Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1875-01-20


organization of State Legislature or
any of it's proceedings or with the
army of the civil department of the
/ Government is repugnant to our ideas
of government. ! can conceive OF no
case, not involving rebellion or insur-
rectiou, where such interference by
/ the authority of the General Gov
eminent ought TO be permitted or
can be justified. But there are circum~
stances connected with the late Legis-
lative imbrogliO in Louisiana, which
/ seem 90 exempt the military from any
| intentional wrong i'm that matter
] Knowing that they were placed in
/ Louisiana to prevent domestic vio-
| lence, and aid in 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 "A legislative assem-
/ bly, Is the Judge of the election and
I qualification of its own members.
But if IA mob or body of
unauthorized persons seize and hold
the legislative hall in tumultuous
and riotous manner, and so prevent
any organization by those legally re-
turned as elected, it might become the
duty of the State Executive to inter-
pose, If requested by majority of the
members elect, to suppress the disturb
ance and enable the persons elected to
organize the House. Any exercise of
this power would only be justitiable
under most extraordinary circum-
stances, and it would then be the duty
of the Governor to cell upon the cOnsta
bulary, or, if necessary, the military
force of the State. But with reference
to Louisiana, il Is to be borne in mind,
that any attempt by the Governor to
use the police force of that State at
this time would undoubtedly have
precipitated a bloody conflict with the
White League, as iC did on the l4th OF
September. There is no doubt but
that the presence OF the United States
troops upon that occasion prevented
bloodshed and the loss of life. Both
parties appear to have relied upon them
as conservators of the public peace.
WHO FIRST CALLED FOR TROOPS.
The first call was made by the DEM
ocrats to remove persons obnoxious to
them from the Legislative Hall, and
the second was from the Republicans
to,Temove persons who had usurped
seats in the Legislature without legal
certificates authorizing them to seats,
, and in sufficient numbers to change
the majority. No body was disturbed
by the matter who had legal right
at that time to occupy seat in the
, Legislature. That the Democratic
minority of the House undertook to
secure its organization by fraud and
violence that in this attempt they
trampled under foot the law that
, they undertook to make persons not
, returned as elected, members, so as to
create a majority that they acted un-
der a preconcerted plan, aud under
false pretences introduced into the
Hall body of men to support their
pretentions by force if necessary and
that conflict, disorder, and riotuus pro-
, ceeding followed ARE facts that seem to
. be well established. And / am cTedibly
informed that these violent proceed
= ings were a part of premeditated
plan to have the House organized in
this way recognize what has been
called the McEnry Senate, then to
( depose Governor Kellogg and so
- reYolutioniZe the State Government.
r Whether it was wrong for the Gov
, ernor, at the request of the majority
! of the members returned as elected
to the House, to use such means AZ
3 were in his power to defeat these law
! less and revolutionary proceedings is
! perhaps a debatable question, but II
1 Is quite certain that there would have
| been co trouble if those who now com
e plain of illegal interference had allow
2 ed the House to be organized in law
e full and regular manner. When those
who inaugurate disorder and anarchy
disavow such proceedings it Will by
time enough to condemn those who be
b. such means as they have, prevent TIE
: success of their lawless and desperate
5 schemes.
% sHERIDANs ACTS REVIEWED.
a Lieutenant General Sheridan wa
:. requested by me to go to Louisiana tC
= observe and report the situation there
- and if in his opinion necessary, to as,
sumo the command, which he did oil
the 4th instant, after the legislativ,
. disturbances had occurred, at nine
y, O'Clock p. m, a number of hours afte
~ the disturbances.
u No party motives nor party preju
% dices can reasonably be imputed T.
- him but honestly convinced by wha
., he has seen and heard there, he ha
> characterised the leaders of the White
i Ieaguers in severe terms and suggest
tu uloutS VI DlONNhul
E against them, which, though they ca
:, not be adopted, would if legal, sool
- put an end to the troubles and disoI
-, y der in that state. General Sheridan
a. was looking at facts, and possibly nc
- thinking of the proceedings whicI
y would be the only proper ones TO pun
30 sue in time of peace, thought more {
~, the utterly lawless condition of societ
Is surrounding him at the time of hi
dispatch, and of what would prove
sure remedy. He never proposed to d
o. an illegal act, nor expressed determ
or nation TO proceed beyond what the LAY
I'd in the future might authorize for tn
b. punishment of the atrocities whlc
It. have been committed, and the con
at mission of which can not be success
u fully denied. 1t is a deplorable faC
he that political crimes and murders hay
m been committed in Louisiana whic
he have gone unpublished, and whic
Ire have been justified or apologized 70
in which must rest as reproach upo
A