The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-19
THE LOUISIANA SETTLEMENT.
Meeting Of tho Packard Legislature-A
Stormy Little Talk-Laying Down the
Law to President Hayes.-They will Stick
by Packard to the Last.

met in joint caucus to-day. There were
eighty-three members present including
Washington and Brooks, two colored mem.
bers recently acting with the Nichols legis
lature. Gen. Mcmillan, on the the part OF
the executive committee, laid before the
caucus an official copy of tho resolutions
passed by the Nichols legislature and
which were received by him from the COM
mission. lie called attention to the long
struggle the members had undergone in
their efforts to establish and maintain O
legal state government said he deplored
the necessity for admitting that their ef.
forts had failed be regretted that appeals
to the president for aid had been silently
ignored the assurances of members of the
commission authoritatively, il not officially
given, that the president would not recog-
nize either governor aud would withdraw
the troops brought them face to face with
the inevitable. Without the support of the
general government their case was hope
less. Under these circumstances what did
sound policy demandp Clearly to look the
inevitable in the face and make the mort
they could out of the situation. In reply
to question Mcmillan said the document
had no endorsement from the commission,
favorable or otherwise, but had been hand
cd him by the commission, and at their
suggestion he had invited a number of the
members Of the Legislature to meet the
commission and discuss the matter.
w. II. Dinkgrsve of Madison, SAID he
was one of the members sent for by the
commission, and he would relate as accu-
rately as he could remember, what took
place at that interview. The CON-
mission stated that they had been here
two weeks as agents of the president trying
to SEQ if some plan of adjustment could not
be adopted. AS republicans the commits
sion said they deeply sympathized with us
in our struggles and sacrifices, but after
two weeks labor We have come to the con-
cluson Gone of the commission here inter-
laced the words not as commission but as
Individually that the terms offered in the
proposition which has been handed Iby one
of US tothe chairman of your committee are
the best we can get for you, and for the
sake of the republican party, snd for the
sake of the peace of the state it was best
we should accept them. This was en-
dorsed by all the members present except
McVeigh. Governor Brown was not pres
ent. for one was surprised and
indignant at the proposition made to
US to thus sacrifice duty, prnci-
pie lonor and everything said
to General Harlan: edo you speak as q
commission ?" He laid ~ do not" Then
l said 81 deny your light as a citizen OF
Kentucky to come here and dictate to me,
member of the legislature of Louisiana,
what shall do" asked one of the men,
bers of the commission, if he were men,
Der Of the legislature as was ard believed
Packard honestly elected, he would &C.
cept these terms, and after some hesitation.
He replied, "no." This in my opinion is
nota question of compromise, it is a ques-
ton of law, O question of right, and trust
every member of this legislature will agree
with me to stand firm and not to let presi-
dent Hayes slip through the loop hole
which this commission is trying to pre-
pare for him. l believe the time has
come when we can say to President Hayes,
"You were elected by the votes Of the re-
publicans of Louisiana, sealed by the blood
of hundreds of faithful men, and now for
getful of that, and forgetful even of the
obligations of your high office, you are try
ing to carry out bargain made by your ad-
visers, who came here with nothing but
honied words on their lips and nothing but
praises of our matehless fidelity while the
returning board were canvsssing votes. You
are trying to carry out that bargain by saying
that whilst you bad the matter under con-
sideration, the republicans of Louisiana
gave up the fight. You shall not whip the
devil around the stump in that manner.
An excited discussion followed in course
Of which it was stated that one member of
the commission had asserted that if this
proposition we're not adopted the troops
would be removed in less than fortnight,
and another commissioner said within q
week. Gov. Warmoth made a speech
urging in defense of President Hayes that
when he came into Office he found Packard
labelle across the back with telegraphic
dispatch from the outgoing president that
troops were not to be used for the support
of his government He eulogized the pa
tient endurance aad determination exhibit.
cd by Packard in The maintenance of his
rights. He concluded as follows: II
members of this body have manhood
and personal and party integrity
enough TO stand together, never to
leave their places and go over to the enemy,
the right thing is to send back this docu
ment endorsed: "The within propositions
submitted by the commission are respect
fully declined" but if there are lot OF
scurvy men In this body who after a ma
jority has made the determination to stand
by Packard to the end of this contest, viii
for paltry sum take their hats and sneah
by the back doors into Nichols legislature
why in Gods name let US know before
hand. If you have determined that you
will not compromise at all, let US say so II
tplain terms and stand together till the ISSUE
comes. If each man will sign bis name
and pledge his word of honor to stand by
this government until honorably discharged
by the governor of this state we will have
no difficulty in waiting and putting the in
tegrity of the president of the United StateI
TO the test, and then whatever happens w
shall at least have so acted as to save our
self respect, even II we do not have seat