26 



ARKANSAS. 



five or six families dwelling in it. By July, 

 1824, however, that number of families had 

 increased to forty, and the population of 

 the place has been steadily augmenting, es- 

 pecially since the final settlement of land-titles 

 by the Supreme Court of the United States in 

 1867. 



The local affairs of a public character in Ar- 

 kansas last year continued about the same as 

 they had been during the twelve months next 

 preceding, as was mentioned in the CYCLOPAE- 

 DIA, for 1868. 



The General Assembly met again at Little 

 Rock after the holiday recess, and continued 

 its regular sittings till the 10th of April, 1869, 

 when both Houses adj ourned sine die. Within 

 this period, and that of the session held before 

 the holidays, from the lYth of November, 

 1868, the Legislature transacted a vast amount 

 of business, many important bills, more or less 

 immediately connected with the general in- 

 terests of the people, having been discussed 

 and finally passed. 



The martial law proclaimed and executed by 

 Governor Clayton in numerous sections of the 

 State, on account of assassinations and other 

 crimes perpetrated mostly on individuals known 

 as Union men, not to mention the frequent acts 

 of open defiance to the law, and resistance 

 offered to civil officers in the exercise of their 

 duty, met with great disapprobation, and com- 

 plaints were made by a large portion of the 

 community throughout the State, especially 

 by the inhabitants of the counties designated 

 as subject to it. In several of these were held 

 mass-meetings, promiscuously attended by per- 

 sons belonging to opposite political parties, 

 without distinction, in order publicly to con- 

 demn all violations of the laws of the State. 

 They engaged to keep the peace themselves 

 and to cause others to keep it within their 

 county, and to assist the officers of the law in 

 suppressing all infractions of it, and bringing 

 the offenders to justice. In some of these 

 counties the most prominent residents met 

 together for the purpose of deprecating the 

 continuance of its enforcement, solemnly pledg- 

 ing themselves to the Executive for the future 

 tranquillity of their county, as well as for the 

 peaceful and ready obedience of their fellow- 

 citizens to the requirements of the civil officers. 

 A meeting for such a purpose was held in Orit- 

 tenden County on January 18, 1869, when the 

 following preamble and resolutions were unani- 

 mously adopted : 



Whereou, His Excellency, Powell Clayton, Governor 

 of Arkansas, has thought proper to declare martial 

 law in the county of Crittenden, for the purpose of 

 more effectually enforcing the laws of the State ; and, 

 whereas, by order of the Governor, the county of 

 Crittenden has been, and is now, occupied by the Ar- 

 kansas State guards' andj whereas, the occupation 

 by the State guards aforesaid is very expensive, both 

 to the State of Arkansas and county of Crittenden, 

 and has a tendency to disturb all business within the 

 county of Crittenden : now, therefore, we, the citizens 

 of the county, do 



Raolve, That we, the citizens of the county, whose 



names are here subscribed, do state upon honor that we 

 have had nothing to do with the organization known 

 as the Ku-klux Klan, directly or indirectly, to our 

 knowledge. 



Itesolved, That we deprecate the shooting and hang- 

 ing of men without a trial by the proper authorities, 

 and that we do solemnly pledge ourselves to the 

 Governor of the State of Arkansas, if he will move 

 or cause to be moved from the county of Crittenden 

 the Arkansas State guards, to assist the sheriff of the 

 county of Crittenden in enforcing the laws of the 

 State, and in preserving good order in said county. 



fiesolved. That we pledge ourselves, in order to 

 carry out the above resolutions, that we will sustain 

 and defend each other against all unlawful opposition. 



Which preamble and resolutions, after being read, 

 were adopted by the meeting without a dissenting 

 voice. 



The heavy arm of military force and its sum- 

 mary proceedings, however, did not weigh 

 long upon these counties ; and that of Critten- 

 den was the last one from which it was with- 

 drawn. In a message to the Legislature, dated 

 February 6, 1869, the Governor announced 

 " the speedy revocation of martial law in every 

 county in the State, except in the county of 

 Crittenden," wherein a small force would be 

 retained ; and by a subsequent message, under 

 date of March 22d, he informed the General 

 Assembly that *' he had issued a proclamation 

 restoring civil authority in Crittenden County, 

 to take effect upon its receipt by the officer in 

 charge ; also, directing prisoners in charge to 

 be turned over to the civil authorities, and 

 the force there disbanded. He announces 

 that therewith "martial law ceased throughout 

 the State." 



The vigorous execution of this extraordinary 

 measure, though loudly denounced and in- 

 veighed against by a large portion of the peo- 

 ple and the press, seems to have produced a 

 good effect in checking the perpetration of 

 crimes, previously frequent, and restoring the 

 country to a somewhat normal condition of 

 tranquillity. In the last-cited message the 

 Governor avers, " The counties lately under 

 martial law can now punish desperate charac- 

 ters;" adding, "letters from citizens of all 

 parts of the State bear evidence that quiet, 

 security, and good order, are enjoyed by all 

 classes." This beneficial result may be also 

 inferred from the fact that the General As- 

 sembly, which was in session during the whole 

 time when martial law was in operation, not 

 only made repeated appropriations of money 

 to pay the militia occupying the three districts 

 respectively assigned them for that purpose, 

 but voted public thanks to their commanders, 

 and even passed an act fully indorsing the 

 proclamations and action of the Governor in 

 this respect, as follows: 



An act to declare valid and conclusive certain procla- 

 mations of the Governor of the State of Arkansas and 

 acts done in pursuance thereof, or of his orders iu the 

 declaration of martial law. 



SECTION 1. That after the 3d day of November, 1868, 

 and before the first day of May, 1869, respecting martial 

 law, military trials by courts-martial or military com- 

 missions, or the arrest, imprisonment, or trial of per- 

 sons charged with any offences against the State, or any 



