New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-20
TIE SOUTHERN PROBLEM.
THE ARsiY IN LOUEiIhyA.

ioE hhoil ih LODLDIAIA.
| A DEPESsE or OFFICERS WHO Assisted TIN MAR
| sHAIs IN MAKING ARsBSEs-TDBIR BELIEF THAT
THEY MUST AID THE coUETs IL ExEoguSc Tas
| ENFOROENENr ACr-ALLEGGD LAwLEssNEss VI
| TIE WHITES IN THB IyTLRIOR.
To the Bditor Of The Trtoune.
| SIR: In an editorial article in THE TIIDUys
OF Dee 30 last tho following Language IL used: And
their swift In tho erny d,ssTaoine thor
! uniforms by arbitrary arrests and mprIso1meats.'
The spirit In which these words written
utterly at variance with tho tone Of The TRIBUNE anr-
ing the long number OF years In wh,oh 1t has
source OF pleasure to rssf IT. thar cannot refrssa
fran calling youg attention to IT, That tho
used during tho past year In Louisiana tho nstru-
meDt OF tse United States oout,s "a enforce their DO
crccs Is only too true. and OF rogrot 10 the
people on the country aId tho arOy tBof only t
showed that such condition OF Attire. iuin.ical 10
good order TO tho Observance OF the law exs'cd In
that Saie that tho processes o. the highest courts "
tho land could not bs executed win sifetY by tho
UOroi states rDarshalg Without m armed psse That
the editor Of TIN TafBgsg docs not will not hciieve
that such state existed will aiter the facts u
| tho a and known oy thoso who wcrs upon
the ground during the sminor aad Fan II 1874 Suos
| o condition OF things Ia unfortunate njesd To
search for tho cause OF II is not tho purpose
OF this letter protest il to 10 recorded against tho
words OF disgrace which have boon launched against
the soldiers OF nation whioh nave seen used to d.
grade IN Ia eyes Of the people OF tho UaeI States
body OF Officials the officers ~ the army. whom has
tho pleasure and tLo duty of the press. from time
TO time TO hold example to III 7lnOhos ~ tie
GOvernmcst service. Pardon IA asked II. under the
sung unjust reproAon fcoars arise to too great
heat. as 1t will DO my writo dispassionats Y.
Let % the telling OF tao deeds whereio tho
army has disgraced itself In L,ui.iana b. the il.h
day OF September, OILY two companies OF
regular troops both OF the 10th INFANTRY. troncd
st Baton Rouge. cOmEandcd toy Col. Tale, the
stationed az C,lfdX commanded ny mysei>-, force Of
less THIS hId been she oOld Jn or nit
tary matters for two ami . bali months. DIi~g this
period arrests male by the troop al linz United
States marshak, Tw, arrests wcrs mad, however W
ths Sheriff OF Grant Parish alde by soldiers furnished
by me. who were mounted BY tho parish officials. Tho
reason for tbs Of troops follows TSo most
cOwardy AMI brutal murders bad been commit ted IL
cold blood Tue perpetrators connected with tns
Grant Parish riot; Tie sheriff u trr!y unable 10
gariB1 aImpo riaRf that lbP pracc quiet OF the
neisLboriood should 90 Ires"rvei ia order to prevent
NAT me ermlas were wilte nleil Tor ha. th,y or,n
black, the whole country woIld nave al! ii :ae IiR
decided t. assist the o.hrias posse w,s rcquir l.
and though requisilIOn cOud have rriu- he
made the arrests thus ds- ted. tUe pr'ii IuLry
examination 10 person coguIzant Of in'is dared to
appear and testify Ia tue words " dared to APPEAR
aEd testify" ana The prisoners wPr0 d:Schr-"d To
life of witness who had told what he knew - the mat
ter woalf have been ca; OF In SINCE dar he went
outside OF nv camp TCIs Is exiggeriti Tae CT 90
produced was good for quet reiguei dhrihZ tnr sum
mer. There no arbr-ry arrest Or n"roOnineUt in
particular, ana executed ny its Ulcers 1t his r ~.
action, there was naught po.dai waa.ey'r. No seH
Justification Is sought + none T. deemed n,tt,Aly os
rests up to the litn of september.
