Year: 1877

"NEW ORLEANS, April q, 1871
To tie President Of the United States
Sir: In accordance WithyOur request,
the undersigned have visited this
city, and passed the last sixteen days
in aScertaining thepOlitical situation
in Louisiana and endeavOring to
bring about Il peaceful solution Ofits
difficulties. In view of the declara-
ton in the letter of the Secretary of
State, that we shall direct our efforts
Othe end of securing the recognition
of single Legislature, as thedeposi-
tory of the representative will Of the
people of Louisiana, leaving if ne
ceSSary, to the judicial or their con-
stitutiOnal arbitrament within the
State, thequeStiOn of ultimate right,
and in view of your determination
to withdraw the troops of the United
States to their barracks as soon as it
could be done without endangering
the peace, we addressed ourselves to
the task of securing a common Leg
islature of undisputed authority,
competent to compose the existing
political contentious, and to preserve
the peace without any aid from the
National Government. To this end,
we endeavOred to assuage the hitter
mesa and animnsity we found exist
ing on both sides, so as to secure a
public opinion less unfaVorable to
such concessions as were indispen-
sable to oar success in Obtainingsuch
Il Legislature and such general ac-
quiesence in its authority as would
insure social order. We have had
full conferences with the two gentle
men who claim the GubernatOrial
office, and with many other men,
bers of their respective governments
In their executive, judicial and leg
islative departments we have also
conversed very freely with large del
egatiOns of men of business, with
many of the District Judges, and
with hundreds of prominent citi-
zens of ali parties and races, repre-
senting not only this city, but al
most every parish in the State. We
have also received nNany printed
and written statements of fact, and
legal argument; and every person
with whom we come in contact has
shown an earnest desire to give us
all possible information bearing
upon the unfortunate political divis-
ions in this State,


stt'ha aGtual condition of affairs on
our arrival in the city may be brief
ly stated as follows:


"GOv. Packard 1--WE shall speak Of
both gentlemen by the title they
ciaimj was at the 'State-house with
his Legislature and an armed
police force. AS there was no quo
rum in the Senate, even upon his
own theory of the law, his Legis-
lature was necessarily inactive. The
Supreme Court, which recognized
his authority, had not attempted to
transact amy business since it was
dispOssessed of its courtroom and
the custody of its records on the 9th
day of January, 1877. He had no
organized militia, alleging that his
deficiency in that respect was owing
to his obedience to tho orders of
President Grant to take no steps to
change the relative position of him
felf and Gov. Nichols. His main
reliance was upon his alleged legal
title, claiming that it was the con-
stitutional duty of the President to
recognize it, and to afford him suoh
military assistance as might be nee
essary to enable him to assert his
authority as Governor.


Governor Nichols was occu-
pying Odd Fellows Hall as a State
house. His Legislature met there,
and was actively engaged in the bus
iness of legislation. All the depart
ments of the city government Of
New Orleans recognized his author
ity. The Supreme Court nominated
by him and confirmed by his Senate
was holding daily sessions, and had
heard about 200 cases. The time for
the collection of taxes had not ar
rived, but a considerable sum of
money in the form of taxes had
been Voluntarily paid into his treas
ury, out of which he was defraying
the ordinary expenses Of the State
government.


"The Nichols Legislature had a
quorum in the Senate upon either
the Nichols or Packard theory of
the law, and a quorum in the House
on the Nichols, but not on the Pack
ard theory. The Packard Legisla-
ture had a quorum in the House on
its theory Of law, but, as already
stated, not in the Senate, and was
thus disabled from any legislation
that would be valid, even in the
Judgment of its own party.


'dThe Commission found ii to be
very difficult tnascertain the precise
extent to which the respective gov
ernments were acknowledged in
the various parishes outside Of New
Orleans, but 1t b safe TO say that the
changes which had taken place in
the parishes after the organization
of kha tuyo oeOvarn unQntS on the 9th