The Ottawa free trader., 1877-04-28
END OF THE WAR.

END OF THE WAR.
Las, Tuesday, April Gath, 1877, just nlteen
years after the surrender of New Orleans to the
Union armies, Louisiana was finally relieved
of the military domination under which she
had been held from that time forward and re-
stored to her position as state OF the fedefai
Union. Though the first of the rebel states
TO succomb to the Union arms, she was 'he
last 10 have her surrender acknowledged
Thus ends the last vistigc of federal military
supervision in the reconstructed states, ana
with it properly dates the end OF the war ior
The restoration of the Union
The incidents of the few days preceding the
final close OF the war can be very briefly
summarized.
Aprll Goth, seven members OF Packard s
legislature 60 over to the Nichols legislature,
giving the latter an ndisputable legal majori-
,y in both houses, which neither legislature
had thus far possessed since their meeting in
January.
April 21st, Warmoth, with all the balance
Of the Packard legislature except nine mem.
bers, with Warmoth in the lead, having pre-
vlously decided in caucus that it was useless
further TO prolong the contest go over to the
Nichols legislature. Thereupon the Hayes
commissioners telegraph to the President
that the contest is over, the object Of the com.
mission being attained in securing fusion
OF the two rival Legislatures into one; and
tnereupon also the President promptly issues
an order for the removal of the L. S. troops
from the state house in New Orleans at IL
O'clock on Tuesday.
April 23d, Packard makes spasmodic
effort to re assemble his legislature, but IS
able 10 muster but nine members, both Of sen.
ale and house. Realizing thus the truth Of
what everybody but himself had all along
been conscious of, that his government would
tall TO pieces the moment the prop of L. s.
bayonets was Withdrawn, he concludes to sur
render-not gracefully, however; for he ac
companies the act with whining address
ITO the Republican Party" In which he
brings host of railing accusations against
President Hayes and his cabinet charging
them with bad faith, treachery, &c. He also
makes distinct charge that the surrender of
his legislature was brought about solely by
the influence of the Presidents commission.
rrs, who he insinuates used more effective
persusasvcs than mere words to induce them
10 60 over To Nicholls-meaning bribcry-in
short
April 24th the troops withdrawn at pre-.
cisey l2 o'clock, amid heavy rain, so that
very few people were on the street to witness
The ceremonial. The Packard rolce in ter.
rible trepidation when left alone, and few
hours later give place readily to the Nichols
police. Nichols, however, agrees TO see that
the Packard police shall be paid up to the
time Of their discharge, as also such members
of the Packard legislature as should be ex.
cfuded from the consolidated legislature In |
The afternoon l0G guns are fired on the levee
in hOnor of the Te.admission at last Of Louisi. |
ana 10 the Union as a state on an equal foot |
ing with all the other states.
Packard and his officers finished packing
iheir carpet bags and finally left the state
house on Wednesday, soon after which the
Nichols officials and legislature moved in.
The legislature selected Judge II. NJ. Spa..
ford [. s. senator, to contest the seat claimed
by Kellogg, and making a few necessary ap,
preparations, adjourned on Thursday.
The Presidents commissioners left for
Washington on Saturday, having apparently
prepared their report on the way, for on Tues
day II was laid before the President and on
Wednesday published. 1t is not a lengthy
document 1t simply explains the position
ol affairs as the commissioners found them
on arriving at New Orleans, anu shows that
the Only practical solution of the trouble lay
in consolidating the two rival legislatures into
one, an object towards which the commits.
sioocrs at once directed their energies. They
do not deny Packard's charge that they tam.
pcrcd with members of his legislature and
induced enough to desert to Nichols TO give
the latter majority yet they admit that such
was the result of their efforts at "concilla.
iio1," and they close by rejoicing in the hap.
ny consummatOn.
And thus ends the final chapter in TIE his.
tory Of the great American rebellion.
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