Lori SI ANA. 





liml been made public, Mr. McEnery published 

 tho following protest : 



Niw ORLEANS. December 25, 1874. 



The wrong just perpetrated by tbo Returning 

 Board against tho people of Louisiana, ami which 

 vitally HIM uti'iia the safety and integrity of republi- 

 can isi^tit ut lull-, in the L'nited States. IB a more orown- 

 iiiu' inl'umy than tliu notion of tho Lynch Kuturnin^ 

 fioard, surpasses even the midnight order of Durell, 

 and would not be submitted to by any free people. 



Resistance to the national authority, represented 

 bore by a large portion of tho army and a naval fleet, 

 sustaining a usurpation, and stifling the voice of tho 

 people, has never boon meditated. 



JOHN MoENEBY. 



"When tho returns of tho Returning Board 

 became known, there was much dissatisfaction 

 on tho part of the Conservatives. The Repub- 

 licans feared that the results as announced by 

 the Returning Board would be disputed with 

 violence, and the indications were plain that 

 tho approaching assembling of the Legislature 

 would not be peaceable. In view of this threat- 

 ened violence, and of the fact that civil war 

 might break out any moment, as it had done 

 in September, the President of the United 

 States ordered General Sheridan to make a 

 tour of inspection through certain of the South- 

 ern States, with the view of reporting the con- 

 dition of affairs there, and to assume command 

 of the Department of the South if in his judg- 

 ment it became advisable. Tho confidential 

 instructions to General Sheridan, and the order 

 to assume command, were as follows : 



WAR DEPARTMENT, ) 

 WASHINGTON, D. C., December, 24, 1874. J 

 To General P. H. SHERIDAN, Chicago, III. 



GENERAL : The President sent for me this morn- 

 ing, and desires me to say to you that he wishes you 

 to visit the States of Louisiana and Mississippi, and 

 especially New Orleans, La., and Vicksburg and 

 Jackson, Miss., and ascertain for yourself, and for 

 his information, tho general condition of matters in 

 those localities. You need not confine your visit to 

 the States of Louisiana and Mississippi, and may ex- 

 tend your trip to other States, Alabama, etc., if you 

 see proper, nor need you confine your visit in tho 

 States of Louisiana and Mississippi to the places 

 named. What the President desires is the true con- 

 dition of affairs, and to receive such suggestions from 

 you as you may deem advisable and judicious. In- 

 closed herewith is an order authorizing you to as- 

 sume command of the Military Division or the South, 

 or any portion of that division, should you see prop- 

 er to do so. It may be possible that circumstances 

 may arise which would render this a proper course 

 to pursue. You can, if you desire it, see General 

 McDowell in Louisville, and make known to him 

 confidentially the object of your trip, but this is not 

 required of you. Communication with him by you 

 is loft entirely to your own judgment. Of course, 

 you can take with you such gentlemen of your stair 

 as you wish, and it is best that the trip should ap- 

 pear to be one as much of pleasure as of business, 

 for the fact of your mere presence in the localities 

 referred to will have, it is presumed, a beneficial 

 effect. The President thinks, and BO do I. that a 

 trip South might be agreeable to you, and tnat you 

 might be able to obtain a good deal of information 

 on the subject about which we desire to learn. You 

 can make your return by Washington, and make a 

 verbal report, and also inform me from time to time 

 of your views and conclusions. Yours truly, etc. 

 W. W. BELKNAP, Secretary of War. 



WAB DII-ABTMIXT, 



ADJFCTANT-GKMKHAL't OII< E, r 



WASHINOTON, D. C., DtMmlbtr 84, l->74. ] 

 To LitvUnant-General P. II. SutuiOAW, Unittd Ktatu 

 Army, Chicago, III. 



SIB : If, in the course of the inspection and inves- 

 tigation the Secretary of War him directed you to 

 make in his communication of this date, you should 

 find it necessary to assume command over the Mili- 

 tary Division of the South, or any portion ti. 

 tin' President of the United States hereby authorizes 

 and instructs you to take the command accordingly, 

 and to establish your headquarters at such a point 

 as you may deem best for the interests of the public 

 service. 



I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

 E. B. TOWN8END, Adjutant-General. 



As the time for the assembling of the Legis- 

 lature drew near, the excitement increased. 

 The Conservatives were charged with attempt- 

 ing to kidnap, and even threatening to assas- 

 sinate Republican members of the Legislature, 

 in order to reduce the Republican majority to 

 a minority. A few days prior to tho time of 

 the assembling of the Legislature, A. G. Cou- 

 sin, a Republican member, was arrested upon 

 an alleged charge of embezzlement, and kept 

 in confinement until after the meeting of the 

 Legislature. The Republicans charged that 

 the sole 'object of this proceeding was to pre- 

 vent the presence of Mr. Cousin at the open- 

 ing of the Legislature. The Conservatives, 

 however, declared that the arrest was lona 

 fide and for legitimate cause. Major Merrill, 

 m command of the United States troops in the 

 Red River District, having been instructed to 

 be in readiness for any violence or unlawful 

 proceedings, reported as follows upon the con- 

 dition of affairs in that region : 



HEADQUARTERS DISTRICT OF UPPER RED RIVER, > 



SIIREVEPORT, LA., December 80, 1874. ) 



To the Adjutant-General, Department of the Gulf. 



SIR : Referring to your telegram of December 18th, 

 directing me in certain events to be in readiness to 

 suppress violence, and to let it be understood that 

 I will do it, 1 have the honor to report that, in view 

 of these instructions, I have been at some pains to 

 investigate the probabilities of violence here, and 

 the following are the facts as nearly as I can ascer- 

 tain : The State Returning Board have officially an- 

 nounced that the candidates for office in this parish 

 on what is known as the Radical ticket are duty and 

 lawfully elected. The leaders of the opposing party 

 declare that such is not the fact, and that the persons 

 there declared elected shall not take or hold the 

 offices. This determination appears to be well set- 

 tled, and is so generally expressed and approved by 

 a large majority of the whites, that I have no doubt 

 it is more than an idle threat. This expression, _in 

 many instances, is accompanied by threats of vio- 

 lence, and even of death, to tho officers if they at- 

 tempt to take the offices, and I cannot doubt that 

 such threats are very seriously made. They are only 

 a repetition of what was at all times the open talk of 

 the leaders before the election. Three of the officers 

 referred to are members of the Lower House of the 

 Legislature, and ali three are now in New Orleans. 

 The others are Parish Judge Cresswell. Sheriff Heff- 

 ner, and several minor officers, the police jury, jus- 

 tices of the peace, and constables. There is on the 

 part of most of them such apprehension of danger 

 in assuming their duties that, except the Parish 

 Judge, I do not think any of them will attempt or 

 could be induced to take his office. The Parish 



