Year: 1878

ed election case of Acklen VS.. Darrell Mr.. Hale said:


Mr.. Speaker:-The gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Harri in opening this Louisiana election speaks
situation in that State contrasting its present.
which he has portrayed in bright coors with her past
which is to him equally dark. Upon this 1 shall
speak, and I am glad that the gentleman has
given me the opportunity of keeping within the rules
and going beyond personal explanation; for he has
already opened the whole Louisiana question. But
am free to say that am upon the floor, called
out mainly by the of the discussion here last
Thursday, in which participated. At that time the
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Gibson) arose to an
explanation, by the unanimous consent of the House
was allowed to 60 on, and in his speech dwet upon
the situation of affairs in his State, tracing late
events there happening and bringing them down to
the present time and especially to the prosecutions
now pushed against the members of the Louisiana
returning board. took occasion at that time to ask
him whether he sustained the prosecutions against
the members OF the returning board whether he
upheld the proceedings against General Anderson; !;
because, Mr.. Speaker, had heard that much talk
was being made by certain southern gentlemen that
these proceedings against MIR. Anderson were an
outrage, that they in violation of the under





government has been remitted in the person OF
Governor Nichols. had reason to believe that
southern gentlemen upon this floor in private
repudiated the proceedings against General Anderson
and the course of the trial. had reason to believe
that this claim was set up elsewhere, and that it
was urged in high and in low Places that the prose-
cutions in Louisiana were the work of violent men,
and that the people did not follow in that direction
willingly, and wished to gain information from the
distinguished gentleman from Louisiana, [Mr.
Gibson,l an old member here of Importance on this
floor and of much reputation and importance in his
State, whether he sustained the prosecution or
did not. asked him the question, which appears
in the Record, whether he approved and his answer
was, in Short that if the accused guilty they
ought to be punished. I asked him then if he had
disapproved or had done anything to discourage
these prosecutions, which question he did not
answer, but asked me what my opinion was of the
prosecutions going on in louisiana to which replied
that believed them to be the greatest outrages that
had occurred in American political history; on which
his answer was this: "Since 1 have been in this
House the gentleman from Maine has omitted no
occasion, in and out of season, to denounce
the people of my state" I had Just denounced the
prosecutions now going on against General Ander-
and his fellows, and the reply Of the gentleman
from Louisiana was that was continually, in
season and out of season, denouncing the people of
louisiana" Sir, I must believe logically that the
position of the gentleman from Louisiana is that the
people of the State of Louisiana at least his party
there, are behind these prosecutions urging them on
and that he represents those people here.


Now, Mr.. Speaker, have no desire to reinfiame
old issues. have not in times past sin season and
out of season." denounced the people of Louisiana.
have taken occasion heretofore upon this floor.
when believed that there were grievances there
that might be relieved, to speak plainly upon those
grievances. have not been one who has been in
favor of putting the strongest and most rigid iron
hand upon the South. My record has not been in
that direction neither here nor in my own state nor
elsewhere.


At state convention of Republicans held at
Portland on June Is, 1875, addressed the Repubi-
can party, and among other things 1 said-and I
give quotation from my speech for the benefit of
the gentleman from Louisiana, who has charged that
have, in season and out of season, abused his
peope-this 1 said:


Moreover consider it settled by the last session
of Congress that the Republican policy with the
South is to be one of moderation and Cancellation.
We to have no force bills upturning of estab
lished state governments The party policy will be


firm and the citizen will be protected and every right
guaranteed to him by the Constitution and the laws
but the military power will, except in those rare
in subordination to the civil power In this way the
South will have fair opportunity to develop its
resources and whenever the citizen, white black,
Is left unharmed, there will be 10 meddling on the
part of the General Government.


This is not the language Of prescription or hate.


But speak to-day as man who learns by cur
rent events. am upon this floor profoundly moved
by my observation of the of events in Lousi-
for the past year and especially for the last six
months; am profoundly moved because at the be-
ginning 1 watched the experiment Of conciation
hopefully, and believe that to the magnanimous
course pursued by the President toward Louisiana
generous and hearty response would come. have
watched and waited for response to that policy
and my hope has grown dim day by day, and when
at last have that peoples honor pledged to
return for generosity has been forfeited and that
outions of State Legislature go for nothing, and
that political prosecutions urged to-day in Lou
isiana with spirit of intolerance that reminds me of
older days, have been able to keep silent no longer


Mr.. Speaker, on the 4th of March last when Presi
dent Hayes was inaugurated his title had been set
tied by tribunal established bJ Congress, and he
took upon himself the administration OF the Govern
ment Of the Republic. The situation in Louisiana at
that time was this: In the first week of January Mr.
Packard had been inaugurated as governor; he had
been declared elected by the Legislature, based on
the count of the returning board the same board
whose action in the of the presidential electors
had been confirmed by the Electoral Commission,
and that decision has been accepted by both Houses
of Congress.


After the Inauguration OF Packard's government
under this title and under this retnrn, armed yio-
lence bIoke out in New Orleans and the Nichols
forces with armed menace and military organization
assaulted the Packard government surrounded him.
narrowed his limits in the city of New Orleans and
at last besieged and beleaguered him. broke into the
Supreme Court took possession of many of the pub
lie offices of the government, and in the city main
tained itself by arms against the government which
had been inaugurated under due form of law.


Gen. Grant was then President of the United
States and his attention had been called to these
facts, and he we may suppose after deep reflection.
had decided that he would not interpose the military
power to put down the Nichols demonstration In a
brief despatch which he sent out little while before
the Inauguration of President Hayes he announced
that with him the time had come when he could no
longer uphold government by force of arms, aud
thus President Hayes found the situation when he
came into Office.


The first days, as was natural were devoted to the
organization of the Administration, to the appoint
ment of Cabinet officers, and to putting the Admins
traion in order for the great duties incumbent upon
it. The situation remained comparatively the same
In Louisiana. In the January previous the Legsla-
ture of Louisiana had elected U. s. Senator, the
former Governor Of that State who brought his Gre
dentials to Washington, and those credentials have
been passei upon aud that Senator has been received
and sworn in by the other branch of Congress at the
other end of this Capitol, and is to-day o. S. Sena
tor from the State of Louisiana


That Legislature of Louisiana, embracing an un-
doubted quorum of members, which Legislature has
been recognized by the Senate of the United States
upon the 2ls day of March last shortly after the in
auguration of Mr.. Hayes, called in terms upon the
President of the United States for assistance set
ting forth that condition of domestic violence ex
listed in that State such provision is made for in
article H. section 4, of the Constitution of the United
States, and claiming the Intervention of the Federal
Government in order to insure republican form o.
government in Louisiana and to put down domestic
violence. President Hayes was confronted with that
declaration; he was met by that call of an undoubt
ed Legislature, having an undoubted quorum, the e-
gaty of which Legislature has since been passed up
ON by the Senate of the United States.


Now the path of the President here divided from
the course that had been Heretofore pursued. dc
not know what were the reflections that passed
through the mind of the President; no man can tell
But can see that looking at the subject with a