AZ this cate, new eluntA Al introduced rcvulu
ton with arms overthrow government rc'oshIz'i ~
the President OF the U-itrd star. tIe COomanaerin-
Chei OF the Army, as tne gtnnt' sorenneat o. mo
state. During the excitement attenu.g MS. aId tho
pending political campaign, many Oi VI ienC', ia
violation of the laws OF the U.it,d States took pace.
warrants issued by the U"i.d states Courts "rfo
placed the hands VI the Marsh for nier 10
strucjiOns from the Department. oi JdsrIcc AMI Ordsss
from proper military autbnr.it, roor were Jis
trhuted several points IN the ale, t. asist toe
Uni'ed states Marsha! in ,kilx lie mrest+,
requi,iton /. made by tho Unite! states Marshal "poa
posse 10 assist in making arr SITS or p,rsOS fu
the marshal has warrants such pose must bs inr-
rhe i,tors of the Hated SSates ~ % 1 - aIJ
glorious instance exists OF the tim. anle-
belum days IN Massachusetts, In tle city 4 o,tOn 10
return fugitive slave. The posse furoisneJ, tie IA.
structlOns Of the military commanders reaure several
things in directing the maLner IN winch tE, duty Is -
mssioned officer; ITS military character Is 10 pre-
served; II acts through its commander escort ~
and the orders OF tue marshal 60 through the military
mandCr who executes them II they wilma
line OF his duty as commanding military posse. IL
these orders do not within The Of duty
and are dremed improper or Illegal they nos
cuted The marshal thus escorted and ASSISTED makes
the arrests in person upon the warrants Lo IoI, and
the prisoners, though guarded by iroOps, IN
custody and care OF the civil officer. Tuls resume OF
the law ana the rules which governed troops In Lyost
aud whica have been obeyed in every ins,anoe,
save that OF Lieu. Hodgson who has hcen tried by
courmartal for The manAer IN which he acted Oushle
In the Parish Of Grant and those parishes adjoining
the L. s. Marshal had warrants for the nearly
100 persons Every posse furnished upon u ais
tinct and separate reputation The officers Ia command
Of these escorts received the Instructions which have
been given above and IN every Instance reported o
compliance with them. Tao territory embraced witnin
the circuit In which operations were conducted iiOs
Catahoula ana Rapdes with part Of Natchltoc hesa
circuit OF country more than 60 mes IN diameter Tue
length OF time occupied VAS more than month. tne
expeditions made numerous and at uIl Uy day
and night There was only arrest made aun rhro
the prisoner escaped from the custody OF toe u B.
Marshal though guarded ny sodiers. Every effort
made 10 arrest the parties for whom. warrants
out, hut each unsuccessful. The attempts mats
arrests were unsuccessful because there was tLotcn
system or EQUALIZATION among the people, WHICH
formation was procured end Transmitted and better
knowledge OF tue country than that possessed ~ .ne
marshal No acts OF violence were coUmitted. Mia.
though necessarily hard aud cisagrocabs. was per.
formed manner perfectly ia ACCORDANCE win Jaw
aud with orders and satisfactorily u the number VI
persons arrested NO grounds Of conpaint eA,sl'o VI
have come TO my knowledge at least la otter POSITIONS
Of the state the number VI 10 De arrested was
much greater and more PRISONERS were secuted. As
consequence OF this TACT .he names OF some army OLD
have been SPOKEN Of in a manner which is any way
agreeable, and which Is equally unjust.
THUS for obedience to tue laws OF the United states
and for q prompt execution OF the duties
an army officer by laws. and b. the orders Vi La
he mas disgraeed himself Such denunciation vi. as
result dscredt not only upon those whose unror
tunate t Is " have TO serve IN the disturbed secV0s
OF the country but upon those fortunate are
away from the scenes Of strife ADD turmoil. Tue army
form II II necessary simply 10 make the OH j
plant iu the form 0t specific charges against One
OF the civil or criminal law suits at law Indictments
by Grand Jury will reach the otfenses alleged. Bat
penrnnce = mads az the 6eSinning OF this letter
almost impossible for inc oeefs Oh us army 70