28 



ARKANSAS. 



ninety-two days, and was signalized by an 

 enormous destruction of property. Before the 

 war there was in the invaded provinces much 

 sympathy with Paraguay and hostility to Brazil, 

 which was suspected of a design to annex Uru- 

 guay, and thus to obtain absolute control of the 

 rive'rs Uruguay and Parana. The contingent 

 to the Argentine army from these provinces 

 disbanded on the approach of the Paraguayans, 

 and even its leader, Urquiza, was by many 

 suspected of disloyal intentions. After the oc- 

 cupation of the town of Corrientes by the Para- 

 guayans, a provisional government of three citi- 

 zens of the province was appointed, and this 

 province, as well as that of Entre Eios, declared 

 to be annexed to Paraguay. On the withdrawal 

 of the Paraguayans the members of the Provis- 

 ional Government sold their property and left 

 with the invading army. 



ARKANSAS. The reorganization of the 

 State of Arkansas took place in 1864. The 

 proceedings were based on the amnesty proc- 

 lamation issued by President Lincoln (see Ax- 

 KTJAL CYCLOPAEDIA, 1864 Arkansas). The re- 

 organization was recognized and sustained by 

 the Executive Department of the Federal Gov- 

 ernment. The members elected to the 38th 

 Congress were not admitted at the second ses- 

 sion which commenced December, 1864. The 

 Legislature, consisting, however, of less than 

 the full number of members, assembled in March, 

 1865. On April 14th it adopted the amend- 

 ment to the Constitution of the United States 

 relative to slavery, by a unanimous vote. The 

 State Convention which assembled in 1864, 

 amended the Constitution, thereby abolishing 

 slavery in the State, and repudiating the debt 

 contracted to aid in carrying on the war against 

 the United States. Thus the three most im- 

 portant measures required by the Federal Gov- 

 ernment for the restoration of the State to the 

 Union, have been adopted. 



The Legislature at the same session in April, 

 also passed an act, disfranchising all citizens 

 who had aided the Confederate cause subsequent 

 to April 18th, 1864, at which time the present 

 State Government was reorganized. The law 

 was greatly discussed during the year, espe- 

 cially as the time approached for the Congres- 

 sional elections in October. Those who opposed 

 the act of the Legislature, urged as objections 

 that it prescribed qualifications for voters dif- 

 ferent from those required by the State Con- 

 stitution. They said the Legislature had no 

 power to make such a change. " In our form 

 of government all power is in the people ; they 

 meet in Convention and make the supreme law, 

 not to be changed, save by a particular mode 

 of procedure, which, it is admitted, has not 

 >een done in this instance. The Legislature, as 

 the representative of all the power of the people, 

 may do almost any thing, except that they can- 

 not add to or take from any of the specifications 

 in the Constitution. Any attempt to do this, 

 is null and void; for the people agreed and 

 declared that it so should be, when they formed 



and adopted the charter of their rights." It 

 was further urged, that to require every voter 

 to make oath that he had not aided the Con- 

 federacy since April, 1864, violated those por- 

 tions of the letter and spirit of the Federal and 

 State Constitutions, being the supreme law, 

 which declared : 



That no person shall be held to answer for a capital 

 or infamous crime, unless on a presentment or in- 

 dictment of a grand jury. 



Nor be compelled to give evidence against himself. 



That no man shall be put to answer any criminal 

 charge but by presentment, indictment, or impeach- 

 ment. 



That no free man shall be deprived of his freehold, 

 liberties, or privileges but by the judgment of his peers 

 or the laws of the land. 



Therefore, that the act in question, so far as 

 it attempted to deprive a man of his privileges, 

 without judicial conviction of crime, was con- 

 trary to the foregoing provisions ; and if the Leg- 

 islature exceeded its powers in the enactment of 

 the law, it was no part of " the law of the land." 



Meanwhile the State Government continued 

 to extend its operations to many counties which 

 had been previously occupied by Southern sol- 

 diers until their disappearance on the cessation 

 of active hostilities. The Governor, Murphy, 

 then issued a proclamation to the people, urging 

 them to assemble and renew their local organi- 

 zations in the counties thus far disaffected. 

 This address was favorably received, and the 

 State Government was soon acquiesced in 

 throughout the State. After the disbanding 

 of the Southern forces outrages soon ceased, 

 and at the end of two months, or early in July, 

 the judicial districts were organized in nearly 

 every county. Some of the courts had been 

 in session, and most of them were prepared to 

 meet regularly. Taxes were as quietly collected 

 as before the war, and civil process could be 

 executed in every part of the State. Hundreds 

 of persons had returned from the South to the 

 places of their former residence, and the pur- 

 suits of peace were resumed as rapidly as could 

 be expected. As the time for the election of 

 members of Congress approached, the Governor 

 issued an address to the people, urging them to 

 elect persons who could take the oath required 

 by Congress. Three members were chosen, 

 viz.: "William Ryers, G. H. Kyle, and James 

 M. Johnson, who subsequently appeared at 

 "Washington and presented their credentials. 



In October, the Secretary of State, Robert J. 

 T. White, reported to the President the peace- 

 ful and orderly condition of affairs which ex- 

 isted, and the following despatch was sent to 

 the Governor : 



EXECUTIVE OFFICE, WASHINGTON, Oct 80, 1865. 

 To Gov. Murphy, Little Pock, Ark. : 



There will be no interference with your present 

 organization of State government. I have learned 

 from E. W. Gantt, Esq., and other sources, that all 

 is working well, and you will proceed and resume 

 the former relations with the lederal Government, 

 and all the aid in the power of the Government will 

 be given in restoring the State to its former rela- 

 tions x'rvT>r>Tii7 Trmv^nv 



ANDREW 



President of the United States. 



