The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-01-22

thinking of proceedings which would be
the only proper ones to persue in time
Of peace, thought more Of the utterly
Ilawless condition Of society surrounding
II him at the time of he dispatch than Of
what would prove sure remedy. He
never proposed to do an illegal act nor
expressed determination TO proceed be-
yond whnt the law in the future might
authorize for the punishment of the at
rocities which have been committed and
the commission of which cannot be sue
cessfully denied. It is a deplorable fact
that political crimes and murder have
4 been committed in Louisiana which have
gone unpunished, and which have been
justified or apoligized for, which must
rest as reproach upon the State and
country long after the present genera
ton has passed away. have no desire
to have United States troops interfere
in the domestic concerns of Louisiana
or any other State On the 9th of De-
cember last Governor Kellogg telegraph
ed to me his apprehensions that the
White League intended to make anoth-
er attack. Upon the same day made
the following answer, since which no
communication has been sent to him;
Your dispatch of this date just receiv-
ed. 1t is exceedingly unpalatable to use
troops in anticipation of danger. Let
the State authorities be right, and then
proceed with their duties without appre-
heusion of danger. If they are then mo
Tested, the question will be determined
whether the United States is able toI
maintain law and order within its limits
or not 1 have deplored the necessity
which seemed to make it my duty under
the constitution and law of the United
States. have repeatedly and earnest
ly entreated the people of the South toI
live together in peace and obey the law,
and nothing would give me greater pleas
ure than to see reconciliation and tran
guilty everywhere prevail, and thereby
remove all necessity for troops among
them. 1 regret, however, to say that
this state of things does not exist, nor
does its existance seem to be desired in
localities, and as to the extent that Con
gress has conferred power on me to pre-
vent it, neither Ku Klux, White Leag-
ues nor any other association using
arms and violence, to execute their un-
lawful purposes can be permitted in that
way to govern any part of this country,
nor can 1 see with Indifference Union
men or Republicans ostracised, perse-
cuted and murdered on account of their
opinions as they now are in some local
tiles. 1 have heretofore urged the case
of Louisiana upon the attention of Con
gress, and cannot but think its mac
ton has produced great evil. To sum
marize: In September last an armed Or
ganized body of men, in the support of
candidates who had been put in nomi-
nation for the offices of Governor and
Lieutenant Governor, at the November
election in 1872, and who had been de-
clared not elected by the Board of Can
vassers, recognized by all the courts to
which the question had been submitted,
undertook to subvert and overthrow the
State government that had been recog-
nized by me in accordance with previous
precedents. 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 he would
have been killed. From the State House
before he had been driven to the Custom
House, call was made to accord with
the fourth section of the fourth article of
the Constitution of the United States for
the aid of the General Government to
suppress domestic violence. Under
those circumstances, and in accordance
with my sworn duties, my proclamation
of the 18th of September was issued.
This served to reinstate Governor Kel-
logg to his position nominally, but it
cannot now be claimed that the insur-
gents have to this day surrendered 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 organization that
existed on the 14th of September, 1874,
in opposition to the recognized State
government still retain their organiza-
ton, equipments and commanders, and
can be called out at any houE to resist
the State government. Under these
circumstances the same military force
has been continued in Louisiana, as was
sent 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 of lawyers capable of
Judging at q moments notice of just how
far they can go in the maintenance of
law and order, and 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
their commanding officers upon each
sudden contingency that arose or wait
instructions which could only reach
them after the thraataOed UrrOn0R had