The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-01-21


- military with tho organization OF the legisla
y tnre OF Louisiana on the 4th inst, have NJ
II knowledge or information which has not beer
u received by mo since that time and published
l. Ny first information was from the papers o
n the morning Of the 9th of Jsnuarv. die
q not know that any such thing was anticipated
U and no orders and no suggestions were evel
0 given to any military officers in that state on
B, that subject prior to tho occurrences. | am
3 well aware that any military interference by
V the officers OF the United States with the or
y ganization OF state legislature or any OF its
II proceedings, or with any civil department OF
: the government, il repngnant 10 our ideas Of
" government. ] cdn conceive OF no case not
u involving rebellion or insurroction, where such
@ interference by authority Of the general gov
n ernment ought to be permitted or can be iusti-
:, fed. But there are circumstances connected
u with tie Legislative imbroglio in Louisiana
y which seem to exempt the military from any
; Intentional wrong in that matter
c The enforcement OF the state laws, the
officers and troops Of the United States may
0 well have supposed that il was their duty to
! act when called upon by the governor for that
purpose Each branch OF the Legislative as-
sembly il the Judge of tho election and quail
: ications Of it's own members but il mob or
Il body Of unauthorized persons seize and
hold the legislative hall in a tumutuous and
rlotous manner and 10 prevent any organza-
: tion ~ those legally returned AZ elected, it
might become the duty Of the state executive
to interfere, il requested by a majority Of the
members elect, to suppress tho disturbance
and enable the persons elected to organize the
. house ANY exercise Of this power wonld he
institiable under most extraordinary crcum-
stances, and il would then be the duty of the
governor to call upon the cOnstabulary, or if
necessarv, tho military force Of tho state
But, with reference to'LOuisana, it is to be
borne in mind that any attemp' Of the govern
or to uso iho police force Of that state at this
time, would have undoubtedly precipitated
bloody conflict with the white league az il did
on the lith OF September There il no doubt
bnt that tho presence of the United States
troops on that occasion prevented blooashed
and the loss OF life. Both parties appear to
have relied upon them az conservators Of the
public peace. The first call was made by the
democrats TO remove persons obnoxious to
them from the Legislative hall, and the second
was from the republicans, to remove persons
who had usurped seats in the legislature
without legal certificates authorizing them to
seats, and in sufficient number to change the
| majority. Nobody WAS disturbed by tho mill |
| 'ary who had legal right at that time to oc-
cupy seat in the Legislature. That the demo-
cratic minority Of the house undertook to
seize its organization by fraud and malice
that in this attempt they trampled under foot
| tho law lIhl IutN ullcrlOoh w Hldhe ptTrOilh
| not returned as elected members, 70 AZ to
create II majority that they acted under
| Il preconcerted plan, and under false pre-
| lenses introduced into the hall men to sup
| port their pretensions by force. IL necessary,
and that conflict, disorder and rotous proceed
| ings following are facts that seem to be well
established. and am credbly Informed that
these violent proceedings were a part Of n pre-
| mediate plan to have the house organized i'll
this way, recognize what has been called the
| McEnery senate, then to depose Gov. Kellogg,
| and 20 revolutOnZe the state government
| Whether IL was wrong for the governor at the
request Of the majority OF members returned
as elected TO the housc to use such means as
were in his power to defeat these lawless and
revolutionary proceedings, il PEI haps debat-
able question, but it ia quite certain that there
would have been no trouble if those who now
complain of Illegal interference had allowed
| the hOuee to be organized in u lawful and reg
| ular manner When those who inaugurated
disorder and anarchy disavOw such proceed
| ings it will be time enough to condemn those
who, by such means IA they have prevent
the success Of their lawless and desperate
| schemes.
| Lieut.. Gen. Sheridan was requested by me
to 60 to Louisiana to observe and report the
situation there and, if in his opinion neces.
sary, TO assume the command, which he did |
on tho ftll int. after the Legislative disturb
ance had occurred Mt nine O'Clock p M.
number Of hours aft the disturbances. No
party motive nor prejudices can necessarily be
imputed TO him, but honestly convinced by
what ho has seen and heard there, he has
characterized the leaders of the white leagues
in severe terms. and suggested summary
modes of procedure against them, which, {
though they cannCt be adopted, would, If |
legal soon put an end to the trout lea and dis
orders i'll that state. Gen. Sheridan was look
ing at facts ann possibly not thinking Of pro-
ceedngs which would be the only proper ones
to pursue in time OF peace. and thought more
of the utterly lGwless condition of society sur
rounding him at the time of his dispatch, and |
of what would prove sure remedy. He never |
proposed to do an illegal act nor expressed a
determination to proceed beyond what the law
in the future might authorize for the punish
ment of the atrocities which have been COM
| mitted. and the commission of which cannot |
be successfully denied. 1t IL depOrable fact |
that political crimes and murder have been |
committed in Louisiana, which have gone un-
punished and which have been justified or
apologzed for, which must rest as a reproach |
upon tho state and country, long after the
present generation has passed away.
/ have no desire to have United States troops |
interfere in the do estic concerns of Louisiana |
or any other state. On the 9th of December |
last, Gov, Kellogg telegraphed to me his ap-
prehensions that the white league intended
to make another attack. Upon the same day
| made the following answer, since which no
communication has been sent to him:
Your dispatch OF this dato has just been
received. 1t is exceedingly unpalatable to use
troops in anticipation OF dangers. Let the
state authorities be right and then proceed
with their duties, without apprehension OF
danger II they are then molested the ques-
tion will be determined whether the United
States is able to maintain law and order within
ts limits or not"
have deplored the presence of troops :
among them. I regret, however, to say that
this state of things does not exist, nor does
its existence seem to be desired in localities,
and az to those it will bo proper for me to say,
that to the extent that congress has conferred
power on me to prevent it, neither ku-klnX
kans, white leagues nor any other associa-
ton using arms and violence to execute their
unlawful purposes, can be permitted in that
way to govern any part Of this country, nor
can see with indifference union men or re-
publicans ostracized, persecuted and murdered
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 can |
not but think that its inaction has produced
great evil To summonize In September
last, an armed organized body OF men. in the
support of candidates who had been put Ill
nomination for the offices Of governor and
lieutenant governor. at the November election
in 1872. and who had been declared not elected
by the board Of canvassers. recognized by all
the courts to which the question had been sub
mitted. undertook to subvert and overthrow
the state government that had been recognized
by me, in accordance with previous precedents.
The recognized governor was driven from the
state house, a. d, but for his finding shelter in
the United States custom-house, in the capital
of the state of which he was governor. it is
seriously 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 in accordance with the ith section,
Atm article of the constitution OF tho United
States for the aid Of the general government
to suppress domestic violence. Under these
circumstances, and in accordance with my
sworn duty, my proclamation OF the 18th OF
| gnntnn,her 1874 waa issiled. Thia serYed 10