liable to ocbur on
that day, and repeatedly heard THREATS of
assassinating the Governor, and regFts ex-
pressed that he was not killed on tie four
teenth CT September last. Also, thhats of
assassination of the Republican numbers
OF the House, in order to secure the SectiOn
OF Democratic Speaker. / also lnew of
the kidnapping by the banditti of Mr. COu-
sin. one of the members elect of thS Legis-
latuTe.
General Emory, upon the requistion of
the Governor, stationed troops in tEb vicin-
ity of the building. Owing to thtse pre-
cautions the Legislature, assembled in the
State House without any disturbanke of the
public peace. At twelve o'clock William
Vigers, the Clerk of the House of Rpresen-
tatives, proceeded to call the roll al accord
ing to law he had been empowered TO do
One hundred and two legally returned
number So were Republicans and fifty we're
Democrats. Before entering th House
Mr.. l.. A. Wilt had been selectedin caucus
as the Democratic nominee as Speaker, and
Mr. Michael Hahn as the Republican nom
inee. Vigers had not yet hHishedannouno.
ing the result when one of the members
Mr.. Billieu, Of Lafourche) nominated Mr..
l.. A. Wilt as temporary SpeakeL
Vigers promptly declared the potion out
nf nn1a nNN 81 ,,s.A
the question, and amid the che Ire of the
Democratic side of the Housed Mr.. Wiltz
dashed on to the rOstrum, pushet aside Mr..
Vigers, seized the Speakers bbair and
gavel, and declared himself Speaker. A
protest against this arbitrary aH unlawful
proceeding was promptly mfe by the
members Of the majority, butWiltz paid
no attention to these protests, and upon a
motion from some one on theIDemOcratic
side of the House, declared ots Trezevant
nominated and elected clerk ot the House.
Mr. Trezevant at once sprapgforward and
OcC Cupied the clerks chair amiBJ the wild
est confusion over the whole HDuse.
Wiltz then again, on anothF nomination
from the Democratic side of de House, de
elared one Flood elected sereant-atarms
and ordered that a certain lumber of as,
sistants be appointed. Instbtly large
number of men throughout Fhe hall, who
such as reporters and membes' friends. and
spectators, turned the lapelsbf their coats,
upon which were pinned blueFibbon badges,
on which were printed in Pid letters the
words assistant sergesnt-athrms," and the
Assembly was in The pOdessiOn of the
minority, and the White Lhgue of Louis
lana had made good its tn pats of seizing
the House. Many of the assbtant sergesnts.
at arms were we'll known aicaptains of the
White League companies il this city.
Notwithstanding the su denness Of the
movement, the leading Republican members
had not failed to protest, igain and again,
against this Revolutionary action of the
minority, but all to no pU4pOse, and many
of the Republicans rose All left the House,
in body, together wih the clerk, Mr..
Vigers, who carried with bin the original
roll of the House. as furRi ihed by the Secre-
tary of State.
The excitement was NOT very great. The
acting Speaker directed the sergeant-at-
arms to prevent the egess or ingTess of
members or others, aHl several exciting
scuffles, in which knivd and pistols were
| drawn, took place. and br few moments
it seemed that blOodsbedwould ensue.
At this juncture MI Dupre, a Demo
cratic member from thSparish of Orleans,
moved that the mihsry power of the
| general government behvOked to preserve
| the peace, and that I committee be ap-
pointed to wait upon Gheral De TrObriand,
the commanding officeIbf the United States
troops stationed at tB State House, and
request his assistance I clearing the lobby.
The motion was adOptA.
A committee of tiVepf which Mr.. Dupre
| was made chairman, Vas sent to wait upon
| General De TrObriand and soon returned
with that officer, whOFas accompanied by
| two of his staff OftiSrs. As General De
| Trobriand walked dlwn to the Speakers
desk loud applauS broke from the
| Democratic side the house. Gen
eral De Trobriand asked the acting
Speaker If it ws not possible for
him to preserve Orer without appealing
| to him as United Sates army officer. Mr.
| Willis said it was mol whereupon the Gen.
eral proceeded to til lobby, and addressing
a few words TO thdcrowd, peace was at
| once restored.
On motion of MrIOupre, Mr.. Wiltz then,
| In the name of tne ieneral Assembly of the
State of Louisiana thanked General De
| TrObriand for his kterferenoe in behalf If
| law and order, andIthe General withdrew.
The Republieanssa sad now generally with
| drawn from the ha and united in signing
i a petition to the Governor stating their
| grievances, and aslng his aid, which petit
ton, signed by tiF-two legally returned
members of the HI Ase, is in my possession.
| Immediately subdquent to the action of
| MIR. WiltE in eieo(hg the clerk of the old
House, Mr.. Billed moved that two gentle
| men from the pRIth of De Soto, one from
Winn, one from BienTille and one from
| Iberia, who had Ht been returned by the
/ Returning BOardIbe sworn in as members,
/ aud they were a9Urdingly sworn in by Mr..
Wilts, and took beats upon the floor as
members OF the lbuse.
A motion WAS bw made that the House
proceed with it'd permanent organization,
| and acoordinglyhe roll was called by Mr..
Trezevant, the hing clerk, and Wilt was
declared elected Speaker and Tresevaut
clerk of the Hote. Acting on the protest
made by the mi Ority, the Governor now
requested the bmmanding general of the
| department to hd him in restoring order
and enable the kgally returned members OF
the House to pbeeed with it's organization
according to Nv. This request was rea.
BOnable and in Ieoordanoe with law.
Rememberin yividly the terrible massa-
ere that tool place In this city on the
assembling OF be constitutional convention
in 1866, at II Mechanics Institute, and
believing that he lives of the members OF
the Legislatub would be endangered in
case an orgdizatiOn under the law was
attempted, I'd posse was furnished with
the request tilt care should be taken that
no member Of the Legislature returned by
the hetufnlR board snnulO Dc slecteu
from the ff. This military posse per
formed its dJ under directions from the
Governor of be State and removed frsm
the floor of ID House those persons ShU
had been ille eally seated and who had no
legal right b be there; whereupon the
Democrats q bse and left the House, and
the remaiDi members proceeded 10 effect
an organise Ibn under the State laws.
In ali tht turmoil in which blOOdshed
was immintt, the military behaved with
great discttion. When Mr.. Wiltz, the
usurping 8 baker of the House, called fol
troops to reyent bloodshed. they were