New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-07

of the money have borrowed for public
purposes. 1t was advanced from patriotic
motives, with full reli ance upon the good
faith of the State for its rein burseMent,
and without it the machinery of the State
government could not have been kept in
motion"
A joint committee of the two houses, en-
bracing some of the ablest Democratic
members, was appointed, as requested IN
my message, who PATIENTLY Investigated all
nv accounts, including the expenditure of
the 1888, 800 which had obtained from the
correct, taking no exception even to the
amount Of one cent. The unexpended pOr.
ton of the $4,000 which l had received
from the President, and which described
in my message as the military fund, but
which was enormously stated in the mes
sage az $ll5,000, instead of $4,000, did
not pay into the State treasury, ss sug-
gested in the message, but refunded di.
rectly to the general government, as before
shown. and the $l33302 which l had ex
pended for the State was settled with the
government by giving credit to the govern
ment for that amount on the indebtedness
of the government to the State, as before
shown.
After full examination of my accounts
the Legislature made an appropriation to
pay my borrowed money and the debts l
had contracted; also the sum CT about
$500, 00O-the exact amount, however, am
not able to state from memory-which
had procured from Winslow, Lanier g. Co.,
of New York, to advance in the payment OF
interest upon the bonds of the State during
the years 1863 and 1864, the payment Of
which interest had been withheld by the
auditor and treasurer of the State. During
these two years all payment for civil and
military expenses of the State, including
benevolent institutions and penitentiaries,
excepting only salaries OF public officers,
were paid upon my check through tinan-
cal bureau established in MY Office, tae
State auditor and State treasurer declining
all cooperation. My course was approved
by the people of Indiana by my reelection
as Governor in October. 1874, by majority
of more than 10000, and by the election of
a Republican Legislature and Republican
State officers.
The intermediate history between the
events 1 have described in the spring of
1868, and the meeting of the Legislature in
January 1865, will refer to but briefly, al
though it was extraordinary in its charac.
ter. and unlike that of any other State.
The State was honey-combed with secret
societies. formerly known as Knights of the
Golden Circle, but at that time as Sons of
Liberty. They claimed in 1864 to have
10000 members in the State; were lawless.
defiant. plotting treason against the United
States and the overthrow Of the State gov
eminent. In some counties their operations
were so formidable as to require militia to
be kept on war footing, and throughout
1863, and until the final explosion of the or.
ganization in August 1874, kept the whole
State in An uprOar and alarm.
Gu ha11
through the summer of 1868 that General
John Morgan. OF Kentucky, was induced to
invade the State with his forces, in the be.
lief that there would he general uprising
in his support. In 1864. so numurous were
these reasonable organizations, and go con-
tident were they of their strength, that
they matured plan for general uprising
in the city of Indianapolis on the sixteenth
of August, to be under cover of mass meet
ing of the Democratic party, to be attended
By members OF these organizations from all
parts of the State. The plan, as shown by
subsequent confessions of some of the lead
ing cOnspirators, was on that day to release
about 1000 rebel prisoners confined in Camp
Morton seize the arsenal and arm these
prisoners, overthrow the State government.
and take possession of the State
T,,.is plan could not be kept secret. Il
was developed some three weeks before the
time fixed, and was abandoned by the lead.
ing conspirators, and orders issued couu-
demanding the march of their forces upon
Indianapolis. Subsequently, the discovery
and seizure of a large amount of arms and
ammunition collected at Indianapolis for
reasonable purposes, and the seizure of
records and rituals of the Order of the
Sons of Liberty, giving the names of the
principal conspirators, and arrest OF some
eight of the ring leaders, had the effect TO
break up and destroy the power of the
organization, and regret to have to state
that in the list of the principal men,
bers of this organic alton were found
the names of three of the State officers into
whose hands the Legislature of 1862
had attempted to place the whole military
power of the State. Upon the srial of these
ringleaders before military tribunal ap-
pointed By the President under an act of
Congress. some of them turned States evil
dence, and disclosed the full character and
extent OF the conspiracy. Four of them
were convicted and sentenced to death. one
OF whom made his escape, another was par.
doned outright by President johnson. and
two Others-Bowles and Milligan-had
their punishment committed by President
y ohnsOn to imprisonment for life, but we're
afterwards released bv a decision OF the |
Supreme Court of the United States to the |
effect that military commission had no
jurisdiction to try them for the offense.
There is large volume of unpublished |
history showing in detail the operations of |
these organizations, who were their aiders |
and abettors, and the. connection they had |
with the politics of the day. 1t may be |
proper to state here that the Democratic |
Legislature of 1868, before its sudden ad- |
journment. had appointed an auditing CON-
mittee of it's own members to audit and su-
my accounts and expenditures
for military PURPOSES which sat almost CON
tinuously until January, 1865, and that |
this committee did audit and approve |
every one OF my expenditures. IL |
GLIDING that of the Sl33,3O2 of the fund |
obtained from the President. The same |
Legislature also appointed a committee to |
investigate all my expenditures and &C.
counts from the beginning of the war I'D |
to January, 1865. This investigation was |
prosecuted with great vigilance until late |
in the spring of 1865. and after the break |
ng up of the Legislature. Failing to find |
anything wrong in my accounts to the |
amount of even q cent, the Democratic |
majority OF the committee refused to make |
any report at all, but the Republican mi |!
lority made report indorsing my official |
,onduc. in every particular.
SrArE NExuS