West Feliciana sentinel. (St. Francisville, La.) 1876-1877, 1877-03-31
THE MERCHANTS SPEAK.
TN. q. Democrat.

Yesterday afternoon, on very
short notice, the members OF the
Cotton Exchange met to take &C
ton upon the. telegram sent to
Washington by Packark, in which
it was stated that the merchants OF
the city supported the aspirant IN
his pretensions. Never before in
the history of the Cotton Exchange
has such an attendance been pres
emit especially when a subject OUT
side the trade was to be brought
before the meeting.
The movement seemed to be
spontaneous, and the willingness
and alacrity with which the MEM
bers Of the Cotton Guild respond
ed deserves commendation.
At the meeting held yesterday
ut the Cotton Exchange there was
represented fully three-fourths Of
our exporting trade, and the
amount of money represented was
close upon So, 100000.
The meeting was the largest ever
held at the Exchange, and after
,h. usual preliminaries the follow
ing preamble and resolutions were
adopted and telegraphed to WASH
ington:
Whereas, one S. B. Packard is
said to have informed the author
tiles at Washington City that the
principal merchants and business
men of this city are willing to rec
ogpize him, the said S. B. Packard,
as the lawful Governor of this
State !; and
Whereas, such assertion is not
only utterly false, but in direct con-
tradiction Of the most patent facts.
the members of the New Orleans
Cotton Exchange, an association
representing a commercial interest
of more than one hundred millions
of dollars per annum, formed solely
for business purposes, taking no
part in politics aud counting among
its members adherents Of both poll
tical parties, feel called upon, in
the interest of peace, good order
and lawful government, to solemn
]y protest against any credit being
given to such assertions; be 1t,
therefore,
Resolved, That Francis T. Mich
oils is recognized and obeyed as the
lawful Governor Of this State by
nine-tenths OF the honest, intelligent
tax-paging classes of the State, and
by a large numerical majority of its
citizens, without distinction OF race
or color.
Resolved, That this recognition
of the government OF his Excel
lency, Francis II. Nichols, as the
only lawful government of the
State, is abundantly prov en- by the
ready obedience yielded by all
classes to the authority of the
courts. sheriffs and other officers
acting under commissions issued by
him and by the voluntary payment
of taxes in advance of the time fix
ed by law.
Resolved. That for ourselves,
aud for the great mass of the peace
able and law-abiding citizens OF
this State, we solmenly protest
against the right of any power OUT
side of the State to set up or to
recognize any State government
other than that Of Francis Il. Mich
oils, the one duly elected, inaugu~
rated. recognized and obeyed by
the people OF the State.
Resolved. That in the interest
of peace aud good order, and OF
Republican institutions, we solemn
ly protest against any attempt to
impose the said S. B. Packard npon
this people as Governor of the
State, firmly believing that the at
tempt would lead to civil strife,
and to a resistance which would
speedy assume such formidable
proportions as would endapger the
peace and prosperity of the entire
country.