New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-04-28
WHOLE NUMBER sO49.

ninth of January when I had scarcely
taken my seat in the executive chair, the
White League rose IN armed insurrecti0n
and by a coup de main took possession of
the Supreme Court the arsenals and the
stations of the Metropolitan police, all 10
Gated at the capital.
Then came orders from President Grant
establishing status quo. the practical eff
feet of which was to confirm the insurgents
in the advantages they had gained. and to
prevent any effort to dispossess them. Tn
the Inauguration of President Hayes the
State authorities made preparations 10 or
ganizs a militia forge for the defense of
the State government. General Nieholls'
police seized upon the recruiting officers
and Imprisoned them for treason without
benefit of bail or writ of babess eorpus.
l telegraphed this fact TO President
Hayes, asking if this WAS violation OF the
status quo, and if not, whether the release
of these men by force tell civil remedies
having been exhausted( would be 30 con-
sidered. The Presidents replied;
''Your dispRtch of the twenty-fourth is
received The Secretary of War has tele-
graDhed to Gtneral AuguI: "A commission
will shortly visit Louisiana. In the mean
time the President desires that the situa-
tion remain unchanged
The commission came. In the meantime
the Nichols government had crystalized
into shape. So far from permitting "the
HatGdtttD W i6AHiA ~ AeA
broken into the tax COLLECTORS Offices OF the
city, had taken forcible control of State
institutions and had strengthened itself on
all sides. Notwithstanding thie, however,
| the commission found the legal Legislature
still in session at the State House, and my
title unassailed and unassailable, except by
force. The result of their labors during
| the two weeks they remained here is known
of all men. They induced a number OF the
| members of the legal House of Represents
| tives TO take seats in the Nichols Hoases
! thus giving it "a Returning Board quo
rum"
Prior to the meeting of the Legislature
| the Democrats claimed to have elected
| only sixty members-one less than quo
rum. One, at least, Of the members 60
| claimed by them was absent on the 1rst CT
| January last
No Republican or Independent member
| would consent 10 act with the NiehOlla
| House, and conse equently, in order to obtain
| even the appearance OF an organlz atloas
| they had been compelled to call to their
aid three men, defeated st the polls, whose
| election had not previously been claimed.
The inquiry, therefore, seems pertinent
| in this connection, if a Returning Board
| quorum" was SO effective for the Nichols
| claimants, why was it that euch quorum
| was ignored while 1T remained faithful TO
| the legal government Of the Statel That
| government held Returning Board quorum
from the day on which the General Assem-
| bly, convened, and the Legislature, duly or
| ganized, remained in legal existence till
| disintegrated by the direct action Of the
| CON mission.
This result having been achieved, 1t is q
matter of record tnat o0ngratnlatoTy mes
sages were exchanged between the Presi-
dent and his commission. On the follow
ing day the President by formal order,
made public through the press, directed
that the United States troops occupying &
building in the vicinity of the State House
should be removed to their barracks
Those troops had been placed there by
President Grant, without formal call of the
Governor, to protect the Returning Board
while counting the vote for President.
/ firmly believe that had the legal gov
ernment BEEN recognized it could have sus-
tanned itself without the intervention of
troops. But the order for their withdrawal,
| issued under the circumstances and in the
manner that it was issued, clearly indicated
that even the moral support " hieh the legel
government ct Louisiana should have re.
ceived from the national. administration
would he denied.
Had the General Assembly continued in
/ seasion at the State House / should have
deemed it my duty to have asserted and
? defended the government to the last not
withstsnding the withdrawal Of the troops
But with the Legislature disintegrated, spd
| no prospect of present success, can moi
f task your tried fidelity by asking you
longer to contiaue 70 aid me in the struggle
/ have tbHs far maintained. I therefore
, announce 10 you that I am compelled tC
. abstain, for the present, from all active as
sertion of my government. | waive mont
of my legal rights, but yield only to ca
perior force.
am not wholly discouraged BY the fac
that one by one the Republican State gov
, ernments Of the South have been forcsd Il
, suecumb to force, or fraud, or policy
/ LOnisiana, the first State rehabiiitated
t after the war, is the last State whose gov
ernment thus falls, and believe it will bs
among the first to raise itself again to the
plane of equal and honest representation
/ advise that you maintain your party or
, ganization and continue to battle for the
! rights of citizenship and free government
, We strive for these, and not for man OIL
men. 1t tgIieves me beyond expression that
, the heroic efforts you have made, and the
cruel suferings you have undergone Etc
maintain Republican principles in Louiei
ana have had this bitter ending. To those
Who have SO gallantly stood By me in the
long contest we have passed through ten
der my heartfelt thanks. To all counte
peace, patience, fortitnde and firm trusi
that eventually right and Justice will pre
vail. S. B, PACKARD, Governor.