Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-05-03
GOV. PACKARD.
His Surrender to Force,
The Last of the Republican Gov.
ernments of the South Gone
.r by the Board. 7I
a Manly and Characteristic Address.
New ORLEANS, April 25.

Packard and all his adherents, except
one Metropolitan, had left the State
House, and Col. Boylan, Chief of Po
lice, directed squad of his men to take
possession of the building.
3 Packard's militia lett behind them
about two hundred stands of arms be.
longing to the State aE lf
Gov. Nichols, yesterday, received
many kilograms from points in Louisi.
ana, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas,
offering congratulations over the with.
drawal of troops, indicating great re-
joIcing among the people, by firing Of
salutes, ringing of bells, display OF
flags, &c.
STATE OF LOUISIANA EXECUTIVE DEP'T,l
MEw ORLEANS, April 25.
TO the Republicans ofLouisiana:
On this day the fifteenth anniversa.
ry of the surrender of New Orleans to
the forces of the United States, it be-
comes my duty to announce to you,
that the aid and countenance of the
National Government has been with
drawn from the Republicans of Louisi-
ana, and that a Government revolu.
tionary in form is practically on the
point of usurping The control of affairs
in this State.
1recall the circumstances of the last
electoral campaign only 10 thank you
for the fidelity to principle you then
Displayed. The Republican party, as
you know, entered upon the C c,nvas5
more united and stronger than ever
before. 1t has enlisted under its BAN
'ners an Influential class of native born
citizens, of old Whig antecedenIs, who,
to their honor be it said, still remain
faithful to the principles they espous-
ed and the Government they support
ed. 1t was further strengthened by
the absence from Inc State, or the OPP
position, Of that element whose previ-
Gus sdherence to party had brought it
into disrepute. These causes combin-
ed to bring about the remarkable sue
cess achieved by the Republican party
in all the doubtful parishes with one
exception, even where the white pOpu-
iation prep0nderated, and which gave
Us q majority in the Legislature. Ex-
cept where organized violence prevail
ed, our State ticket carried every Re
publican parish, and also a number of
paraishes which, in the last I1egisla-
ture, were represented by Democratic
members. ati la
/ briefly summarize the historical
events that have since occurred. The
General Assembly met on the Ist of
July last, organized with a full legal
quorum in both Houses, passed laws
which were approved by tie Execu-
tive of the State, and, on the 2d of JAM
uary last, canvassed and declared the
vote for Governor. At this time the
Nation was agitated by doubt as to the
result of the Presidential election, with
an expectation that Samuel j. Tilden
might possibly become President of the
United States. With no hope of sue
cess otherwise, my opponent in the
State campaign established a mock
Legislature, and went through the
form of an organization, in order that
there might be semblance of a Gov
eminent which Mr.. TilIen, if inaugu-
ted, could possibly galyanize the vital
ity. In the few days that followed,
Gen. Nichols and his adherents were
by the unexpected refusal
OF President Grant to recognize the
State Government or to respond to the
Constitutional call of the Legislature,
though he questioned the legality of
On the 9th of January, had
scarcely taken my seat in the Execu-
tive chair, when the White League
rose in armed insurrectiOn, and by a
eoup de main took possession of the Su-
preme Court, arsenals and stations of
the Metropolitan Police, all located at
the Capitol. Then came orders from
President Grant establishing stan
Q,to-the practical effect of which was
to confirm the insurgents in tine ad
vantages they had gained, and to pre-
vent any effort to dispossess them.
On the inaugation of President
Hayes, the State authorities made pre-
paratiOns to organize militia force for
the defense Of the State Government.
Gen. Nichols police seized upon the
officers and imprisoned them
for treason, without the benefit OF bail
or q writ OF hdbeds corpus. / telegraph
ed this fact to President Hayes. asking
if this was violation of the stat,t quo,
and If not, whether release of these
men by free, all civil remedies having
been exhausted, would be SO consider
ed. The President replied: 'YOur dis
patch of the Oath is received. The
Secretary of War has telegraphed to
Gen. Augur: "A Commission will
shortly visit Louisiana, in the mean
time the President desires thatfthe
remain unchanged"
The Commission came. In the
meantime the Nichols Government
had crystalized into shape. So far from
the situation to remain un-
changed, it had broken into the tax
collectors offices of the city, had taken
fOrcible control of the State instiitu-
tions, and had strengthened itself on
all sides. Notwithstanding this, how
ever, the Commission found u legal
still in session at the State
House, and my title unassaiied, and
except by force.
The result of their labors, during the
two weeks they remained here is
known of all men. They induced q
of members of the legal House
Of Representatives to take seats in the
House, thus giving it a Re
turning Board quorum.
Prior to tho meeting of the LegiSla-
ture, the Democrats claimed to have
elected only sixty members of the
House, one less than quorum. One
at least of the members so claimed by
them was absent on the 1st of January
last. No Republican or independent
member would consent to act with the
Nichols House, and consequently in
order to obtain even the appearance OF
an organization, they have been COM
PEELED to call to their sid three men
defeated at the polls, whose election
had not been previously claimed. The