LOUISIANA. 



485 



dereliction of respect to the General Assem- 

 bly, and putting the peace of the State in 

 jeopardy. 



The Governor did not appear to answer, and 

 the trial was postponed. There was consider- 

 able legislation, including the abolition of the 

 Seventh and Eighth District Courts, but there 

 is some doubt as to whether the laws passed 

 will hereafter be held valid. 



An armed collision was threatened in the 

 streets of New Orleans, growing out of the 

 conflict of authority between Pinchback and 

 Warmoth. Pinchback removed General Hugh 

 J. Campbell from the command of the State 

 militia, and appointed General James Long- 

 street in his place, but the militia refused to 

 obey the latter, as they did not recognize the 

 authority of the government headed by Pinch- 

 back. They were then ordered to surrender 

 their arms and retire to the barracks, and on 

 their refusal the Metropolitan Police were 

 ordered to compel them to do so. The militia 

 put themselves on the defensive, and an armed 

 conflict was threatened, but the officers of the 

 militia finally consented to surrender to one 

 of the commissioned officers of the United 

 States forces. 



Meantime the appeal for interference by 

 the Federal Government was renewed. On 

 the 10th of December a public mass meet- 

 ing was held in New Orleans, at which the 

 affairs of the State were discussed by several 

 prominent citizens, including Governor War- 

 moth, and a memorial was drawn up to be 

 presented to the President and Congress, con- 

 taining a statement of the facts as viewed by 

 Warmoth and his adherents. The memorial 

 closed as follows : u The General Assembly, 

 prohibited by the injunction of the United 

 States Court, and by the threatened interposi- 

 tion of the United States soldiery, from dis- 

 charging their legislative duties, can do noth- 

 ing not even effect an organization. That 

 the Congress of the United States will sanc- 

 tion this outrage upon law and justice, and 

 upon the dearest rights of the people of this 

 State, cannot be imagined, and a decent re- 

 spect for the Chief Magistrate of the nation 

 requires us to believe that, when the facts and 

 the testimony in the case are laid before him, 

 he will not tolerate the perversion of Federal 

 authority, and the abuse of military power, by 

 means of which the conspirators have thus far 

 succeeded in carrying out their designs." 



The following series of resolutions was 

 adopted at the same meeting : 



W7iereas, A body of unscrupulous adventurers have 

 forcibly usurped the government of the State of 

 Louisiana^ under guise of unwarranted and unpre- 

 cedented judicial orders, unheard of before in courts 

 of law or equity, emanating from a corrupt and par- 

 tisan judge, and have proceeded to organize a pre- 

 tended Legislature, who hold their positions by vir- 

 tue of gross falsifications as fraudulent results of an 

 election by an infamous board of illegal canvassers, 

 who have acted without any returns of the same, 

 And liave substituted therefor, as the hasis of their 

 action, rumors and other unauthenticated proofs, 



rejecting at their will and caprice the true and cor- 

 rect results of the election held on November 4, 

 1872, thus nullifying and stifling the voice of the 

 people of this State, expressed in a fair and free elec- 

 tion ; and whereas this revolutionary and usurping 

 body, protected by the armed forces of the United 

 States, have proceeded, with indecent haste, to im- 

 peach the Governor of the State, and have placed in 

 his stead an ex-Senator, whose office as Senator and 

 presiding officer of the State Senate expired with and 

 was filled at the late election : 



Be it resolved by the people of New Orleans, in mass 

 meeting assembled^ That the constitutional rights and 

 liberties of this people are in imminent danger' of 

 passing away forever, and all protection to life, lib- 

 erty, and property, has ceased to exist in our midst. 



Resolved, That we denounce and hold up to the 

 civilized world this unparalleled outrage against the 

 rights of American freemen, and proclaim that we 

 will not recognize said pretended government in ex- 

 ercising any civil functions, executive or legislative ; 

 and that we recommend to our duly-elected repre- 

 sentatives not to recognize or sanction, by their 

 presence or participation therein, any authority of 

 said body of usurpers ; and in this course we pledge 

 to them our sanction, countenance, and support. 



Betofad. That, in order to exhaust all peaceful 

 remedies for redress, the president of this meeting 

 shall appoint a committee of one hundred well- 

 known citizens, representing the interests of the 

 State, who shall prepare an address to the President 

 and the Congress of the United States, setting forth 

 our manifold, grievances, together with the requisite 

 proof thereof, with which they shall proceed to the 

 city of Washington, and lay before the national 

 authorities, and ask that the Federal Government 

 shall remove from the State Gapitol the Federal 

 troops, in order that the duly elected representatives 

 of the people may have free access thereto, to as- 

 semble, organize, and exercise their legitimate 

 duties ; or, in the event of the unwillingness of the 

 authorities so to do, that they be requested to estab- 

 lish a military government in our midst, deeming 

 the latter as infinitely preferable to the present ir- 

 responsible, illegal, and usurping rule, which is sup- 

 plemented and sustained by the bayonet. 



John McEnery, who claimed to have been 

 elected Governor, at cnce telegraphed to the 

 President, asking him to delay the recognition 

 of either Legislature, until the Committee of 

 One Hundred, appointed in pursuance of 

 these resolutions, should reach Washington 

 and present the whole matter to the Govern- 

 ment. He received the following reply : 



WASHINGTON, D. C., December \%t7i. 

 To Hon. John McEnery, New Orleans, La. : 



Your visit with a hundred citizens will be unavail- 

 ing so far as the President is concerned. 



His decision is made, and. will not be changed, 

 and the sooner it is acquiesced in the sconcr gccd 

 order and peace will be restored. 



GEO. II. WILLIAMS, Attorney-General. 



Forty-five members of the committee pro- 

 ceeded to Washington nevertheless, and on 

 the 19th of December had an interview with 

 the President. The latter expressed his un- 

 willingness to interfere in the matter, but said 

 that the Supreme Court could designate one 

 of its members to go to Louisiana to take 

 charge of the Circuit Court, and pass upon the 

 questions before it, and Congress could in- 

 vestigate the affairs of the State. Application 

 was then made to the Supreme Court to as- 

 sign Justice Bradley to the Circuit Court in 

 New Orleans. The court held that it had no 



