The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-02-15
GRANTS CHANGING POLICY.
Comments of the Press in Regard to it

There is no doubt that the Greeley liber-
ais and Democrats carried Arkansas in
1872, giving majority for Greeley and
electing Brooks governor, but the Repub-
lican officials counted them out and by
fraud gave the vote of the state to Grant.
and the Office of governor to Baxter, who
was then Republican, while Brooks was
the candidate of the Greeley and Demo
cratic side. But, when Baxter got into
Office he soon showed a determination to
administer the government honestly and
in Difference to decency and the will of the
people. The Republicans then began to
denounce Baxter and withdraw their sup
port from him. Brooks soon changed
front also, and BECAME Radical, and an
effort was rade by the carpet-bag wing of
the Republican party, last May, by stra-
tegetic movement, to possess themselves
Of the state government. They succeeded
in getting possession of the state house,
and appealed to the President for recogni-
ton. The President asked Attorney Gen
eral Williams for his opinion, as to who
was governor, and the attorney gener-
al, in lengthy written opinion. took
ground against Brooks. In that opinion
he said: ....z. -a... .--5
Respecting the claim that Brooks received ma
Ioriy OF the votes at the election 1t must be said
mat the Presidt Mt fas way verify that claim
II he had, 1t would not, in my opinion, under The
his consideration.
| And again gEaisG LTE#1~yt
| Think itwould be disastrous to allow the pre-
ceedings by whicL Brooks obtained possession Of
the office to be drawn into u precedent. There lie
| not state In the Union In which they would not
produce conflict and probably bloodshed. They
cannot be Upheld or Justified upon any ground and
| in my opinion Elisha Baxter should be recognized
as the lawful executive of the state OF Arkansas.
The President adopted this view of the
case and issued the following .....s
| PROCLAMATION:
By the President of the United States Of Ameri
cd-A Pr0cLanGtiOn.-W Whereas, Certain turbulent
and dlsorderIy persons, pretending that Elisha Bax
the present executive of Arkansas, eject
ed have combined together " tn force and arms te
his authority such executive, and other au
thorties of said state; and
Whereas, SAID Elisha Baxter has been declared
duly elected by the general assembly Of said state
provided in the constt tion thereof, and has 70
4 loig period been exercising the functions of sale
office, into which he was i.du .ted according to tht
cons tuition and laws OF said state, anu ought b.
It's ci izeps to be considered the lawful executive
there +; and,
Whereas The aid Elisha Baxter, under section
Of a,ticle ", the constitution Of the Unitet
States, and the laws passed in Pursuance thereof
, has heretofore made application me to pro &c
said and the citizens thereof against domesi
FL Ulysses Grant, President of the United States
, do hereby M Ike proclamation and command all tul
. o reSUectiye abOdps
Z days from this date, aud hereafter submit then
to the lawful authority of the said executiv
and other Constituted authoriths of said rtate.
l invoke the aiG and cooperation OF all good cit
+ zens upaold law and preserve the public peact
ln witness wnereoi nave neteunto SCI my nant
and caused the seal Of the United States TO be n
r fxed.
Done at the city of Washington, this 18th day
May, in the year of Lord 1874. and of the Ind
S pen.ience of the United States the 95th.
[signed) u s. GRANT.
| By the President
HAMILTON FISH, Secret Try of State.
e And the next day the following orde
4 was issued:
WAR DEPARTMENT.
'.ADJUTANTs GENERALS OFFICE.
gl WASH NGTuN, Ma, Ii, 1874. J
- ''The Presi 'ent directs that hi procamati,
. reco -nizing Baxter a- tdaCful GoUera0r has be,
issued he is to b. protected in that position by II
RI United States forc,s,H IL ecessary.
,nl ''E ID. TOWNSEND, Adjutant General.
'1 Gen, W, T. SHERMAN, U. 5. Army"
~ Baxter was sustained. The legisatu
was convened, and an election ordered
e test the will of the people as to wheth
+. convention should be called to revise Il
~ constitution. The vote was as follow
g For the convention, S0,Ol6 against t
W convention s, s,465-majority for the conve
be ton II ,55l. The convention was Lei
!, and the revised constitution submitted
he the people. The vote was as follow
ma For the constitution, 1851: against t
lily Continued on Cd page.)