New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-04-28
THELAsT CHAPTER
ADDRESS TO THE GOVERNOR
GOVERNOR pAcKARD's vALED1OToRY

Tuesday, the twentieth instant:
10 Governor s. B. Packard:
We recognize and appreciate the fidelity
with which you have sought to carry out
the obligations which you assumed when,
in the presence of legally organized quo
rum of both houses of the General Assem-
bly,, after a formal constitutional canvass of
the votes, YOU took the oath of Ofics as
Governor of the State of Louisiana. The
sympathies and active cooperation of the
Republican members of the General Assem-
bly, have been with you and your associates
in the State government in your strugglts
to maintain your authority against over
Whelmiug obstacles at home and abroad.
One of the first acts OF the General AS
sembly was to pass a joint resolution call
ing upon the President of the United States,
under sectioe four, article four of the con
stitution of the United States, to accord
the legal government support against the
domestic violence which threatened it's
overthrow. In response 10 that appeal, af
ter some delay, an order was issued by
President Grant setting forth that you had
been legally dt elared Governor of the State;
that the Supreme Court vi0lt ntly set mp By
your opponent was destitute OF legal aQ-
thority, and directing that if the necessity
for recognition should arise, recognition
should be given TO Packard, and not to
Nichols.
Encouraged by The expectation thus
held out that the government acknOwl-
edged TO be the legal government of the
State would eventually be recognized by
the President, the members of the General
Assembly, faithfully to their trust, though
encounteripg many hardships, patiently
waited the action of the national govern
ment.
Rumors, which soon took authentic
shape, were circulated that over jealous
friends of the President-t lect. tor whose
success hundreds of devoted Republicans
in Louisiana had laid down their lives, had
bargained to give away the States of Louis
lana and South Carolina to our political Op
ponents. The outgoing President failed
to take further action upon the application
of our General Assembly.
Reluctant to give even passing credence
to these seemingly impossible reports, the
General Assembly patiently remained in
session, and after the accession of President
Hayes adopted, with a quorum present in
both houses and transmitted to him, q con-
current resolution reciting the domestic
violence prevailing in the State, and re-
| questiug, under the constitution aad laws
| of the United States, his aid to suppress it.
No reply has been vouchsated to that re-
quest.
The President sent to the State a com
/ mission of five gentlemen, who submitted
proposition for a reorganization of the
| GTeleThl Assembly WHICH, bHDUEa luVbINluE
| a waiver of undoubted legal rights on our
part, was accepted by the Republican mem
beIs in Difference to the understood wishes
Of the President That proposition was re-
| jeeted by our opponents, who in turn sub
mitted a plan aagran,lY unjust and viola
tive of law.
Resolutions adopted by the General As
sembly in joint caucus, which have beer
published, have explained by what meanl
of cajOlery, persuasion aud threats member
of the commission, protesting simply to ac
in an individual capacity, but welding al
/ the power and il ttqence of authorized
agents of the President, sent to the Stat
for q specific purpose, induced q sufh 5en
number of the Legislature to give to the OF
posing body a majority of members legal,
returned elected. This action of the con-
mission was followed by an official order o
the President, and at the request of Gen
ersl Nicbolls, directing the withdrawal 0
the United States troops and virtually suE
| tanning the opposing government.
During the ITO days and .nore that hay
elapsed tince you took your seat as Cove,
! nor; no word OF encouragement, recognI
tioh Or support has been accorded you b,
the national administration. On the cor
trary, disposition has been clearly man
tested to encourage, strengthen and main
tain, by all direct and indirect means, tn
government of your opponent, already 8
strong in the oyerpo Rering armed force |
has mustered to its support in the capital 0
the State.
Under these circumstances, while abatinI
none of our belief in the rightfulness o
your title, we can not but feel that force
which neither you nor ourselves are able t
resist, render itimpossible it TO enforce you
tights at The present time. To attempt t,
do so would only add to the blood whicl
has already been fruitlessly shed in defans
of Republican principles in this State. We
therefore, are respectfully constrained {,
advise that, for the time being, you refrain
from actively asserting your unquestionabl,
rights trusting to the future To yindicata
the Righteousness of your cause.
M Ii. TWITCHELL,
i ARiSTiDE DEJOIE,
LOUIS j. SOUER.
Governor Packard replied as follows:
SrATE OF LOUISIANA,
| Executive Department,
| New orleanFi Aplii Is, 1877.
To the Republicans of Louisiana;
On this day, the fifteenth anniversary O.
the surrender of New Orleans to the foroei
of the United Statee, it becomes nv duty
to announce to you that the aid and coun,e
nance of the national government has beer
| withdrawn from the Republicans of Louisi
ans, and that government revolutionar,
in form is practically on the point of usurp
ing control Of affairs in this State.
| recall the circumstance of the las
electoral campaign only to thank You foi
the fidelity to principle You then displayed
The Republican party, as you know, entered
| upon the canvass united and stronger thar
before. 1t had enlisted under its banners ar
influential class of native born citizens, Of
old Wing aRtecedents twho, to their honor
be it said, still remain faithful to the prin
eiples they espOused and the government
they suppOrtedl. 1t was further strength
ened by the absence from the State or the
opposition of that element whose previous
adherence to the party had brought 1t into
disrepute.
These causes combined to bring abOut
the remarkable success achieved by the
Republican party in all the doubtful par
ishes, with one exception, even where the
white population prep0nderated, and which
gave Us msjority ia the Legislature. Ex
oept where organized violence prevailed
our State ticket carried every RepubIiosT
parish. and also number sfparishes which
IN the last Legislature were represented b1
Democratic members.
| briefly summarize the historical events
that have sinee occurred. The Genera
Assembly met on the first of January last
organized with full legal quorum in both
houses, passed laws which were approved
by the then executive Of the State, and or
the second day of January last canvassed
an1 declared the vote for Governor.
At this time the nation was aeitated BIZ
doubt ae to the result Of the presidential
election. With the expectation that Samuel
ID. Illden might possibly become President
of the UAited States, and with no hope ol
success otherwise, my opponent in the late
campaign established q moot Legislature
and want thrnuoh fha form, ,f an Il. ~, =