ARKANSAS. 



On the llth, tho day appointed for tho 



in.-,-tiiii of tho I.ou'i.-latuiv, thirty-seven IIUMU- 



bors of that body had arrived in tho capital. 



:;;i!nlu-r, h,>\\wer, was not sufficient fur 



a quorum. On tho same day tho following 



propositions, made by Prcsiik-nt (Irant, for a 



.-hurt iiiljmirninent of the Legislature, were 



l>y Brooks and Baxter : 



WASHINGTON, D. C., May 11, 1874. 

 To the Hon. JOSEPH BUOOKS, Little Sock, Arkansas : 

 1 have suggested to Mr. Baxter that tho members 

 of tho General Assembly, now in Littlo Eock, ad- 

 for a reasonable time ; say ten days, to give 

 i opportunity to call in those members who 

 m:iv not respond to his call, so that there may be a 

 lull Lfgisluturo. The United States will give all 

 .ry protection to the Legislature in mooting 

 insacting its business, as usual, at the State- 

 House, and prevent, as far as practicable, all violence 

 and disturbance of the public peace. I urgently re- 

 quest tnat tho military of both parties bo at once dis- 

 banded, which is tho first step toward a peaceable 

 settlement. Answer. U. 8. GBANT. 



To the Hon. ELISIIA BAXTER, Little Bock, Arkansas : 

 I recommend that the members of the General 

 i >lv, now at Littlo Bock, adjourn for a reason- 

 able time, sav for ten days, to enable Brooks to call 

 to the body his supposed adherents, so that there 

 may be a full Legislature. Any hasty action by a 

 part of the Assembly will not bo satisfactory to the 

 Brooks' s "friends hero agree that if this 

 is pursued no opposition will bo made to the 

 :iij of the Assembly in the State-House as 

 usual, and that he will at once dismiss his forces if 

 you will do the same. I urgently reauest that all armed 

 on both sides be disbanded, so that the Gen- 

 i' ml Assembly may act free from any military press- 

 ure or influence. Tho United States forces will give 

 all necessary protection to the Legislature, and pre- 

 vent, as far as practicable, all violence and disturb- 

 ance of tho public peace. Answer. 



U. 8. GEANT. 



Baxter replied that ho would agree to this 

 proposition upon the conditions expressed in 

 the following : 



LITTLE EOCK, ARK., May 11, 1874. 

 To U. 8. GRANT, President, Washington, D. C. : 



There is almost a quorum of both Houses of tho 

 uure present, and they have power, under the 

 ution, to adjourn from day to day, until they 

 have a quorum, and they can adjourn no longer than 

 until they have a quorum. I am in favor of their 

 adjourning as long as they please, until every sup- 

 posed Brooks adherent is present. With this under- 

 standing, I will disband my troops in proportion as 

 Brooks disbands his, but for the meeting ot the Leg- 

 islature at the usual place Mr. Brooks must get as 

 far from it west as I am east, and deposit the State 

 arms in the State Armory, and let the State-House 

 jui'l public buildings be turned over at once to J. M. 

 Johnson, the Secretary of State, to whom, under tho 

 law, they belong. 



ELISHA BAXTEE, Governor of Arkansas. 



The President considered this a " fair and 

 reasonable " proposition, and in communicating 

 it to Brooks, through Attorney-General Wil- 

 liams, expressed the opinion that his " inter- 

 ests require its immediate acceptance." Mr. 

 Brooks, however, entertained a different opin- 

 ion, and gave his reasons in the following re- 

 ply: 



EXECUTIVE OFFICE, STATE OF ARKANSAS, I 

 BAUINO CROSS, ARK., May 1-', Is74. f 

 The Hon. GKOROE H. WILLIAMS, Attorney-General, 

 Washington, D. 6'. .' 



The members of the General Assembly here, oven 

 if there were a quorum, and there is not. do not con- 

 Btituto a Legislature, unless convened by the Gov- 

 ernor. If you recogn'we this assemblage as a Legis- 

 lature you recognize Baxter as Governor, for no one 

 but tho Governor can convene tho Legislature in 

 extraordinary session. If it is not a Legislature 

 called by the proper authority, its adjournment is a 

 matter of no consequence, fao fur as tho Secretary 

 of State is concerned, if any of his prerogatives are 

 interfered with, the courts of the State, and not the 

 President, is the proper tribunal before -which to re- 

 dress his grievances. I have answered the Presi- 

 dent's dispatch at length. I shall not disband any 

 troops under my command until tho question of 

 " Who is Governor of Arkansas ? " is settled, unless 

 required to do so by the direct command _of tho 

 President. I have no proposition to submit, and 

 will entertain none on the subject other than that 

 proposed by yourself, sanctioned by the President, 

 and agreed to by the agents and attorneys of Bax- 

 ter and myself. Tho case made on the papers re- 

 quires the President to recognize either Baxter or 

 myself as Governor of Arkansas. The settlement of 

 the question, either before the courts or the Legisla- 

 ture, is one that in mv opinion docs not require tho 

 intercession of the President on Baxter's behulf. 

 He must act on the papers before him and not upon 

 what a Legislature may or may not do in the future. 

 Upon a majority of the votes of tho legal voters of 

 this State, and upon the judgments of tbe Supreme 

 and Circuit Courts, I am willing to stand or fall. 

 But, if these are to be held for naught by the Presi- 

 dent, until such time as he can ascertain the opinion 

 of the Legislature to guide him in determining who 

 is Governor, and during the pendency of the ques- 

 tion to allow the State and citizens to be plundered 

 and robbed by an armed mob, which has already 

 fired on the Federal troops and commenced an indis- 

 criminate slaughter of colored men, to avoid a fur- 

 ther sacrifice of life and loss of property, I am im- 

 pelled by a sense of duty to submit my case as it 

 now stands, and abide the President's determination. 



JOSEPH BROOKS, Governor of Arkansas. 



The opinion seems to have been general that 

 the refusal of Brooks to act upon the sugges- 

 tions made by the Government at Washington 

 worked unfavorably for his cause. Moreover, 

 there appeared to be a growing anxiety on the 

 part of President Grant to reach a speedy set- 

 tlement of the difficulty. The forces on either 

 side were being augmented, collisions between 

 members of the opposing parties wore becom- 

 ing more frequent, and the general aspect of 

 affairs was growing more threatening. On the 

 13th the Legislature organized, with a quorum 

 of each branch present. On the ensuing day 

 the following joint resolution, invoking the 

 interposition of the Federal Government, was 

 passed and telegraphed to Washington : 



Whereas, The Legislature of the State of Arkansas 

 has convened, a quorum of each House being pres- 

 ent ; and 



Whereas, Tho capital of our State is occupied by 

 armed and contending forces j and 



Whereas, The State-House is now in possession of 

 armed troops : therefore, be it 



Resolotd, Bv the General Assembly of the Stato 

 of Arkansas, That the President of the United States 

 be and.is hereby requested to put this Legislature in 

 possession of the Legislative Halls, and that the 

 public property on State-House Square be placed 



