Year: 1873

in Odd Fellows Hall, added
to the votes Of those who were opposed
to any adjustment at all, resulted in
the adoption Of resolution by the
Fusion body that no adjustment would
be acceded to that did not include
these expelled Senators. Here again
the influence which has been the bane
of Louisiana made itself felt, and
these Warmoth Senators, who had
seeded from the legal Legislature, in
order to carry out the original COM
pact looking to the destruction Of the
Republican party, contributed largely,
at least, to the defeat of an adjustment
SO nearly reached.


An appeal to arms was made. The
opposition-though they had specifi-
cally declared, through the person
claiming to be their Attorney General,
that they only desired to inaugurate
their government SD as to obtain q
legal status and make case for the
courts procured arms and munitions
of war, and made q systematic effort
to organize militia for the ayowed
purpose of overthrowing the estab-
lished government. The militia was
scattered by the local authorities, and
the next day the Odd Fellows Hall
assemblage was dispersed.


More recently, when the Committee
of Two Hundred took the matter of
adjustment in hand, I met their sub
committee by invitation, together
with leading men of my own party,
both white and black, and the result
was proposition to seat forty five
Fusion members in the lower House
and ten Fusion Senators, including
those already in the Legislature and
those returned by the legal returning
board, with an additional assurance
that there should be fair hearing in
contested cases. The subcommittee,
l believe, reported in favor of this
proposition, bnt the Committee of Two
Hundred replied that "the PROPOSE
ton of compromise submitted to them
through their subcommittee was not
such us they deemed proper to recon-
mend.'


1t will be thus seen that all efforts
in the direction of an adjustment have
failed. None of these proposed con-
cessions We're made because we had
the least fear of the overthrow of our
government, but because we wished
peace; because VIC wished to satisfy
the opposition as far as possible re-
garding the Legislature. If the fail
ure to effect a satisfactory adjustment
be a calamity, as many insist and
many more admit. the fault does not
rest with my self, nor with the Repub-
ican party, nor with the national
administration. The responsibility
lies with the Fusion preten1ers to
office and their allies and abettors.
Every effort on our part to effect an
adjustment which would be satisfac-.
tory to the whole people, white as
we'll as colored, was taken as an. evil
dence Of weakness. Charges of bad
faith were made against acts which
could have had no possible motive
except to allay public excitement and
restore public confidence. It would
seem that from recent events continu-
ance of agitation in more violent
form has been almost the only result
of the efforts of the State government
and Of the Republican party to give
the much needed and much desired
repose to the people, and it has be-
come evident that nothing short of
the complete abdication Of the State
government will satisfy those Fusion
leaders, who live upon tumult and
keep alive dissension to further their
own selfish ends.


While desirous, therefore, that there
should be a fair hearing in all cases Of
contest growing out of the late elec-
tion, whether III the courts, or when
the Legislature shall again meet, am
compelled to discard all idea OF pres
ent adjustment, and, without turning
to the right hand or to the left, shall
proceed in the discharge OF my con-
stitutional duties, as Governor of the
State, until am deposed or dispos-
sessed by rightful authority. 1t is
impossible for me to believe that the
people OF this State prefer anarchy to
order, war to peace, ruin to pros
perity, and no government at all, If
they cannot get that which presumcs
without any Of the machinery, appli-
anccs, or authority Of a government,
to be the government of their choice,
to that which is to-day the existing
government Of Louisiana. The pres
ent government represents q party
known to he in the majority III
this State. 1t is the only one rec
ognized by the national executive ;
it is declared to be the legal gov
ernmcnt by the courts Of the Uni
ted States and by the inferior and
Supreme courts Of this State. The
Senate of the United States, by its
action, practically approved it as the


rightful government of Louisiana
The members OF Congress holding
certificates of election under it have


been placed upon the roll of Congress


as the local members for Louisiana


The Mayor and Council Of this city


the judges, sheritfs, coroners and Other


officers of the city and throughout


the State, hold commissions and ex-


ercise authority under it. There il


no ann aox-rlaro IN fhis State that