The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-04-21
News From Abroad.

-
leans dispatch saysGt appears that the
members of the commission are very
much divided in opinion as to what
course TO pursue.
The more conservative think they are
not expected to examine 1870 any mat
ters save the situation, per Sc others
regard the commission in the light OF
a board of arbitration. Two OF them
deemed it highly important that the
work should be expedited, and the
commission return to Washington as
soon as possible.
Messrs. Harlan and HaWley think
they should remain on the ground I,l1 nntll
the whole affair is adjusted: ihese
gentlemen still cling to the fusion legls-
lature project, and express the OPINION
that no United States senator VIII pe Se
admitted who is not elected by full
legislature consolidated on that basis.
The Tribane's New O}eans dispatch
saws it may safely be stated that
majority, il not all the members, have
been led by their inquiries to the FOL
lowing conclusion:
/" First-That the Packard govern
ment has the best, it not the only, DE
iure title.
If the returning board be a cOnstitu-
tional part of the machinery of cleo
tions, then Packard, his court, his Off
GERS and his legislature are the legitl-
mate products of that machinery.
There is room for fair doubt as to the
constitutional power OF the board to
make up q legislature, and to act judi
cially, but in the absence OF supreme
court decision, denying 1t the power,
it's action was binding.
The Nichols party had, therefore, no
L. i % CPoN
| their own doubts as to the constitution
ality of statutes under which the ooard
acted.
The. question goes to the president,
however, not as a legal, but as poll
tical one, and he may fairly satisfy
himself and be governed by his own
constitution as to whether the board s
action was constitutional.
Secopd-That the Nichols govern
| ment exercises complete de facto au-
| thority throughout the State and in
every acre of its soil, except within the
walls of the old hotel used by Packard
as Statehouse.
The assertions of Packard that in
| certain heavy negro parishes he IS
recognized, have not been VerIled.
Reputable gentlemen OF both parties
having come in from these parishes to
assure the commission that the NICHOLS
administration meets with no more 0p-
position in these localities than IN New
Orleans. Packard's statement that
1 nearly all the circuit judges in the State
recognize him, has been found to rest
| solely in the fact that these judges
were commissioned by Kellogg, and is
disproved by the oaths of Office filed by
| them with the Nichols secretary OF
state.
It is literally true that Packard is a
| prisoner in the Statehouse, and that his
! claims are actually Supported by nobody
| in Louisiana, except members OF his
government and two or three hundred
guards he is feeding and paying.
| NoIdoubt the negro population be-
| lieve in his right and want it enforced
but they will not raise finger TO ale
4 him, while the white population are III
active and determined hostility to his
pretentiOns. =,
| ton is maintaining order Throughout
the State and protecting the rights ol
| both races, and that peace and pros
| perity would result from its CONT
4 nuance.
/ Fourth-That Packard's administra.
/ tion cannot be established by simple
recognition on the president, but only
by the use of a large force of Fedora
troops to crush out the acting govern
ment and the maintenance of garrison'
in the State during the whole of Pack
ards term.
Further, that if this course wer'
practicable, it would involve con
tinuanee Of the race conflicts, socia
and industrial disturbances, and busl
ness depression, which characterized
Kellogg's administration.
[Note-It is thought the above is tn
Substance of the communication to tn
nrasident,1