The Portland daily press., 1877-04-19
LOUISIANA.
Republicans Reject the Democratic
Proposals.

Republicans Reject the Democratic
Proposals.
And Will Stick to Packard to the
End.
New ORLEANS April 1S.-Both Houses of
the Packard legislature met in joint caucus at
IL o'clock. There were SO members present,
including Washington and Brooks, two colored
members recently acting with the Nichols
House. Gen. Mcmillan on the part of the
executive committee laid before the caucus an
official copy of resolution passed by the
Nichols legislature yesterday, and which was
received by him from the commission, He
called attention to the long struggles the mem
bers had undergone in their efforts to establish
and maintain a legal state government. and
said he dep!ored the necessity for ADMITTING
that their efforts had failed. He regretted that
repeated appeals to the President for aid had
been silently ignored. The assurances of the
members OF the commission were authoritative
ly, if not officially. given that the President
would not recognize either governor and would
certainly withdraw the troops, brought them
face to face J., with the inevitable. Without the
was hopeless. Under these circumstances
what did sound policy demand? Clearly to
look the inevitable in the face and make the
most they could of the situation. In reply to
question Mcmillan SAID the document had no
endorsement from the commission, favorable or
otherwise, but it had been handed him by the
commission and at their suggestion he had
subsequently invited number of members of
the legislature to meet the commission and
discuss the matter.
w. 81. Dinkgrave of Madison said he was
one of the members sent for by the commission
and he would relate as accurately as he could
remember what took place at that interview.
The commission stated they had been here now
two weeks as agents OF the President trying to
see if some plan of adjustment could not be
adopted. AS Republicans the commission said
they deeply sympathized with US In our strug-
giles and sacrifices, but after two weeks labor
we have come to the conclusion that Zone of
the commission here interpolated the words
mot as commission but as Individually the
terms offered in the proposition which has
been handed by one of US to the chairman of
your committee, are the best we can get for
you and for the sake of the Republican party
and for the sake of the peace of the state it was
best we should accept them. This was en-
dorsed by all the members present except Nc
Weigh. Gov. Brown was not present. I for
one was surprised and indignant at the ptopo-
sitiOn made to us to thus sacrifice duty. princi-
pie, honor and everything. l said to General
Harlan iala . 30 you speak n as commissioner"
your right as citizen of Kentucky to come
here and dictate to me, a member of the legis.
lature of Louisiana, what shall do" asked
one of the members of the commission if he
were member of the legislature as was and
believed Gov. Packard honestly elected, wheth-
er he would accept those terms. After soma
hesitation he replied, "No." This in my opin-
ion is not question of compromise 1t is a
question of law, question of right, and trust
every member of this body will agree with me
to stand firm and not to let President Hayes
slip through the loophole which the commits
sion is trying to prepare for him. I believe
the time has come when we can say to Pres-
dent Hayes, "You were elected by the votes of
the Republicans of Louisiana, sealed by the
blood of hundreds of faithful men, and now
legations of your high Office, you are trying to
carry out the bargain made by your advisers,
who came here with nothing but honeyed
words on their lips and nothing but praises of
our matchless fidelity, while the returning
board were canvassing votes. You are trying
to carry out that bargain by saying that whilst
you had the matter under consideration the
Republicans of Louisiana gave up the fight
You shall not whip the devil around the stump
in that manner"
OF which it was stated that one member of the
commission had asserted that if this PROPOSE
ton were not adopted the troops would be re-
moved in less than a fortnight, and another
commissioner said within week.
Gov. Warmoth made long speech urging
in defense of President Hayes that when he
came into Office he found Gov. Packard labelled
across the back with telegraphic despatch
from the outgoing President that the troops
were not to be used for the support of his gov
eminent. He eulogzed the patient endurance
and determination exhibited by Gov. Packard
in defence of his rights. He concluded as fol-
lows:
If the members of this body have manhood
and personal and party integrity enough to
stand together never to leave their places, and
10 %ha
right thing, the high toned thing, the honorable
thing is to send back this to the commission
endorsed 1.-THE within proposition submitted by
the commission is respectfully declined, but If
there are a lot of scurvy men in this body
who after the majority has made determine
this contest will for a paltry sum take their
hats and sneak by the back doors into Mr.,
Nichols legislature, why in Gods name let
US know it before hand. If you have
determined that you will not compromise at
all, let US say SO in plain terms, and stand
together till the issue comes. If each man will
sign his name, and pledge his word of honor
to stand by this government until honorably
discharged by the Governor of this state, we
will have no difficulty in waiting and putting
States to test, and then whatever happens we
save our self respect, even if we do not have
seats in anybody's legislature.
The following resolutions offered by Gov
w dlWoeh WOIO tuOu duOptcu, duu lu0 CAUCUS
adjourned.
Resolved, That we have received the propo-
stion of adjustment forwarded to us by the
honorable gentlemen of the Presidents com.
mission, and having considered it carefully feel
obliged to decline to accept its terms. If our
Legislature. organized with quorum in both
houses of members returned elected by the Re-
turning Board as required by law, be illegal, as
is assumed by the proposition, and if it be true
that the legislature should be constituted of
persons prina facie elected by the returns of the
com mlssioners of election, we still fail to see
by what right an exception is made in this pro-
posal IN favor of three persons from the 18th
ward of New Orleans who by those prinaa fdcie
statements were returned defeated.
Resolved, That we disavow anylpurpose to
trade the questions at issue between the two
state governments and will consent to no trade
whatever. If we are to have legislature Or
ganized on the principle that the persons elect
ed at the ballot box should constitute each
house prinaa facie, we know nothing which
gives our Democratic brethren the right to
make an exception to that principle, although
it may change the power of the respective par
ties and give the Democratic party a majority
which they would not otherwise have.
Resolved, That the resolutions be forwarded
to the honorable members of the Presidents
commission.
Deserters from Packard,s Legislature.
Gea (colored, holding over senator, hereto.
fore acting with the Packard Senate, and Hen
~ Roby, a Returning Board member of the
Packard legislature, were today seated in the
Nichols legislature. Brooks (colored) who
was reported present in caucus at the St. Louis
House this morning, made a personal explana-
ton in the Nichols house this afternoon, say
ing that he only went down there to see the
boys; that he did not take any part in the pro-
ceedings. By request Cain Sartain made
similar explanation for George Washington,
saying that Washington would be in mis- seat
tomorrow.