The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1878-05-02
Letter from Hon. J. H. Acklen.

1 My Dear Sir-To-day on my ar
rival at the House of Representa-
tives, I found the enclosed note
from Mr.. Schurz, and in com.
pliance with his request ] called
about half-past three o o'clock. he
sent for Mr.. Marble, and we dis
cussed the situation for about one
Ihom. I took occasion, by the by,
to show him your letter OF April
9th, received this morning, and
which I beg now to acknowledge,
[ in which you So admirably say, IN
speaking of Adams, that from all
parties here fCalcasieu) he will re-
ceive every attention and courtesy"
/ The object of MIR. SchurZ's desire
to see me was based upon what he
alleged TO be his fear, that if Car
ter went out to Lake Charles he
would be murdered by our people,
as he (Schurz) had receivedinform-
alton that it would not be safe for
Carter to go there. i laughed at
the Secretary's fears for Carriers
safety, and told him that though
our people had probably good rea-
son to wish him at the end of a
rope, they would not, pending this
investigation, touch him-and in
order to satisfy Schurz, / sent you
the following telegram: "SchurZ
expresses fears for Carriers life.
Have Ryan, Geary, Wells and Per-.
kins unite in kilograms to me that
Carter will not be bulldozed or.
molested pending taking of testi-
mony." This / drew up In his
presence, in order that he could
have no chance to avoid the issue
which / am determined to force
upon the Department OF the Int
rior, viz: to fairly face the fucts III
this case. To have avoided the
taking of this testimony under the
alleged reason that it was not safe
for government agent to go to
Calcasieu, would indeed be an easy
escapefrom an unenyiable position.
/ have the interests of the people
of my district too much at heart,
and shall guard their rights too
jealously to permit any Sinking of
the burdens which the Department
here have drawn upon themselves.
[ did not hesitate to tell Mr..
Schurz, that while I was emphat-
ically an administration man, and
would not forget the prompt justice
with which Hayes had acted to-
wards Louisiana, for which. she,
poor State, cursed az she had been
for so many long years with the
Iiniquities of the worst type OF Rad
ieaiism, was grateful, that never
theless, / would not swerve from
the stlict line of my duty in this
affair, that these people were my
people, and L had every reason to
believe that they had been made
to suffer by unwarrantable actions
on the part of che agents of the
government. and that their legal
rights as well as their property had
been taken from them, that ] only
demanded THAT the Department
fairly and honestly investigate this
case; but thai if they refused to do
80, then the highest power of the
land should hold the scales and
"mete justice to the line and jndg-
ment to the plnmmet.
| Perhaps / may have spoken a
little warmly when / reached this
| part of our conversation, for / no.
ticed that when through they both
hastened to assure me that it was
furthest from the wish of the De-
partment to conceal any derelic-
tions of duty, or violations of law
by the agents of the government.
i told the Secretary that i did not
propose to question the honesty of
his convictions in this case, or the
Justice OF his Intentions, but that
to him had been presented but one
side of this case, and that side he
had obtained solely through Car
ter and Carriers friends. Premis-
ing for one moment that there aoas
ground for this Investigation, be
could then readily see how neces-
sary it was for Carter's plans and
| for the retention of his Office that
4 a garbled and false statement of