ARKANSAS. 



examining into the condition of affairs in the 

 State, and two reports were submitted to the 

 national House of Representatives on the 6th 

 of February. The majority report, signed by 

 Luke P. Poland, Henry W. Scudder, Milton 

 Sayler, and Joseph H. Sloss, stated its conclu- 

 sions as follows: 



The new constitution we regard as republican in 

 form, and, in many respects, an improvement upon 

 that of 1868. The committee are satisfied that 

 the convention to frame the constitution, and the 

 constitution itself, were voted for by, and are satis- 

 factory to, a majority of the voters and people of the 

 State. The State officers were certainly elected by 

 a majority of the votes cast, and we think by a ma- 

 jority of the votes of - the State. The condition of 

 the State has been as peaceful since the new govern- 

 ment was inaugurated as it ever has been. The mass 

 of the people on both sides are inclined to peace and 

 good government, and to allow every one the en- 

 joyment of his legal rights, but there is a class of 

 men the outgrowth of the former state of society 

 who delight in disturbing and depriving the colored 

 and Northern people of their rights. These are young 

 men, and cannot be restrained. This class of men, 

 together with the custom of carrying deadly weapons, 

 another legacy of their barbarism, are the real causes 

 of violence and bloodshed. The changes caused by 

 the war giving freedom and political equality to the 

 colored people are not well relished by the South- 

 ern people, but most of them would do nothing to 

 disturb them. But the class to which we have al- 

 luded feel that they may invade the rights of the 

 colored men, especially in any political quarrel, and 

 that their offenses will be winked at. We are satis- 

 fied that the true prosperity of the Southern States de- 

 pends more upon just and stern dealing with this 

 lawless class of men than any other cause. Arkansas 

 probably presents no different condition from that 

 of other cotton States where political control has 

 passed into the hands of the classes who ruled be- 

 fore the war. The people of every State have the 

 right to make their constitution to suit themselves, 

 provided it be republican in form and in harmony 

 with the Constitution of the United States. The na- 

 tional Government has not the authority to deprive 

 them of that right. The election held for the ratifi- 

 cation of the constitution was under the form of law, 

 and the officers who conducted it acted under -ap- 

 pointment and under official oaths ; and although 

 we regard all as defective, however, being prescribed 

 by a convention instead of the Legislature, we be- 

 lieve it entitled to be regarded differently from mere 

 voluntary meetings held under no pretense of legal 

 authority. The committee do not recommend any 

 action by Congress, or by any department of the 

 General Government, in regard to the State govern- 

 ment of Arkansas. 



The minority report was signed by Jasper 

 D. Ward, of Illinois, and concluded with the 

 following resolution : 



That Joseph Brooks, having been by the people 

 of Arkansas elected to the office of Governor of said 

 State, under the constitution of 1868, for a period of 

 four years ending in January, 1877, and said consti- 

 tution never having been legally overthrown, and 

 being still in force, he is the lawful Governor of said 

 State of Arkansas. 



About the same time, President Grant sub- 

 mitted the following special message to the 

 Senate : 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, February 8, 1875. 

 To ike Senate of the United States : 



Herewith I have the honor to send, in accordance 

 with a resolution of the Senate of the 3d inst., all the 



information in my possession, not heretofore fur- 

 nished, relating to affairs in the State of Arkansas. . 



I will venture to express an opinion that all the 

 testimony shows that in the election of 1872 Joseph 

 Brooks was lawfully elected Governor of that State ; 

 that he has been unlawfully deprived of possession 

 of his office since that time ; that in 1874 the consti- 

 tion of the State was, by violence, intimidation, and 

 revolutionary proceedings, overthrown, a new con- 

 stitution adopted, and a new State government es- 

 tablished. These proceedings, if permitted to stand, 

 practically ignore &]} the rights of minorities in all 

 the States. Also, what is there to prevent each of 

 the States recently readmitted to Federal relations 

 on certain conditions, from changing their constitu- 

 tions and violating their pledges, if this action in 

 Arkansas is acquiesced in? 



I respectfully submit whether a.precedent so dan- 

 gerous to the stability of the State government, if not 

 of the national Government also, should be recog- 

 nized by Congress. 



I earnestly ask that Congress will take definite 

 action in this matter in order to relieve the Execu- 

 tive from acting upon questions which should be 

 decided by the legislative branch of the Govern- 

 ment. 



(Signed) U. S. GRANT. 



The request of the President was not heeded, 

 and, after considerable discussion, the " Poland 

 report " was adopted in the House on the 2d 

 of March. On the 8th of the same month, 

 Governor Garland issued his proclamation, ap- 

 pointing Thursday, the 25th of March, as a day 

 of thanksgiving. In his proclamation, the Gov- 

 ernor said : 



We have been sustained by the true conservative 

 republican sentiment in the North, which is one of 

 the most gratifying features connected with our 

 struggle, and one of which we should feel proud ; 

 and we should strive by all means to prove our- 

 selves worthy of this indorsement so emphatically 

 given by those supposed to differ with us politically, 

 aud who were begged and importuned under all 

 circumstances to put us down. With all we have 

 undergone, if our cause has been the occasion of 

 harmonizing and uniting liberal and conservative 

 elements in the nation that have heretofore been 

 discordant, we are more than paid, and it should 

 be one of our chief duties to see that they be kept 

 together hereafter. 



The Legislature of Arkansas, which met in 

 November, 1874, continued in session until the 

 15th of March, 1875, and then adjourned to 

 the 1st of November. Early in January the 

 following joint resolutions were adopted in 

 regard to Federal interference with the organi- 

 zation of the Legislature of Louisiana : 

 A joint resolution, expressive of the sense of this 

 Legislature in regard to the recent military inter- 

 ference in the affairs of Louisiana, and denying 

 that terrorism or secret political organizations exist 

 in this State. 



Whereas, By means of telegraphic dispatches, and 

 the press of the country, the alarming information 

 has reached us that recently in the city of New Or- 

 leans the Legislature of the State of Louisiana, cho- 

 sen by the people thereof, has in substance and in 

 fact been dispersed by the military authorities of 

 the United StateSj without authority of law or sanc- 

 tion of the Constitution, thus endangering and dis- 

 regarding the rights of the States to govern in their 

 own local affairs and the constitutional liberties of 

 every American citizen ; and 



Whereas, In a telegraphic dispatch to the Secre- 

 tary of War, dated at New Orleans on the 5th in- 



