The Colfax chronicle. (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1876-1877, 1877-04-21
LAfEsKNEws.
,s.ial to ahe Nsv orlssvs Dsmocss.
THE CABINET.

preston here IL that the Caplne0
will to-day take important action
regarding Louisiana. Nothing
iefinite, however, can be ascer-
tanned. If the Commission has
been vauthorized ITO negotiate for
Lhe S.natorship Tor Packard. as
telegraphed to the New York
Herald. at ieast three members of
,he Cabinet, Schurz Key aud Ev-
arts, were not advised>of it. The
belief is gaining ground here that
The Commission has mistaken the
spirit of it's instructions. The
President himself will say nothing
IN the subject. k7t
THE COMMISSION.
A New Orleans Dispatch Says 1t
appears that the members Of the
Commission are very much divided
III opinion as to what course to
pursue. Ibe more conservative
think they are not expected to ex-
anime into any meters regarding
the situation per Sc Others re-
gard the Commission in the light
Of a board Of arbitration. Two
Of them deem it highly important
that the work should be expedited
aud the Commission return to
Washington as soon as possible.
Messrs. Harlan and Hawley
think they should remain on the
ground until the whole affair is
adjusted. These gentlemen still
ching to the fusion Legislature
project, and express the opinion
that no United States Senator will
be admitted who is not elected by
full Legislature, consolidated on
that basis.
THE LOUISIANA CASE.
Washington, April 10. = The
Tribune's New Orleans dispatch
says it may safely be stated that a
III ,iority, If not all, of the MEM
bers have been led by their in
quiries to the following conclusion
l. That tie Packard government
has tie best, if not the only de jure
title. If the Returning Board be
"a constitutional part of the ma
chinery Of the elections, then
Packard, his court, his officers and
his Legislature are the Legitimate
products of that machine. There
IS room for fair doubt as to the
constitutional power of the board
to make up 81 Legislature. and 10
act judicially on the supreme
Court decision denying it the
power to return WAS binding.
| The Nichols party had, there
fore, no right to build up a govern
ment on their own doubts as to
The -constitutionahty Of statutcs
under winch the board acted
The question goes to the Presi-
dent, however, not as legal, bni
as a political one, aud he ma,
fairly satisfy himself and be, gov
erned by his own CONSTRUCTION ias
to whether the boards action Wal
constitutional afie
| /. Tint the Nichols govern
ment exercises complete de fact,
authority throughout the state
and in every acre of its soil excep
within the walls of the old hote
nsed by Packard ns State House
The assertions of Packard .th,st il
certain heavy negro parishes he il
recognized. have not been verified
reputable gentlemen. of both par
ties having come IN from those
parisees to answer the Commission
that the Nichols Administrators
meets with no more opposition IL
these localities than in New Or
leans. Packard's statement tina
nearly all the Circuit Judges i,
the State recognizes him has beef
found to rest solely in the fac
that these judges were commits
sioned by Kellogg, aud is disprovet
by the oaths Of Office fled by then
with the Nichols Secretary o
State. . -a B .s g. Z
1t is generally true that Pack
ard is prisoner in the Stat
House, and that his claims are &C
tually supported by no one in Lou
isiana, except members Of his gov
ernment, and two or three hun
dred guards he is feeling and pay
ing.
No doubt the negro populatio'
: believe in his right and want
enforced, but they will not raise
finger to aid him, while the WHIT
: population are in active and AZ
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