Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-03-24
NEW agLG.aNS.

Letter Of The Hon. Stanley Matthews
to y. q. Packard Respecting the
Situation in LOuisiana.-Nr, Pack.
ards Reply.
NEW ORLEANS, March 1.-THE fol-
lowing are the letter of the Hon. Stan
ley Matthews to Gov. Packard and
Cor. Packard's reply:
UNITED STATES SENATE CHAMBER.
WASHINGTON, Feb. q, 1877.-To the
Hon s. b. Packard, Ae1 Orleans
My Dear Sir: received and read with
attention your communications on the
subject OF the public affairs of Louisi-
ana. and the subject has been carefully
and anxiously considered by myself and
others, and its relation to the general
policy of Republican Administration
toward it. | have conversed at length
with - aud given to him the result
| of my conversations, which he can re-
peat to you more in detail than | can
at present. | merely indicate the re-
/ suits of my opinions. Without refer
/ encc to the rightfulness of the origin
/ of your title as governor, | am of OPP
I iniOn that the circumstances are such
/ that it will be out of the question for
a Republican administration to main
/ tain it, as it must necessarily, by force
/ of the Federal arms. As soon as the
existing military orders are withdrawn,
! the Nichols government will become
1 the only existing government, and will
/ have to be recognized then as such.
In the meantime, it will be duty OF the
Administration to take care that the
results shall not imperil the rights and
equity of the colored people of Louisi-
ana, so far as it has lawful power to
take care that stanch Republicans,
| like yourself, against whom nothing
disreputabe can be alleged, should not
suffer, and should receive consideration
and position in some appropriate way
These are, in short, my own individual
views. | regret the condition of af-
fairs, but can not help it, and see no
better way to improve it.
Respectfully, STANLEY MATTHEWS.
THE REPLY.
STATE OF LOUISIANA, EXECUTIVE
DEPARTMENT, New ORLEANS, March
II, 1877.-7o the Hon. Stanley Nat
thelcs-My Dear Sir: Your letter of
the 9th ultimo is duly received. In
ny communication to you, referred to
in your letter, | aimed to exhibit to
you the reasons aud sterling facts why
the Government, of which | am the
head, ought to receive prompt recog-
milton from the national Administra-
ton. In your reply, you suggest the
difficulties that you deem exist, with
out reference to the rightfulness of
your (my) title, aud Say that as soon
as the existing military orders are
withdrawn, the Nichells Government
will become the only existing govern
ment, and will have to be recognized
then as such" lnasmueh as you say
that your letter only expresses your
owe individual views, it is not neces-
sary to attempt to correct your opinion
that THE circumstances are such that
it will be out of the question for Re-
publican Administration TO maintain
II" (my title), as that is a subject which
now engages the attention of the Presi-
dent under the Constitution and law
of the United States. | judge the
purpose of your letter to have been In
friendly way to accomplish the aban-
donment by me of the office OF COVER
nor, to the end that my defeated oppo.
ncnt might assume unquestioned the
office to which | have been elected
Admitting the value of the opinion Of
one so learned, of so deservedly great
influence IN the councils of the nation
| am constrained by a high sense o.
duty to unqualifedly decline to enter.
tain any proposition to relinquish OF
to abandon the position which | hold
= | received a majority of the legal votes
: cast at the last election, have been de
clared governor by the legal Legisla
= ture in Joint session, with an undis
puted quorum in both houses; anC
having been lawfully clothed with au
: thOrity as governor, | can not with dut
regard to my oath of Office and dut,
to the seyenty-six thousand voters Wht
: have elected me to the chief magis
I tracy, though | should receive con
E sideratiOn and position in some ap
prOpriate way, abandon those faithful
men to the merciless Vengeance of tn
D White League Democracy. | am tn
head OF government as perfect a
that of any State in the Union. NJ
: predecessor, together with his secre
tar of State, auditor of public &C
counts, State treasurer, superintendent
of public instruction, and attOTne
: general, with all the aTchieves in thel
{ several offices, surrendered the posi-
tiOns in the hands of those lawful,
= elected to receive them. | now repre-
o sent this government, with possession
!, of all of these offices. | am Opposes
by an organized and armed mob of me
z l. al b
e | League, who have maintained durin
my administration a force held togcth
c er more by the encouragement give
: them from abroad than by any othe
T means; by those who apparently seer
c to measure the legal existence of gov
eminent by the amount of force it ca
Il present. Were this force removed, a
s it will be when the legitimacy of m
J. government Is determined by the pres
{. ldeut, nothing then will seriously i'm
Il pede the success of my administration
: Personally my position has been, /
: aud will be until the General Govern
u ment shall see fit to recognize my au
T thOrity as governor, a most perllou
c one; and it would be a source of salts
t faction did the responsibility rest upO
= some one other than myself The hun
j. dreds of Republicans who have give
It their lives as a sacrifice to the cause @
e liberty and free government, the thous
= ands who have deposited their votes a
Z the peril of life, are everpresent in m
d mind, aud that faithfully discharge tn
5 duties devolyed upon me. Should [ ex
hibit less devotion than these faithful
n people? Though the effort cost my lifC
e still that devotion would be bette
= heritage to my children than the plau
= dts of the White League OF the State
r when gained by surrender of bot
! manhood aud duty. [ am the COVER
! nor, and no armed force or violenc
y can give my competitor lawful title
Il Respectfully, s. B. PACKARD.
e In the maze of all that the South
Is ern people have been taught to hol
e sacred, do they realize what Radical
l. ism asks of them? Do they comprC
:, bend the insult involved in the propo