Washington sentinel., 1900-02-10

I
States during the reconstruction
period. The State OF Alabama was
passing through one OF these trials
a7 years ago, and an armed con-
Aict was narrowly averted. Rival
Legislatures were organized, and
desperate efforts were made by
both sides to secure the moral sup
port OF President Grants first Ad-
ministration, as well as material
aid, but tn .se efforts failed, and the
Lieutenant Governor was reproved
by the Attorney General oi the
United States for presuming to.oc-
cupy the rooms OF the United States
Court to hold meeting Of a faction
claiming TO be the General Assem-
bly,.
In Arkansas, in 1874, matters
proceeded 10 a greater extreme,
and an armed collision was only
averted by the firm attitude Of Pres
ident Grants Administration. Two
Governments were actually set up,
one Of them under the decision Of
a State Circuit Court, and what
was known as the "Ba2tter War"
followed, Elisha Baxter, actual
Governor, was dispossessed in a
way and the State House seized by
the armed partisans OF Joseph
Brooks, the defeated candidate for
Governor at the State election in
1879. Baxter was a prominent
leader, who had been sent to the
United States Senate in 1864 by
Legislature organized and elected
in what was declared to be an ir-
regular manner. Brooks's follow
ers made an attack on Baxter,
elected him from the State House
and seized the armoTy, and he
called for troops to support him in
the exercise Of his functions.
Brooks also called on President
Grant for assistance, and demanded
that the State arms in the United
States Arsenal at Little Rock be
turned over to him. The Presi-
dent denied both requests, and in
structed the commander OF the mil
itary post at Little Rock tc pre-
serve the peace, at the same time
advising both Baxter and Brooks
to bring the matter before the
State Court OF Appeals and abide
By its decision.
That advice suited neither party,
and preparations for war were con-
tinued by the opposing factions.
On May I3 the commander .ot the
United States forces reported that
both sides had been considerably
REINFORCED and that there had been.
some street fighting, though Of
very low grade The President
continued to act as peacemaker
until May 10, when he recognized
Baxter as the dejure Governor OF
Arkansas, and Genera1' Sherman
instructed the commander of the
military post at Little ROCK and all
other garrisons in the State to give
him such aid and protection as
might be necessary. The "Baxter
war" then ended as suddenly as it
had begun, and peace was quickly
restored. On February 8, 1875,
President Grant sent a special mes
sage to Congress on the subject.
The Louisiana troubles arose
after the election OF 1872. Two
rival canvassing boards were or
ganized, and the naturalresult was
two State Legislatures, one known
as the Warmoth Legislature and
the other as the Pinchback Legis-
lature, and the latter was recog-
nized by President Grants Admin
istration.
The political pot continued to
boil higher and higher until Dec.
Ia, 1879, when Warmoth's Legis-
lature adjourned sine. die. On the
same day John McEnery sent a
dispatch to the President, claiming
to be Governor-eIect OF Louisiana.
wo- days later affairs assumed a
more threatening aspect than ever,
and both ,the partisaas Of the War
moth faction and the Piuchback
kellogg faction were under arms.
In August, 1874, the political
troubles were recommended; the
White League was active and
threats to depose Kellogg as a
usurper became vtoleht,c backed
by an armed force. A month later
the Kellogg Government was tenn
porarilY overturned by the Nc
Emery faction, and President Grant
was again obliged to interfere. to
restore order, after the State house
had been captured and ndmber
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The revolutionists obeyed the