The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-04-17
ARKANSAS.

washington correspondent OF the New loIE
Herald, is now in Arkansas, and sends to that
/. journal a most interesting letter, in which he
, makes short work Of all the sensational lies
, concocted and scattered abroad by the
Brooks-C Clayton faction as to the present con-
dition Of affairs in that State. From this let
ter, which is dated Little Rock, March %, We
make the following extracts:
| OF one thing can speak with positiveness,
and that is, that Arkansas is to day as peacea-
Ole State as New York or Massachusetts,.
and far more peaceable than Pennsylvania l
assert this on the authority Of leading men of
DO b parties. No one whom was able to see
pretended doubt on the subject. In Little
Rock itself, where more Of the political sore
} heads are found, there is not even political
discussion. The editor Of the Brooks organ
assured me that there is no violence, and that
la close perusal Of the country journals and his
own correspondence in diff rent parts of the
Safe convinced him that industry has revived
all over the State; that the people were at
work, and that Arkansas promises this year,
if the season is favorable, to produce more
corn, wheat and cotton than ever before
All this was corroborated by leaders Of the
lGarland party; and as the we'll informed men
(of both sides thus concur. it may be ac-
cepted as fact Moreover, of Gov. Garland,
leading men Of the Brooks side have told me
that he is a man of good character, firm,
determined to execute the laws and able to
do So He himself assured me that he meant
to put down with a strong hand any attempts
ut lawlessness, should such occur, and it
struck me as answering very we'll the de-
scription his political opponents gave me Of
him as a man of decided charact emo blus-
terer, but firm, solid, and likely to be calm,
and to carry out definite policy in a straight
forward manner. Of course, it is great
piece of good fortune for the State to have o
| man of such make at the head of Affairs at
this time
To the one vital question which Northern
| men ask: care Union men, white and black,
secure Of life, property and political rights in
Arkansas? am therefore persu sded the an
swer is, eyes, they are So" And this answer
rests on the very best testimony, that Of Re
pub!cans and Brooks men themselves. l
may add that the phrase '.Union men" is not
used in Arkansas 'sWe are all Union men, ("
said Confederate genera! to me, ':and you
Northern people do MS q serious injustice
when you rank only Republicans at the South
Is Union men. We have here lifelong North
ern Republicans acting with the Democratic
party; and, on the other hand, some of the
very leaders OF the Republican parry in this
OttIc were uOt IutIoIy D0uOCIdLS IN Tue NOFC0,
but Copperheads during the war; and he
cited ex-Chief Justice Mcclure Poker Jack
as such q man.
Finally, it is acknowledged by the best
men Of both sides that the present State and
local judiciary is composed of an excellent
and capable class Of men Of high character.
So far as the colored people are concerned.
and considering their lack Of education and
training for public business it seems to me
that fair proportion were chosen to Office by
the Garland men; for there are now one hun
dred and sixty colored justices of the peace in
the Safe, ninety-tve constables, twenty mine
sheritfs and county clerks, assessors and
county surveyors one militia field officer and
eleven militia company officers The militia |
officers were appointed by Gov. Garland and
all the civil officers were commissioned by |
him.
The Enrolling Clerk of the last (Gar,and) |
Assembly was negro, and he was chosen by |
a Democratic House. The doorkeeper of the |
same body was one-legged negro, Who had |
been Federal soldier. The counties Of Lee,
Phillips and Jefferson where the negro vote |
is very strong, sent colored Representatives |
and Senators to that Legislature. The De-
MOcrats even nominated colored man to |
represen: Little Rock in the Constitutional
Convention; but his Republican friends per-
suaded him not to accept the nomination.
CONDITION OF PARTIES.
Moreover, the condition of the two political
parties in the STATE is such as in itself to Sc
cure good government if the present opposi-
tion--the Brooks men, that is to say-wish it.
Arkansas has, am told. about 100, OOO voters,
Of whom, roughly, $1,000 are Democrats and
S. 600 Republicans. Of the latter about 49,
600 are colored men. The ruling party has
Ia |
the State only by good and economical gov
and Of this fact found the Garland
men very conscious. They do not by any
means think themselves in secure position,
and they see the necessity, politically, of
mode rate and just policy and Of general con-
citation. It is quite true that many of the
prominent leaders OF the other party have no
political future in the State. Dorsey will. it
is said, leave the State. Mcclure also talks
'f taking his little carpet-bag into New Mex {
co.
Brooks has fallen into general contempt ,
.mong his own adherents by accepting the
Little Rock postmastership, to give him
which the President ousted a man universally
respected and trusted b y both parties. Sny-
Ter, late member of Congress, compounded
ny future preferment in the State for the
title $500 post offic at Pine Bluff, and flung
ut one OF his own adherents to get it, But
With all this the Republicans are not without
aaders aud now that the Federal Govern
nent has taken its support away from them,
hese begin to assume the natural attitude OF D
n opposition party, talk Of the prosperity Of j
he State, of the necessity for economy, Of the
ene1ils Of peace, and SO on.
THE COLOR LINE BROKEN.
Both parties will try to secure the colored
ote. and it may be conf leAty said that the
DIOR line in politics is broken in the State. 4
he Republican leaders are already coquet-
ug with white Democrats, whose votes they
lust secure TO regain the ascendency; end
le Democrat, have for year past been busy
establishing friendly relations with inhu-
ntial blacks 1t is plain, from what is above
.ated, that not only is Arkansas at present L
eacea5le, but what is Of greater Importance
Re conditions necessary to secure permanent m
eace and security are all present in the State. y,
strong Governor, determined to punish
wlessness and crime; an excellent
dietary ready to hep him and an
o,euce, Cor the present. Of all polit-
al excitement and ac;mcsitv are the 81