The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-15
A CHAPTER OF LOUISIANA HISTORY.
GRANTS ORDER ron TINE REMOVAL
OF TROOPS FROM THE PACKARD
sTATE-HOUsE.
eron's Trsachcrous suppressieii III
the Presidents orders.

Especial Correspondence Of the N. y. Democrat
New YORK. August &, 1877.
The Now York Times Of to-day copies from
tho Natchitoches Findtcator an interesting
chapter Of history from the lips Of my dis
tingulsled and most valued friend, Col. VIM.
M. Levy. But that gallant gentleman seems
to have felt restrained from a complete re-
ctal of the faets. Al all events, he has omitted
the most interesting single fact Of the whole
occurrence. My knowledge of the character
of Col. Levy leads me TO suppose that he was
impelled TO suppress this particular fact by
considerations Of delicate personal cour-
tesy to Gen. Grant; and the nature
Of this courtesy will be readily mp
parent when the nature of the fact
is known. In order to preserve this occur
renee in complete form for the uses Of his
tory. 1t will be requisite to review briefly tie
preceding events.
For some time prior to the Isl and ri of
March
col. JAS. +. CASEY
had been operating upon the mind of Cen
Grant favorably to the cause Of the people Of
Louisiana and against the pretensions Of the
waning dynasty of the carpet-baggers; and
| Col Caseys operations wore duly exploited
| in the DEMOCRATS current Washington cor
| respondence of the period. ] am confident
| that shall not place too much stress upon
| what hns now become comparatively lnim-
portant fact If / say that the frame
Of mind which made Gen. Grant 50
accessible to and so kindly to-
ward the real representatives of the
people of Louisiana, Col. Levy. Gen. Gibson,
Mr.. Ellis. my friend Burke and othcrs-dur-
ing the latter days of his administration, was
almost entirely due to the labOrs of Col.
Casey. Be this as 1t may, it is fact that
Gen. Grant had fully determined to sustain
the pet-baggers no longer, and he pre-
pared
THE ORDER FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE TROOPS,
the fate of which Is so entertainingly told by
Col. Levy. Immediately prior 10 the issuance Of
this order an interview occurred between Gen.
Grant on the one hand, and Gibson, Burke,
and perhaps one or two other Louisiana
gentlemen on the other hand, at which Grants
views, as he expressed them. were reduced to
writing by Burke In form Of
| A MEMORANDUM,
and Burke requested permission to use them
| for certain purposes which 1T is not now
necessary to state. Whereupon Gen. Grant
made q few verbal corrections with his own
hand, then remarked:
'The paper is now substantially correct; In
fact, 1t is absolutely correct, for have re-
vised it. You may use it as you request"
You are Of course, aware that the situation
in Washington at that time was lively, and
that Louisiana was the focus of attention.
Kellogg was struggling to avert his fate as |
have never seen any other man struggle, and
was using appliances that presume no other
individual this side of hell could have de-
vised. He certainly knew that Grant intend
| ed to issue the order, and he had asceTtaned
by bitter experience in q recent in
terviow that it would be futile to ask him to
withdraw it. Accordingly he formed the des-
perate plan of intereepting 1t IN hansita ]
presume this is the only instance in the his
tory of our government where any civilian
has successfully conspred with a Cabinet
officer, to not merely disregard but actually
to suppress by violent interposition military
order Of the President, acting in his capacity
Of commander-in -in-chief of the land and naval
forces of the United Statsst However, such
are the facts in this case. Cameron's action
in violently intercepting and practically nul-
hfying the order of the President for the re-
lnoval Of the troops was due to the
FRANTIC LABoRs OF KELLOGG.
And Kellogg was moved to such frantic
exertions by his own knowledge of the fact to
which / alluded at the outset of this letter;
the fact which Col. Levy, out of delicate
scruples respecting his personal intercourse
with the President, seems to have felt bound
to omit from his recital. 1t was this:
The President had become fully satisfied Of
the impossibility OF further successful
INTERVENTION BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
in the affairs of Louisiana. But he did not
| like to back down from the position he had SO
long maintained, quite SO squarely as would
have been involved in formal recognition Of
Nichols. And he was likewise desirous to
have the Louisiana inbroglio settled before
the close of his term, or at least before
his successor should assume the reins
of power. How to accomplish the latter
object without undergoing the humiliation of
a square back down was aquandary with Gen.
Grant from which he was relieved by the ac-
tive mind of the resourceful Burke.
'The fourth of March comes on Sunday"
suggested Burke, "making species of inter-
regnum Remove the troops on Friday or
Saturday, so that the coast shall be clear Sun
day. Then, when Monday morning dawns,
we will guarantee you that the Nichols Gov
ernment shall be in peaceful possession of the
State, including the State-House tSt Louis
Hotel and all the archives. There will be no
violence, for
PACKARD'S FORCES WILL NOT RESIST WHEN
THE TROOPS ARE WITHDRAWN
The idea struck Gen. Grant at once If the
troops were withdrawn on Saturday Nichols
would take the State House Sunday, dur
ing the interregnum, and thus to all intents
and purposes both his own outgoing and the
incoming administration of Hayes would be
free from complication in the premises He
could practically go out of office Saturday
night, leaving the Packard government Gin
stata quo" Hayes could come in Monday