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

| laws, TO direct such interference.
have always refused, except where it
seemed to he my imperative duty, to
act in such manner, under the Con-
stitutioD aud laws of the United
! States.
KIND BUT SIGNIFICANT WORDS
] have repeatedly and earnestly EN-
treated the people of the South To live
! together in peace and obey the laws,
and nothing would give me greater
] pleasure than To see reconciliation aud
tranquility every where prevail aud
thereby remove all necessity for the
presence of troops among them. / re-
greet, however, to say that this state OF
things does not exist, nor does its ex-
istence seem to be desired in some To-
calities, and as to those it may be
| proper for me to say that to the extent
that Congress has conferred power
upon me to prevent it, neither KukluX
| klans, White Leagues nor any other
association using arms and violence to
execute their unlawful purpose, can be
permitted in that way to gov
ern any part of this country,
nor can | see with Indifference
Union men or Republicans os-
tracised, Prosecuted and murdered on
account OF their opinions, as they now
are in some localities. 1 have, hereto
fore urged the case of Louisiana upon
the attention of Congress, and l can
not but think that its inaction has
produced great evil.
To summarize In September last
an armed organized body of men, with
the support of candidates who had
been put in nomination for the offices
of Governor and Lieut.. Governor at
har oil in
who had been declared not elected by
the Board of Canvassers, recognized
by all the Courts to which the question
had been submitted, undertook to sub
vert and overthrow the State Governs
ment that had been recognized by me
, in accordance with previous prece-
dents. The recognized Governor was
driven from the State House, and but
for his finding shelter in the United
States Custom House in the capital of
the State of which he was Governor,
it is scarcely to be doubted that lie
would have been killed.
From the State House before he had
been driven to the Custom House, a
call was made in accordance with the
4th Section of the 4th Article of the
Constitution of the United States for
the aid of the General Government
those circumstances, and in accordance
with my sworn duties-my proclama-
nation of the 18th of September, 1874,
was issued. This served to reinstate
Governor Kellogg to his position nom
inally, but it can not be claimed that
, the insurgents have to this day surs
rendered to the State authorities the
arms belonging to the State or that
they have in any sense disarmed. On
the contrary it is known that the
same armed organizations that existed
on the l4th of September, 1874, in OPP
position to the recognized State Gov
eminent still retain their organization,
equipments and commanders, and can
be called out at any hour to resist the
State GOvernmentandu under these cirs
cumstanceS the same military force
> has been continued in Louisiana as
was sent there under the first call, and
under the same general instructions. ]
repeat that the task assumed by
the troops is not a pleasant one to
them; that the army is not composed
d, of lawyers, capable of judging at n
moments notice, of just how far they
can go in the maintenance of law and
order, aud that it was impossible to
, give specific instructions providing for
: all possible contingencies that might
arise. The troops were bound to act
upon the judgment of the command
: ing officer upon each sudden contin-
= gency that arise, or wait instructions
which could only reach them after the
threatened wrong had been committed
which they were called on to prevent.
e SOMETHING FOR CONGRESS.
1t should be recollected, too, that upon
my recognition of the Kellogg govern
ment, | reported the fact, with the
Z grounds OF recognition, to Congress,
e andasked that body TO take &C ton in
the matter, otherwise should regard
their silence as an acquiescence in my
g course.
y No action has been taken by that
body. If error has been committed by
> the army in these matters, 1T has al
= ways been on the side of the preserva-
y ton of good order, the maintenance
q of law and the protection of life.
- Their bearing reflects credit upon the
= soldiers, and If wrong has resulted the
blame is with the turbulent elements
: surrounding them. l now earnestly
- ask that such action be taken by Con
" gress as to leave my duties perfectly
clear in dealing with the affairs Of
), Louisiana, giving assurance at the
- same time that whatever may be done
70 by that body in the premises will bt
- executed according to the spirit anC
4 letter of the law without fear or favor
!, l herewith transmit copies of dOcu
- ments containing more specific infor
!. nation as to the subject matter of the
u resolution. u. S. GRANT.
lf Executive Mansion, Jan. 18th, 1875
.Ds-
y The Louisville and Knoxville Rail
80 road.
10 A correspondent of the Louisville
i Ledger-an old wholesale merchant o
W the city-writing from Stanford, Ky.
n on the 5th and noting the rapid pro