The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-01-16
SHERIDAN'S STATEMENT,
REVIEW OF THE TROUBLE AT NEW ORLEANS
ACTION OF THE MILITARY

Sheridan, dated at New Orleans, Friday
was received at the War Department OF
Saturday morning last, addressed to Score
tary Belknap:
have the honor to submit the following
brief report of affairs as they occurred here
in the organization of the State Legislature
on January 4th. 1875. l was not in com
mand of this Military Department until
o'clock at night on the 4th instant, but
fully endorse and am willing to be helc
responsible for the acts of the military az
conservators Of the public peace upon thai
day. During the few days in which wa.
in the city prior to the 4th of January, the
general topic of conversation was tho scene.
of bloodshed that were liable to occur or
that day, and repeatedly heard threats o.
assassinating the Governor, and regrets
expressed that he was not killed on the
14rh of December last. also threats of the
assassination of Republican members oil
| the House, in order to secure the election
of a Democratic Speaker. / also knew oil
the kidnapping by the banditti of Mr.
| Cousiner, one of the members elect of the
Legislature. In order to preserve the peace
and to make the State House safe for the
peaceable assembling of the Legislature,
Gen. Emory, upon the rcquisition of the
Governor, stationed troops in the vicinity
of the building. Owing to these precau.
tons, the Legislature assembled in the
State House without any disturbance oil
the public peace. At 10 o'clock William
Vigers. the Clerk of the last House OF
Representatives, proceeded to call the roll,
as according to law he was empowered to
| do. One hundred and two legally returned
members answered to their names; of this
number fifty-two were Republicans and
| fifty were Democrats. Before entering the
| House, Mr.. A. Witt had been selected in
caucus as the Democratic nominee for
speaker, and Mr.. Michael. Hahn as the
Republican nominee. Vigers had not yet
| finished announcing the result when one OF
| the members, Mr.. Billican, of Lafourche,
nominated Mr.. l.. A. Wilt for temporary
Speaker. Vigers promptly declared the
motion out of order at that time, whom
some one put the question, and amid the
/ cheers of the Democratic side Of the House
| Mr.. Wilt dashed on to the rostrum, pushed
aside Mr.. Eigers, seized the Speakers chair
and gavel, and declared himself Speaker.
| A protest against this arbitrary and unaw-
| full proceeding was promptly made by the
members of the ma ority, but Wilt paid
| no attention to these protests, and upon a
motion from some one on the Democratic
side of the House declared one Trezevant
nominated and elected Clerk of tho House.
Mr. Trezevant at once sprang forward and
occupied the Clerk chair amidst the Wild
est confusion over the whole House. Wilt,
then again, on another nomination from
the Democratic side of the House, declared
one Floord elected Arms, and
ordered that certain number of assistants
be appointed. Instantly large number of
men throughout the hail. who had been
admitted on various pretexts, such as re-
porters and members friends and specta.
tors, turned down the lapels of their coats,
upon which were pinned blue ribbon badges,
on which were printed in gold letters the
words, " Assistant Sergeant-a at Arms, and
the Assembly was in the possession of the
minority. and the White League of Louisi-
ana had made good its threats of seizing
the House, many Of the Assistant Serge.
ants-at-Arms being we'll known as Captains
of White League companies in this city.
Notwithstanding the suddenness of this
movement, the leading Republican men,
bers had not failed to protest again and
again against this revolutionary action of
the minority, but all to no purpose, and
many of the Republicans rose and left the
House in body, together with the Clerk,
Mr.. VigerS. who carried with him the origi-
nal roll of the House as returned by the
Secretary of State. The excitement was
now very great: The acting Speaker di-
rected the Sergeant-at-A Arms to prevent the
egress of members or others, and several
exciting scuffles, in which knives and pis-
tolls were drawn, took place. and for few
moments it seemed that bloodshed would
ensue. At this .juncture Mr.. Duprcc, :,
Democratic member from the parish of
Orleans, moved that the military power of
the General Government be invoked to
hn a,,l hat
be appointed to wait upon Gen. DeTrobri-
and, the commanding officer of the United
States troops stationed at the State House,
and request his assistance in clearing the
lobby. The motion was adopted; COM
mttee of five, of which Mr.. Dupree was
made chairman, was sent to wait upon
Gen. DeTrobrand, and soon returned with
that officer, who was accompanied by two
of his staff officers. AS Gen. Beforehand
walked down to the Speakers desk loud
applause burst from the Democratic side
of the House. Gen. DeTrohriand asked
the acting Speaker if it was not possible
fer HIM to preserve order without appeal
ing to him as a United States army officer
Mr. Wilrz said it was not, whereupun the
General proceeded to the lobby, and ad
dressing a few words to the crowd, peace
was at once restored. On motion of Mr..
Dupree, Mr. Wilt then, in the name Of
the General Assembly of the State of
Louisiana, thanked Gen. DeTrobriand for
his interference in behalf Of law and order,
and the General withdrew. The Republi-
cans had now generally withdrawn from
the hall and united in signing petition to
the Governor, stating their grievances, and
asking his aid, which petition, signed by
tifty-two legally returned members of the
House, is in my possession. Immediately,
subsequent to the action of Mr.. Wiltz in
eecting the Clerk of the old House, Mr..
BIlllen moved that two gentlemen from
the parish of De Sota one from Union.
one from Benville. and one from Iberia,
who had not been returned by the Return
ing Board, be sworn in as members, and
they were accordingly sworn in by MIR.
WiltZ and took seals upon the floor as
members of the House. A motion was
now made that the Ilonse proceed with its
permanent organization, and accordingly
the roll was called by Mr.. Tres.vant, the
acting Clerk, and Wiltz was declared
elected Speaker and Trezevant Cleek of
the House. Acting on the protest made
by the majority, the Governor now re-
quested the commanding General Of the
Department to aid him in restoring order
and enable the legally returned members of
the House to proceed with its organic alton
according to law. This request was reason
able and in accordance with law. Remem
bering wildly the terrible massacres that
took place in this city on the assembling of
the Constitutional Convention in 1866. at
the Mechanics Institute, and believing that
the lives of the members Of the Legislature
were or would be endangered in case An
under the law WAS attempted,
the posse was furnished with the request
that care should be taken that no member
of the Legislature returned by he Return
ing Board should be elected from the floor.
This military posse performed its duty
under directions from the Governor Of the
State, and removed from the floor of the
House those persons who had been illegally
seated and who had no legal rights to be
there, whereupon the Democrats arese apd
Lift the House, and the remaining members
proceeded to effect an organization under
the State laws. In all this turmoil in
which bloodshed was imminent, the mill
tary posse behaved with great discretion.
When Mr.. Wilt, the usurping Speaker Of
the House, called for troops to prevent
hloodshed, they were given him. Whel
the Governor of the State called for
posse for the same purpose aud to enforce
ln l,u, f,-r al. lad 81,