The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-05-10

( GOVERNOR PACKARD FROM HIS Con-
sTITUENTs-A LETTER FROM PROM
INENT REPUBLICANS TO THE ,PREsI-
DENT.
New ORLEANS, April 24.-The fol-
lowing address was adopted in. joint
caucus of the Senate and House by the
Republican members Of the General
Assembly Of Louisiana:
TO Governor S. B. Packard:
We recognize and appreciate the fl
deity with which you have sought to
carry out the obligations which, you
assumed when, in the presencerof al
legally-organized quorum of both
houses Of the General Assembly, latter
a formal constitutional canvass of the
votes, you took the oath of Office: as
Governor of the State of Louisiana.
The sympathies and active cooperation
of the Republican members OF the
General Assembly have been with you
and your associates in the State Gov
eminent in your struggle to maintain
your authority against overwhelming
obstacles at home and abroad. One of
the first acts of the General Assembly
was to pass joint resolution calling
upon the President Of the United
States, under Section A Article of the
constitution Of the United States, to
accord the legal Government support
against domestic violence, which
threatened its overthrow. In response
to that appeal, after some delay, an or
| Il icc7ynH 1lyr Dpocidoot Gronf
setting forth that you had been legally
declared Governor of the State; that
the Supreme Court violently set up by
your opponent was destitute of legal
authority, and directing that, it neces-
sity.for recognition should arise, recog-
milton must be given Packard and not
to Nichols. Encouraged by the eX-
pectations thus held out that the Gov
eminent acknowledged to be the legal
ually'be recognized by the President,
members of the General Assembly,
faithful to their trust, although en-
countering many hardships, patiently
awaited the action of the National
Government. Rumors, which soon
took authoritative shape, were circula-
ted that the Over-Zeal0us friends Of the
President-elect, for whose success hun
dreds of devoted Republicans in Louis
lana had laiS down their lives, had
! bargained to give away the States of
Louisiana and South Carolina to our
political opponents. The outgoing
President failed to take further action
upon the application of our General
Assembly. Reluctant to give even a
passing credenee to these seemingly
impossible reports, the General Assem-
bly, patiently remained in session, and
after the accession of President Hayes
adopted, with q quorum in both houses,
and transmitted to him, a concurrent
resolution reciting the domestic VIC
lence prevailing inthe State, and re-
questing, under the constitution and
laws Of the United States, his aid to
suppress it. No reply has been vouch-
safed to that request.
The President sent to the State a
commission Of five gentlemen, who
submitted a proposition for reorgani-
zation of the General Assembly which,
though involving the waiver of u1l-
doubted legal rights on our part, was
accepted by the Republican members in
Difference to the understood wishes Of
! the President. That proposition was
| rejected by our opponents, who in turn
submitted plan flagrntly unjust and
/ violative of the laws. The resolutions
adopted by the General Assembly in
Joint caucus, which have been publish
ed, have explained by what means of
cajolery, persuasion and threats, the
members Of the commission, processing
simply to act in an individual capacity,
but welding all the power AMID inf1u-
ence of authorized agents of the Presi-
dent sent to the State for a specific
purpose, induced a sufficient number
of legislators to give to the opposing
body a majority of members legally
returned elected. This action Of the
commission was followed by an official
order of the President, made at the re-
quest ofGeneral Nichols, directin e the
withdrawal of the United States troops,
and virtually sustaining the opposing
Government.
During ITO days and more that have
elapsed since you took your seat as
Governor, no word of encouragement
recognition, or support has been &C
corded you by the National Admins
tration. On the contrary, disposition
has been clearly manifested to encour
age, strengthen, and maintain by all
direct means the Government of your
opponent, already so strong in the over
towering armed force it has mustered
to its support in the capital of the
State. Under these circumstances,
whilst abating none Of our belief in
the rightfulness of your title, we can
not but feel that forces which neither
you nor ourselves are able to resist
render it impossible to enforce your
rights at the present time. To attempt
to do so would only add to the blood
which has already been fruitlessly
shed in defense of Republican princi-
pies in this State. We therefore are