The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-04-25

To the Republicans of Louisiana:
On this day, the fifteenth anniversary of
the surrender of New Orleans to the
forces of the United States, it becomes
my duty to announce to you that the aid
and countenance of the national govern
ment has been withdrawn from the Re-
publicans of Louisiana and that a govern
ment, revolutionary in form, is practically
on the point of usurping the control of
affairs In this state, recall the circum.
stances OF the last electoral campaign only
to thank you for the fidelity to the princi-
pie you then displayed. The Republican
party, as you know, entered upon the can
vass united and stronger than ever before
1t had enlisted to its banner an inhuen-
tlal class of natiYe-born citizens of
old Whig antecedents, who. to their honor
be 1t said, still remain faithful to the
principle they espoused. and the govern
ment they supported was furtheristrength
eCed by the absence from the state of the
element whose previous adherance to the
party had brought it into disrepute
These causes combined to bring about a
remarkable success achieved by the Re
publican party in all doubtful parishes,
with one exception. Even where the
white population preponderated, and
which gave us a majority in
the legislature, except where
organized violence prevailed, our state
ticket carried every Republican parish,
and also number of parishes which. in
the last legislature, were represented by
Democratic members. | briefly summar-
Use the historical events which have
since occurred The general as
sembly met on the first Of Jan
uary last; organized with a full legal
quorum in both houses; passed laws which
were approved by the executive of the
state, and on the second of January last
canvassed and declared the vote for gov
ernor. At this time the nation was agi-
tated bv doubts as to the result of the
presidential election, with the expectation
that Sam'l j. Tilden might possibly be-
come president of the United States, and
with no hope of success, otherwise, my
opponent in the late campaign established
a mock legislature and went through the
form of inauguration, in order that there
might be semblance of a government
which Tilden, if inaugurated, could posi-
bly, galvaniZe into vitality. La the few days
that followed General Nichols and his
adherents we're encouraged by the unex-
pected refusal of President Grant tC
recognize the state government or to res
) pond to the constitutional call oil
the legislature, though he questioned the
legality of neither. On the 9th of Janu
+ airy, had scarcely taken my seat in thC
, executive chair, when the white league
rose in armed insurrection and by coup d.
5 main took possession of the supreme court
arsenal and the stations of the Metropol
itan police, all located at the capital. TheI
came orders from President Grant estab
fishing statue quo, the practical effect oI
: which was to confirm the insurgents in tht
advantages they had gained and prevented
any effort to dispose of them in the inau
guration of President Hayes. The state
authorities made preparations to organic
militia force for the defence cf the stat,
: government. Gen. Nicholls's police seizet
a upon the recruiting officers and impris
oned them for treason. without the benef
5 of bail on a writ OF habeaS corpus. | tele
graphed this fact to President Hayes, ask
G ing if this was violation of the statue gu
y and if not. whether the release of thes
men by force, ell civil remedies having
been exhausted, would be so considered
e. The president replied Your despatch c
the oath is received. The secretary of wa
| mas IGiePTdpil6O ~ Fel AuBui. n GOui
mission will shortly visit Louisiana.
the meantime the president desires tina
the situation remain unchanged" Th
com omission came. In the meantim
Nichols's government had crystalized iut
shapes far from permitting the situation t
remain unchanged. 1t had broken int
the tax collectors Offices of the city, ha
taken forcible control of the state institC
L.. l., ba, For oil do,
c. Notwithstanding this, however, the con
e e mission found the legal legislature still i
ID session at the state house and my tit
g. unassaied and unassailable except b
s' force. The result of their labors durir
the two weeks they remained here
= known of all men. They induced a nun
Der of members of the legal house of rel
resentatives to take seats in Nichols
! house, thus giving it returning boal
quorum. Prior to the meeting of the legl
ed lature the Democrats claimed to haye ele
Ah ted only sixty members of the house, one lie
'm than quorum. One at least of the met
bers so claimed by them was absent {
10 the first Of Jan. last, no Republican
Independent member would consent to a
: with the Nichols house. and consequent
in order to obtain even an appearance
call to their aid three men defeated at q
7 polls, whose election had not been pr
i viously claimed The enquiry thereto
seems pertinent in this connection, if
returning board quorum was so effectu
for Nicholls's claim why was it that su
quorum was ignored while it remain
faithful to the legal government of t
state? That government had a returniI
1 | ri bo dow iah
general assembly convened and the leg
ere Iature was duly organized, and !
ing manned in legal existence till disint
old grated by the direct action
les the commission. This result having be
achieved it is matter of record tn
eongratulatory messages were exchang
between the president and his commissic
On the following day the president, by
formal order, directed that the U.
troops occupying building in the viclni
Of the stare house should be removed
their barracks. Those troops had be
n placed there by President Grant, witho
Y a formal call from the governor, to prott
the returning board, while counting t
vote for president. | firmly believe til
MT had the legal government been recogniz
al al it could have sustained itself without
six Intervention of troops, but the order for
B. withdrawal, issued under the circumstan'
uee and in the manner that it was issue
clearly indicated that even the moral ST
. port which the legal government of Lou
lana should have received from the |
tional administration would be denit
Had the general assembly continued
session in the state house | should ha
deemed it my duty to have asserted a
e, defended the government to the Ia