The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1877-05-04
PACKARD'S FAREWELL.
STATE OF LOUISIANA, !
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT.
"NEw ORLEANS. La. April 25.

$50 The Republicans Of LouisianG:
''On this, the fifteenth anniversar r,
of the surrender of New Orleans To a.,
forces of tie United States, it becon..
my duty to annouce to you that tie
AID countensnce of he National Coy
erument has been withdrawn from tie
Republicans of Louisiana, and hat a
goyermeIt [, revolutionary in form, is
practically on the poiut of usurping
the control of affairs in this State.
al recall the circumstances of the
last electoral campaign only to thank
you for tllr fidelity 10 principle you
then displayed. The Republican par
ty, as you know, entered upon the
canvass more united and stronger than
ever before. It had enlisted under its
banners an influential class of native
born citizens, of old Wing antecedeLt.,
who, to their honor be it said, still re-
main faithful to the principles they
J espoused and the Government they
. supported. 1t was further strengthen
ed by the absence from the State. OF
the opposition, of that element whose
previous adherence 10 party had
brought it into dispute. These causes
! combined to bring about the remark
able success achieved by the Repabli.
can party in all the doubtful parishes
with one exception, even where the
= white population predominated. and
which gave us majority in the Legis
, laturc. Except where organized vic.
ience prevailed, our State ticket car
ried every Republican parish, and also
Dumber of parishes which, ia the last
Legislature. were represented by Dem.
ocFatic members.
Il bri. fly summarize the historical
events that have since occurred. The
General Assembly met on the LIST oi
, July last, organized with a full legal
, quorum in both Houses, passed laws
which were approved by the Execu.
tive of the State, and, Oh the I'd OF
January last, canvassed and declared
the vote for Governor. At this time
the nation was agitated by doubt as
to the result Of the Presidential elec-
ton, with an expectation that
Samuel J. Tilden might possibly be-
come President of the United States.
With no hope of success otherwise, my
opponent in the State campaign estab
lished mock Legislature, and went
through the form Of All Inauguration,
in order that there might be a SEM
blance of a government which Mr..
Tiiden. if inaugurated, could possibly
| galvaniZe with vitality. In the few
days that followed. Gen. Nichols
and bis adherents were encouraged by
! the unexpected refusal of President
Grant to recognize the State govern
ment or to respond to the constitution
al call of the Legislature, though he
questioned the legality of heitlIer. On
the 9th of January, had scarcely taken
10y seat in the Executive chair when
the White League rose in armed in
surrection, and, 10y a coup de main,
took possession of the Supreme Court,
arsenals, and stations of the Metropol
itan police, all located at the Capitol
Fhel. came orders from President
Grant establishing a Stdtu QuO-the
practical effort of which was TO con-
hrm the insurgents in the advantages
they had gained, and to prevent any
effort TO dispossess them
''On the Inauguration of President
Hayes the State authorities made pre-
parations to organize a militia force for
the defense of the State government.
Gen. Nichols police seized upon the
recruiting officers and imprisoned
them for treason. without the benefit
of bail or a writ of habeas corpus. l
telegraphed this fact to President
Hayes asking if this was violation Of
the StGtu quo, and if not, whether d
release of these men by free, all civil
remedies having been exhausted, would
be SO considered. The President re
Piled: ''Your dispatch of the oath is
received. The Secretary of War has
telegrapbed 10 Gen. Augur:" "A con-
mission will shortly visit Louisiana,
and in the meantime The President
desires that the situation remain un
changed"
''The commission came. In the
meantime the Nichols Government
had crystalized into shape. So fer
from permitting the situation TO re-
main unchanged. it had broken into
the tax collectors Offices Of the city,
had taken forcible control of the State
institutions. (. and had strengthened
/ itself on all sides. NoIwithstand,ng
this. however, the commission found
legal Legislature still in session at the
State House, and my title unassailed,
except by force.
The result of their labors during
the two weeks they remained here il
know; to all men. They induced
number of members of the legal House
of Representatives to take seats in the
Nichols House, thus giving it Re
turning Board quorum.
prior to the meeting of the Legis-
lature tie Democrats claimed TO have
elected only sixty members of tie
House. one less than a quorum. One
at least of the members so claimed by
them was absent on the LIST of January
last No Republican or Independent
member would consent to act with the
Nichols House, and consequently ia
der to obtain even the appearance
of an organization they have been
compelled to call to their aid three
ruen defeated at the polls, whose elec
Iiou had not been previously claimed.
The inquiry. therefore, seems peril
nent in This connection. If Return
ing Board quorum was so effective for
Nichols claims, why was it that such
d quorum WIS ignored while it re
lnained faithful TO the legal govern
nent of the State! That government
had Returning Board quorum from
tie day or which the General Assembly
convened and the Legislature was duly
organized, and remained in legal eI
isteDce till disentegrated by the direct
action OF the commission. This result
having been achieved, it is matter of
record that congratulatory messages
We're exchanged between the President
aud his commission.
On the following day The President.
by a forma. order, made public through
the press. directed thai the Uuited
States troops occupying building in
the vicinity of the State House should
be removed to their barracks. Those
troops had been placed there by Presi-
den Grant without a formal CAL of the
Governor 10 protect the Returning
Board while counting the vote for
President. | firmly believe that had
the legal government been recognized
it would have sustained itself without
the Intervention of troops, but the
order for tile withdrawal, issued under
the circumstances, and in the manner
that it was issued clearly indicated that
even the moral support which the legal
government of Louisiana should have
received from the National Admins
tration would be denied. Had the
General Assembly continued in session
in the State House, should have
deemed it my duty to have asserted
my government to the last, notwitk
standing the withdrawal of the troops.
But with the Legislature disintegrated,
and 10 prospect of present success.
can not task your tried fidelity by ask
ing You longer to continue to aid NE