The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-03-07

To the Hon. Eugene Hale. House OF Represent
atives, Washington, ID. c.:
SIR-In your speech in the House on
Tuesday you refer to me as authority for
the statement that compact was made
that there should be no political prosecu-
tions in Louisiana. ! would much pre-
fer that the members Of the Presidents
Louisiana Commission should be appealed
to for an explanation of the meaning of
tho resolution passed by the Nichols
Legislature, and for a statement of the
character of the pledges given to them by
the officials Of the Nichols. government
The value of the work these gentlemen
did in New Orleans has often been ques-
toned, but it was supposed at the time
they closed their labors that they had at
least accomplished one good result-the
protection of Republicans from revenge
ful prosecutions on the part of their tri-
umphant opponents The promises made
by the Conservative leaders, and the
character of the men making them, were
thought to furnish a full guaranty against
such proceedings as are now going on in
Louisiana. If the Commissioners failed
in the only feature Of their undertaking
which all parties commended at the time,
it is certainly due to the public that they
should make some explanation of the
causes of the failure, and should put the
blame where it belongs.
| was only "looker on in Vienna"
but you are welcome to any light / can
shed on the affair. / arrived in New
Orleans early in April last, a few DAYS in
advance of the commission, and by the
aid of previous acquaintance and some
little reputation as a newspaper cores
pondent who tried to give both sides Of a
story, was enabled to get upon terms Of
intimacy with the members of both the
conflicting governments. If l had any
prejudice it grew out of much observa-
ton of the ways Of the carpet bag admin
strations in the South, and was in favor
of the Nichols concern. | found Pack
ard besieged in the State House, sustain
ed by handful of good intelligent citi-
zens, and by a motley rabble Of two or
three hundred disreputable fellows Of all
coIors He was utterly without authUri-
/ ty beyond the walls OF the building, and
was only safe there by reason of the
presence of a large body of Federal
troops in an adjoining barrack. All
| branches of the State and local govern
ment had passed into the hands of the
Nichols party. | found that all the prop
erty and intelligence of the State was
practically solid for Nichols, and that
Packard had no moral or material sup
port except what came FROM the unor
ganized, ignorant negro element, and q
pitiful array of terrified Office holders
Nichols could, in two hours time, as
semble an army of $4,000 trained militia
horse, foot. and artillery, in the streets
OF New Orleans. Packard had only
J ragamuffin bodyguard of few hundred
men who elung to the coattails of tn,
United States soldiers.
} 1t was evident that there were but two
! courses to take. Either the Presiden
B must sustain Packard by an active anC
. continuous use OF military force and mus
! order the troops to disperse the Nicholl
: Legislature, or the State must be hande,
over to its actual rulers, with such guar
antees as could be got from them for tn
; security of Republicans. | earnestly IA
r vored the latter course, and believed tina
, in no other way could the peace OF Lot
isiana be secured, and the blacks an
whites be brought to live and labor 4
:, Cether in friendship. The commissio
took a long time to reach the same cor
clusion, but il came to il at last Som
of the members were radical Republican
accustomed to viewing the Southei
problem from an extreme Norther
standpoint. They exhausted their inte
lectual resources in trying 10 discov,
\ some plan by which the Packard cover
ment could be made acceptable to 4
influential classes, and be enabled
g maintain itself without the constant su
port OF standing army. In the EN-