The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-02-05

ton, does not give some relief The only
necessity for the presence of troops at
any point so far as it relates to offenses
against laws of Congress, will arise from
the duty of giving aid to the deputy U. S.
Marshals in cases where they may be re-
siste in the discharge of their Legitimate
duties of serving warrants for the arrest
of offenders for violations of the law of
Congress known as "the enforcement
act;' and | am decidedly of the opinion
that, with proper management even in this
class of cases, few instances will arise in
the future IN which a military posse will
be required. | am perfectly aware of the
fact that the Federal troops have not been
ordered into parishes except on the re
QUESTION of the civil authorities, and that
If the use of troops has been abused the
censure for this can not be laid at the
door of the Department commander; but
inasmuch as 1t is openly charged by citi-
zens, as is firmly believed, that United
States troops have been used for political
purposes, | recommend that stringent or
ders be issued to officers to whom appli~
cations for posses may be made, that they
are not to furnish the same except in
cases where the marshal, unaided, has
tried to serve his process and failed, and
has made Applications to the citizens for
proper assistance and has been refused.
This | believe to be good policy as well as
sound law, and if strictly adhered TO | am
confident fewer demands on the military
for this duty will be made in the future
than in the past, and that the army will
thereby be relieved from the performance
of duties as obnoxious to the people ofthe
country at large as they are disagreeable
tn, tho of nd h. Iouo 20 H.
charge them. TIE officer in command OF
a military posse should be made to under
stand that he, and not the marshal, is the
judge of the amount of assistance neces.
Sary to enable him to perform his duty,
and that In no event is he to assume the
authority to take any steps in making any
arrests on his own responsibility. The or
ders of the Department Commander, OF
august ii, 1874, are full and explicit, and
if officers will adhere to their instructions
no complaints can justly be made against
the army in this Department for any part
it may be required to take in aiding the
civil authorities in the service of legal
process. In relation to the conduct OF
officers when aiding the civil authorities
in preserving the public peace and assists
ing in the service of the writs OF the
courts Of the United States, | find pleas
ure in being able to say that as a rule,
their conduct has been most exemplary
and that they have discharged their diff,
cult duties with great judgment and deli
cacy. Their gentlemanly bearing, as well
as their knowledge and tact, deserve more
than ordinary commentator. Not a sin
gle ell-authenticated case was brought
to my knowledge in which an officer and
soldier has been guilty of the slightest IN
discretion. The conduct of the enlisted
men deserves fully as much cOmmenda
ton as that of officers, for there was not
the slightest complaint made against
them in any quarter.
Many citizens of Shreveport complain
ed bitterly to me of the conduct of Mai
Lewis Merrill, Seventh cavalry, in making
the affidavits upon which arrests of prom
inent citizens nad been made for alleged
violation of the law of Congress, known
as the enforcement act.' Public feel
ings and opinions among the white popu'
| la.ion of all the parishes on Red river
condemned Maj. MerrilIs act, and the
| opinoion was openly expressed that this
| officer, so far as his act could do it, has
| made the army an active participant
| in a heated political controversy. 1t is
due alike to Maj, Merrill and clear I'M
| outstanding Of the case that his reason
| for departing from well-known custom
| of army officers, not to take part in Pc
! litical contests, should be given, and
| therefore give a summary of them as fol
| lows: He found on his arrival at Shreve
port no civil law in force, and no civil
officer in the discharge of his duties, and
the community was excited to a state of al,
most insane rage on the political ques-
tons which were dividing it, and every.
thing looked as if the election would be
attended by violence and bloodshed. The
conservative and iaw-abiding sentiment OF
the community was absolutely overpower~
ed and silenced by the h0t-headed and in
cendiary appeals and conduct OF the
White League leaders, and the affidavits
were made by the Major himself to rouse
8 sentiment of resistance to violence in
the community, and for the further reason
that It would not have been safe for cit
zen of the place to have taken the step
| have given as near as possible Maj.
Merrill $ reasons in his own language,
and / AID that he emphatically claimed
that his act was that of Lewis Merrill, a
citizen, and not of Maj. Lewis Merrill, an
officer Of the army Of the United States.
Whether a military officer in an important
command can separate his private from
his official character, and, without subject
ing himself to censure, take original ac-
ton in his own person, whereby he be-
comes identified with political partisanS,
and whereby, also, the whole army is
brought into disparagement in the minds
Of many well-diSposed people of the
country at large, and whereby, also, the
reputation of the service for fair and i'm
partial conduct in the delicate and respon-
sible duties it is required to perform, In
connection with the civil authorities in
this and other Southern States, is impair
ed, | leave without any expression of
opinion OF my part to the decision Of
higher authority.
now come to the general condition Of
affairs in the parishes on Red river and
without the slightes; eXaggeratiOn | may
say it is bad. Respect and regard for the
General Government are expressed by all
classes of people, and so Is the determl
nation not to be under any circumstances
brought into collision with the Federal
troops: but there is a universal expires
sion of contempt for the State govern
ment, and so far Is language could eX
press it there Is open defiance to Its au-
thoritv. The Governor is everywhere and
by almost every white man denounced a
''usurper," and the determination is open
" expressed by nearly every white mar
not to submit to his usurpation longer
than submission is compelled by the pres
ence and force Of Federal soldiers.
Dissatisfaction and discomfort are
plainly visible in all the acts and CONVEX
sation of the people, and the result is
manifest in almost every department OF
business. Uncultivated fields, unrepaired
fences, rootless and dilapidated dwellings
and. abandoned houses meet the eye. at eve
ry step and the whole aspect of the coun-
try has a look of poverty and neglect.
The schools in many parishes are closed
for want of money to pay the teachers,
and | was told again and again that the
school funds had been stolen by the State
officials. In one parish a criminal court
had not been held in nearly two years,
and in other parishes no courts, criminal
or civil, had been held for a long time. Ia
a community where there are no counts
crime finds genial soil, and the natural
result is, that the law has fallen into dis
regard and disrepute. Judges were open |
~ charged with corruption, and money |
aud not Justice is charged with turning
the judicial scales.
Tho people reported and seem to believe
that the machinery of the Federal courts |