Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-01-13

~ Ihusc OI ltc election anu qualifications of
It's own members. Bat if q mOb or a bofy of
unauthorized persons seize and hold the legis-
iatlNe hail in iumultuous and riotous man
B nCr and so prevent any oTganiYat ton by thuS
legally returned as elected IL might become
The duty OF the state executive to interpoSe
: II requested by majority of the members
. elect. To suppress the disturbance and enable
( the persons elected to organize the house
! Any exercise of this power would only he
luSilhable under the most extraordinary cir
cuhl>tanceS. and It would then he the duty of
. the Governor to call upon the conStabularv.
D or. II necessary. the military force of tho
state. But with reference To Louisiana il is
10 he borne i'm mind that any atternpt bV the
3 Governor touSe the police force of that state
/ at lhis time. would have undoubtedly Drc-
/ Glpltated bloody conflict with the White
League. as II uid on the 18th of September
. There is no doubt hat that the presence of the
/ United States troops upon that occasion pre-
vented boodshed and the loss of life. Both
/ laftlcs appear 10 have relied upon them as
/ cOnserVatorS OF the public peace. The first
/ call was made by the democrats TO remove
! persons opHoXlouS 10 them from the IegiSIa-
1--WE man; ana the second was from the rIpub-
/ Hcitns 10 remove persons who had uSIII.ppd
seats IN the Legislature. without legal ccrti-
/ Hcates authorizing them 10 seats and in Suffi-
! cl.nt number To change the majority.
Nobody was disturbed by the!military who
hau a legal right at thai time to occupy z
! seat III The legislature. That the demo
| cratic minority of the House undertook TO
SvlZe us organization by fraud and violence
I Ihat III ms attempt they trfimpicd under
/ loot law; that they undertook To make per
! 10 create majority; that they acted under
a pfeconccricd plan and under false preten-
! ces introduced into the hall body OF men
! 10 SuppGEl their nretenSions by force. il
! necessary, and that conflict, dis5r1rr a.r,,
/ riotous proceedings followed. are facts that
seem 10 be well established, and | am cred
! IDLY Informed that these violent proceedings
/ We're part ofa prcmeditated plan to have
/ the House organized in this way and recog-
niZe what has been called the ucFnerV
F Senate, and then 10 depose Governor Kei-
, and rpNniIlf in,lInp fha
ment.
! Whether it was wrong for the governor, at
! the request OF the majority of the members
returned as elected to the house, to use such
! means as were in his power to defeat these
| lawleSS and revolutionary proceedings il,
| perhaps. debatable question; but il is quite
/ certain there would have been no trouble if
those who complain of Illegal interference
had allowed the house to bc organized i'm a
lawful and regular manner. When those
| who inaugurate disorder and anarchy dis
aNoW such proceedings, it VIII be time
/ enough TO condemn those who by such means
as they have prevent the success OF their law
! less and desperate schemes.
| Lieutenant General Sheridan was requested
/ by me TO go to Louisiana TO observe and re-
port the situation there, and, If i'm his opin-
ION necessary, to assume the command.
| which he did on the 4th instant, after the
| legislative disturbances had occurred, at .
! O'Clock n. m. number OF hours after the dis
| tuTbaHceS. No party motives or prejudiceS
/ can reasonably he imputed 10 him; but. hon
| cStiy convinced by what he has seen and heard
iitlt- ne Has Iilt lea OF Iit
! White Leagues il severe terms aud suggested
J summary modes of procedure against them.
! which, though they cannot be adopted,
| would, il legal. soon put an end to the trou
! bles and disorders i'm that state. General
| sheridan was looking at facts, and possibly
! rot thinking of proceedings which would
! he the only proper ones to pursue in time of
| peace, thought more of the utterly lawlesS
/ condition of society surrounding him at the
! time Of his dispatch, and of what woIld
/ prove Il sure remedy. He never proposed TO
Al - 81
! To proceed beyond what the law in the future
! might authorize for the punishment of the
| atrocities which have been committed, anu
! the commission of which cannot be success
| FULLY denied. II Is deplOrable fact that
| political crimes and murders have been COM
| mittcd in Louisiana which have gone un-
| punished, and which have been justified or
| arolOgiZed for. which must rest as a Teproach
, upon the state and country long after the
| present generation has passed away. have
| TO desire to have United states troops later
| fcrc in the domestic concerns of Louisiana or
| any other state. On the 9th ofDecenber last
Governor kellogg teiegraphed 10 me his
| apprehenSiOnS that the White League in
| tended TO make another attack upon the
state house. To which, on the same day
| made the following answer (since which 10
| communication has been sent 10 HIND
| "NOur dispatch of this date just received
il j exceedingly unpalatable TO use troops in
anticipation OF danger. Let the state an =
| thOTltieS be right. and then prcc2el with
! their duties without apprehension OF danger.
II they are then mOleStei the question will
| be determined whether the United States iS
| able 10 maintain law and order within its
| limits. or not"
! I have deplored the necessity which seems
| To make IL my duty under the constitution
! and laws 10 direct such interference. | have
! always refused. except where il seemed to be
my imperative duty To act in such Il manner
| under the constitution ana laws OF the United
! States. / have repeatedly and earnestly en-
| treated the people of the South to live to
| getbcT in peace. and obey the laws; and moth
ing would give me greater pleasure than To
! see reconciliation and tranquility every
w!Iere prevail, and thereby remove all neces-
! sity FOR the presence of troops among them.
lvgret, however, to say that this state o.
! things does not exist nor does It's existence
seem To be desired in some localities: and aS
to those ii may he proper for me to say that.
( to the extent that Congress has conferred
| power upon me TO prevent it. neither kLii,t,
| HGHS, t'iUe teogrses, nor any other association
using arms and violence To execute their un-
lawful purposes, can be permitted in thai
} way to govern any part of this country; nol
can see with indifference Union men or re-
publlcanS cStracised, prosecuted and muir
dered on account of their opinions, as they
now are in some localities.
! have heretofore urged the case of LouiSi.
ana upon the attention OF Congress, and
cannot bat think that its inaction has pro
duced great evil.
To summarize: In September last an
armed, organized body of men, in support oil
candidates who had been put in nominal Ii on
for the offices of governor and eutenant gov
ernor. at the November election in 1s72, and
who had been declared not elected by the
courts to which the question had been sub
mitted, undertook to subVert and overthrow
the state government that had been recog-
| nized by me in accordance with previous
| precetents. 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, il is scarcely 10 be doubted thai
he would have been killed. From the state
house, before he had been driven TO the Gus
| tom house, n call was made in accordance
| with the WITH section, WITH article OF the
| Constitution OF the United States for the aid
of the general government to suppress do
mestic violence. Under these circumstances
and in accordance with my sworn duties, my
| proclamation OF the 18th of September, ls. 4
was issued. This served TO renstate Gov Kel-
| logg 10 his position nominally, but it cannot
be claimed that the insurgents have, to this
day, surrendered 10 the state authorit les the
arms belonging to the state, that they
| have in any sense disarmed. On the con-
| trary II is known that the same armed or
| CARNATIONS that existed on the 18th of Sep
tember 1874, in opposition to the recognized
state government, still retains their organi-
cation, equipments, and commanders, and
| can be called out any hour to resist the state
| government. Under these circumstances the
same military force has been continued in
| Louisiana as was sent there under the first
\ no t..f. --l .~s