Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-02-19
The Troubled South.
LOUISIANA.

J The Troubled South. ~
On Thursday last the Congressional COM
mittee. Of which the Bon. Geo. F. Hoar is
the chairman. submitted the following prop
osition for the adjustment of the troubles
to the Conservative members OF the Louisi-
ana Legislature:
Whereas. 1t is desirable to adjust the diff
culties growing out of the general election
in this State in 1872, the action of the re-
turning board in declaring and premulgat-
ing the results of the general election in the
month of November last, and the organiza-
tion of the House of Representatives on the
4th day of January last, such adjustment
being deemed necessary to the re-establish-
ment OF peace and good order in the State,
now, therefore, we the undersigned, mem
bers of the Conservative party, claiming to
have been elected members of the House Of
Representatives, and that their certificates
of election have been illegally withheld by
the returning board, hereby severally agree
to submit: their claims to seats in the
House of Representatives. to the award
and arbitrament of George F. Hoar, VIM.
A. Wheeler, VIM. P. Frye and Samuel S.
Marshal, members of the congressional
committee now in New Orleans, who are
hereby authorized to examine and deter
mine the same upon the equities of the sew
eral cases and when such award shall be
made, We hereby severally agree to abide
by the same and such of US as become
members of the House of Representatives,
under this arrangement, hereby severally
agree to sustain by our influence and votes,
the joint resolutions hereinafter set forth
and the undersigned, claiming to have been
elected senator's from the Sth and 22d sena-
torial districts, hereby agree to submit
their claims to the foregoing award and ar
.bitrament and i'll all respects to abide the
results of the same; and the undersignedhold-
| ing certificates of election from the return
ing board. hereby seyerally agree that upon
the coming in of the award Of the foregoing
arbitrator, they will, when the same shall
have been ratified by the report of the COM
mittee on elections and qualifications of the
body in session at the state house, claiming
to be the House of Representatives. attend
the sitting of said house, for the purpose Of
adopting said report. II said report shall
be adopted, and the members embraced in
the foregoing report shall be seated, then |
the undersigned seyerally agree that ,imme-
dlateiy upon the adoption of said report, |
they will vote for the following resolutions
Whereas doubts have existed and still exist as |
to the gal results of the election in this State IN
November, s7e, and whereas il is alleged. and by |
a large portion o. the people Of this State believed,
that the result o. the election iOr members OF the
| House of Representatives and Tor treasurer in No
yember last was illegally determined and promul !
gated by the returning board and, whereas, these /
doubts allegations and beliefs have tended greatly
to disturb the public mind, and unsettle confidence.
and injuriously 10 affect the material interests OF
the State; and. whereas. II Is deemed necessary to
the welfare OF the State that an adjustment Of the
foregoing difficulties should be effected, therefore
| be IL hereby
Resolved, by the General Assembly Of the State |
| ofLouisisna, that said Assembly, without approx
Ing the same, will not disturb the present state
government, claiming TO have been elected in 1872.
and known as the Kellogg government, or seek TO /
impeaeh the Governor for any past Official acts. and
that henceforth will accord TO said Governor all the
| necessary and legitimate support in maintaining
the laws and advancing the peace and prosperity
Of the people OF this State, and that the House of
Representatives, as 70 its members, as constituted
| under the award Of George F. Hoar, William A.
Wheeler, William 7. Frye and Samuel S. Marshall,
shall remain without cha1ge, except by the resig-
nation or death OF members, until a new general
election, and that the Senate as herein recognized
shall also remain unchanged, except so far as that
| body may make Changes On contests.
This proposition was discussed by the
Conservatives in caucus. Friday night, and
received a vote of 3S in its favor to 81
against it. After this vote, Speaker Witt
rendered his resignation and Gov. McEnerv,
who was present by courtesy, said by this
action of the caucus it was evident to him
that it was time 10 lower the Democratic
banner, and he therefore wished to retire.
Subsequently the caucus rescinded the pre-
vious vote and adjourned without action.
The proposition appears to be hardly less
repugnant 10 the Kellogg party. Promi-
nent radicals declare that the Kellogg
House of Representatives will accept of no
compromise. 4 resolution which was in
troduced on Friday into the Kellogg House,
inviting the absent members TO return, and
pledging cooperation in all constitutional
measures Of reform. produced considerable
disorder. and the final result was that there
was no quorum present. Ile renewal OF
the subject OF the compromise, Saturday,
was the occasion Of even greater disorder.
such as has not prevailed since the 4th OF
January
On Saturday the select committee on Ar
kansas affairs, of which the Hon. Luke P.
Poland Is chairman. submitted to the House
of Representatives their repor: on the sub
ject, Us follows
The new constitution VIC regard a Re-
publican in form, and IN many respects an
Improvement upon that of ls65. The COM
mittee are satisfied that the convention TO
frame the constitution, and the constitution
itself, were voted for and are satisfactory
to the majority of the voters and people of
the State. The State officers were certainly
elected by majority of the votes cast, and
we think by p majority Of the votes IN the
State The condition Of the State has been
as peaceful since the new government was
inaugurated as it ever has been. Acts of
violence have been very few indeed. Ii is
alleged that this Is all because they are now
under Congressional Investigation and on
their good behavior The committee be-
lieve the mass OF the people on both isides
are inclined to peace and good government.
and to allow all the enjoyments of their le-
gal rights But there Is class Of men, the
OutgrOwth of the former state of society,
who delight in disturbing and depriylng the
colored people and Northern people OF their
rights. These are young men who cannot
be restrained. This class of men. together
with the general custom of CARRYING dead
ly weapons (another legacy of barbarism),
are the real causes of violence and blood
shed The changes caused by war, giving
fl sedom and political equality to the color
ed people, are not well relished by the
Southern people, but most Of them would
do nothing to disturb them Blu; the class
to which we have alluded feel that they
NAV invade the rights of the colored men,
especially in any political quarrel, and that
their offences will be winked at. We are
satisfied that the true prosperity OF these
Southern States depends more on just and
stern dealings by them with this lawless
class of men than of any other cause. As
to the future peace and quiet Of the State,
the enforcement Of the laws and protection
of life and property, Arkansas probably
presents no different condition from that OF
the other cotton States, where political con-
troll has passed into the hands OF the class
who ruled before the war. We are asked
to recommend that the national government
shall declare in some form that the new !
constitution has not suspended that of 1868; {
but that the old one is still the true funda-
mental law of the State, and that Mr..
Brooks, who doubtless was elected and who
ought to have been declared Governor, is
now the lawful Governor of the State. and I
that the government will support and up
hold him as the lawful Governor of the
State.
Your committee will take no time to give l
their views of the relations and duties of the [
general and State governments. Questions ,
Of great delicacy arise in dealing with them.
The people OF every State have the right to {
make their own constitution to suit them
selves, provided it be Republican in form {
and in harmony with the constitution Of ,
the United States. and the national govern
ment has not the authority to deprive them I
of that right. Here we have the case Of
State having constitution Republican in
form, adopted and ratified by large ma {
jority Of its people, manned by officers OF |
their choice and going forward with reason q
able quiet and peace. Your committee 8
cannot find any sold ground on which to !
stand to say the general government can or c
ought to interfere, and no amount OF ir- I
regularity in the processes by which this g
state of things was brought about furnish c
Just reason for doing So The committee q
believe that upon principles now we'll es- I
tablished all these defects and Irregularities
in the proceedings must be regarded as
cnred bY the verdict Of the people. 1