The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-07-16
reasons set forth in tho following
letter: ..r.

reasons set forth In Jhe IoiAoWine
letter: ,nr.
Governor John MeEnery.
Dear Sjy--tt gives me pleasure to acknowledge
tho honor 81 your yestsrdays Hiennly Ws,a w
,h9 WV aa abs2in snsts y jonas aonsaqs
and Leonard members eiset OF the 6enefa'
Assembly of Louisiana. Admins rators IGnno, r,tln
der Calhoun, Brewster. furnhuli an9 fit1eh- |
reiter join me ia tendering thanks Tor your
welcome call We we're all deeply snIesssee.. ~, -,
the matter upon which you consnh,ea US l,;sps ms
after you had retired we courared opinlo nt
AMI found ourselves entirely hgreed as 70 tf'o
questions SuAaesteI . sal;,.
You PROPOSE in eifsot, 20 reorganize Ro,tiics
force under the existing Metropolitan pohce
laws and then. by repeating other asla "
turn such police over e the city H., eh
measures are not at this time advisable. ana we
therefore cannot, in advance. promise our CO.
The ,, city in her embarrassed condition greatly
needs the help Of friendly Legislation, ann ts
coon our state is 50 iortunat, as 90 naS9 i,a
General Assembly Of nudisputed authority. us
! first labor should be the rslief 81 New Ofieans
| from the burdens imposed by body nostile W
preseq interests and hggaess s =, Da
md universally recognized autho+ +ty WtthOul
confusion. danger. injustice or yioisne9, ''1p 1r
| when none will call the motive IN qnestiph 81
doubt the legality of the act, tbs city W II wei
come the restoration OF her police as recoV-
The present large organized police forces OK,
isting by State laws and under the direct anu
exclusive management. control ann u.selpit.iis H.
of sta 8 ap ppoiutees aud officers. adhere fVr the
most part to tho Dryades stregt government.
nor will they cease from such adhesion uu,il a
legal state government y Gst,Dnsnen an. l'.s, ~
| ceuted in place that which they have ehosen
to obey. 10 organize, equip. arm and operate
another police for the same service wonla ii9t
fnil io produce collisions whose results might Ds
deplorable. This is therefore. "a measure Wnich
we cannot approve or assist ,,, -, L
since assuming our official duties here w
have tried 10 prevent the complication OF inc
brsipnss of the city government with ,th0 con
tests growing out Of the lato election. we nave
faken care 10 avoid giving any cause Tor com.
nlaint or pretext for Interference on the part oi
ihe feeis ature organ 2sd ut the Mechanics IN
stitute The good effects oil our course att
already visible and we nope we shall be hble y
roptip ne as we have begun. whenever our Stttte
shaiI again be blessed with % govefpfnent ngl
only genuine but settled and fully re- reeognnsd
l1gt the affairs Of the city will be ID sueh cohd-
tjop as to call for little other Legislative heip thai
The repeal of tew obnoxious statutes. 4,
In the present singular emergency we sna
not nttsm pt 10 advise you as to the course Wlcn
ought to- be pursued. but we hold ouis7,ves r'',s
rendy to do our whole duty whenever, IN our our
, oninion our action Will produce good reShlts
We earnestly sympathze with yon ana fll a. ~ pa .a
troic citizens n your aTaend afse r bi tba nstab
lishment Of an nndisputed leg ] state. govern
ment, which will truly represent ana iaithiuhl
seTTe am ,'Y Yrsa,estsd by the Hon H. r. sturcken
: Administrator Of Assessments. VINO was ~ ,Y
present ut our interyifY ", TO sta'e eoae he 'hhl
haze The honor to reTuain. your obedient scr
vant 10 w LOUIS 4. WILTI. Mayor
. At the time this request was made
February 30, 1873, Kellogg was recog
: uized as Governor Of LOuiGiana by TN
President of the United States, and wa
, aided by United States troops in main
, tanning his usurpation: he ana nv ~
, LEGISLATURE were recognized by tne ou
nreme Court of the State and by al
: | r. n
preropatiyes OF the office, as far as IN
eoercing power of the militia, the polle
and the Federal army and navy Woul
90 Revenues were collected ana aL
, Droprjated by his Legislature and OH
. Gers Thus was the dc fdctO govern
/ ment Of the State in possession OF every
g thing which paramount force couid Sc
r cure, backed by judicial authority, pelh
c Us strong to oppress or TO secure ies ow
! existence as 1t was two weeks aitel
l. when General Longstreet took posses
Il sion of the Odd Fellows Hall an
& arrested the members of the MeEner
q I Ieoislature. Mr.. Wilt was therefor
r utterlv powerle3s to comply with IN
> request Of the committees. unless he ma
% heen prepared to inaugurate revoi'
# tion OF arms. Would he have been just
Z fled in such n course? would I,
% people have sustained him in- so reci
v less and so impossible Venturef Ii
IS whole policy of the people, Leglsl
,e tire had been one Of protest ana peoc
N I remember distinctly the loud accus
tions Of the people against that Le9lsh
A. ture. Ample opportunity had exlste
"a long before this application was mac
m to Mayor Witt, to revolutionize u
10 State. or at least the city, but u was u
Id done. Was it reasonable. then,
a. EXPECT Mr.. Wiltz to assume the terrio
n responsibility Of organizing an armt
q. resistance to an usurpatlon Protects
a. by the Federal army, when at an as ca
re ljer stage OF our troubles the leglslati
ht authority OF the de jure governme
n had shrunk from that responsibility,
IN in it's wisdom condemned it?
o. Raising Funds to support metropolit'
Id Police.
e. Az to raising money in our banks !
IS, the support Of the police, as alleged
~, "Citizen." we can only answer that
n money was so raised for that purpos
he and that the Mayor and Council on
!. did. with reference to the police. wn
ItZ thew were compelled TO do by the cha
IN ter and other State laws.
OF IT must be constantly remember
OF that Mayor Wilt and his Council act
IN under charter and system OF haoi'
nj laws intended expressly to secure 10 I
g, State Radical government me conIl RI
he of the most important city affairs. L
TO most important functions OF the q
ne were then, and are still, monopoil5Z,
n nv the Radical State government. l.
ell budget Of expenditures and taxes
re, 1s73 had been irrevocably fixed by tn
he predecessors, pre- as prescribed by the en-
ng ter. Existing contracts under Stf
ga laws they were obliged to fulfi1l. ln
tie made strenuous appeals for legislat
ne relief, but their appeals were !
, q needed. The only favor granted was
~, the second year Of their term, wh
tn they were permitted to defer. the
,uI dempton Of the annual quota OF !.
no city debt, about S6oo,ooo ana IN I,
'us wav they were enabled to diminish
ost city debt tax by one half Of one per GER
pa which aoas the first redaction Of tanes
fifteen years. Is it possible that : Y
OF - y J, .Iano oR alI the ne onle Of N