The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-02

Incidents of Reconstruction Days I'm
the Southland.

the Southland.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1.-The imbroglio in
Kentucky recalls 20 the Herald situations
quite as complex and threatening in other
Southern States during the reconstruction
period. The State of Alabama was passing
through one of these trials twenty-seven
years ago and an armed conflict was mar
rowly averted. Rival legislatures were or
ganized and desperate efforts were made
by both sides to secure the moral support
of President Grants first administration
as well as material aid, but these efforts
failed and the lie dtenant governor was re-
proved by the attorney general Of the
United States for presuming to occupy the
rooms of the United States Court to hold
q meeting of faction claiming to be the
General Assembly.
In Arkansas, in 1874 matters proceeded to
a greater extreme and an armed collision
was only averted by the firm attitude of
President Grants administration. Two gov
ernments were actually set up, one of them
Under the decision of State Circuit Court,
and what was known as the Baxter war;
followed. L. Baxter, actual Governor, was
dispossessed in way, and the Statehouse
was seized by the armed partisans of Jo-
seph Brooks, the defeated candidate for
Governor at the State election of 1872. Bax-
ter was prominent leader, who had been
sent to the United States Senate in 1864 by
legislature organized and elected under
what Charles Sumner styled President Lin
coins shorthand plan Of reconstruction"
and he and his colleagues had been denied
seats i'm the United States Senate. On
April Is, 1874, Governor Baxter notified the
President that the ''revolutionists" had
elected him from the Statehouse and seized
the armory and he called for troops to sup
port him in the exercise of his functions.
Brooks also called on President Grant for
assistance and demanded that the State
arms be turned over to him. The Presi-
dent denied both requests and instructed
the commander of the military post at Lit
tie Rock to preserve 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 prepara-
tions for war were continued by the oppos-
ing factions. On May Ii the commander of
the United States forces reported that both
sides had been considerably reinforced and
that there had been some street fighting,
though of a very low grade. The President
continued to act as peacemaker until May
is, when he recognized Baxter as the de
jure Governor of Arkansas, and General
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 IL
had begun and peace was quickly restored
On Feb. s. 1875. President Grant sent a spe-
cial message to Congress on the subject.
The Louisiana trouble rose after the cleo
ton of 1872. Two rival canvassing boards
We're organized and the natural result was
two State Legislatures-one known as the
Yarmouth Legislature and the other as
the Pinchback Legislature, and the latter
was recognized by President Grants adj
ministration The political pot continued TO
boil higher and higher until Dec. IL, 1873,
when the Yarmouth Legislature adjourned
sine die. On the same day John McEnery
sent a dispatch to the President claiming
to be Governor-elect OF Louisiana. Two
days afterwards affairs assumed a more
threatening aspect than ever before and
both the partisans of the Yarmouth fac
ton and the Pinchback- Kellogg faction
were under arms and both Yarmouth and
Pinchback were attempting to exercise CUB
ernatorial functions. Matters grew from
bad 20 worse and on Jan. 4. 1873. Colonel
Emory, commanding the military depart
ment, was ordered by General Sherman to
preserve the peace. On the 9Th William
Pitt Kellogg was recognized as Governor
and the military commander was instruct
ed to support his title to that office. In