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LOUISIANA. 



EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. I 

 NEW ORLEANS, January 9, 1877. 

 To the People of Louisiana : 



I would be most profoundly surprised and disap- 

 pointed should any citizen of Louisiana, at this mo- 

 ment, so far forget himself as to be guilty of any 

 excesses whatsoever. There is danger in collecting 

 together in large bodies. I urge you, therefore, to 

 retire at once peacefully to your homes. 



The greater the wrongs to which you have been 

 subjected, the greater to your credit should you 

 recognize and recollect your own simple and plain 

 duty as citizens. Let no one be injured, however 

 obnoxious he may be, and let the people of the 

 whole country see that we are law-abiding, iust, and 

 moderate. FKANCIS T. NICHOLLS, 



Governor State of Louisiana. 



A case in the First District Court, involving 

 the legaiity of the commission of J. J. Finney 

 as District Attorney, which was signed by 

 Francis T. Nicholls, " Governor of the State 

 of Louisiana," was decided in favor of its val- 

 idity, on the ground that the Returning Board 

 had transcended its legal powers, and reversed 

 judicial functions, which could not belong to 

 it under the Constitution of the State. 



Mr. Nicholls, in a speech at Baton Rouge, 

 and in reply to various inquiries by letter, an- 

 nounced his purpose to secure equal rights and 

 impartial treatment for all classes of citizens. 

 Among his declarations on the subject was the 

 following, in answer to two Republican mem- 

 bers of the State Senate : 



NEW ORLEANS, January 13, 1877. 



GENTLEMEN : I respectfully acknowledge receipt 

 of your communication of tiiis date, in which you 

 ask me whether "I will maintain, as Governor of 

 Louisiana, the equality of all men before the law, 

 and use the influence of my administration to ad- 

 vance the educational, political, and material inter- 

 ests and rights of the colored people, and protect 

 them in the exercise of the rights guaranteed them 

 by the recent amendments to the Constitution of the 

 United States, and the laws in pursuance thereof." 



I answer these questions without the slightest 

 hesitation. I have, as a candidate for the position 

 of Governor, at all times, and at all places, stated 

 that I recognized each and every obligation incum- 

 bent upon me under the Constitution of the United 

 States, and of the amendments thereto, and the Con- 

 stitution of Louisiana, and the laws thereunder, that 

 it would be my bounden duty to carry out faithfully 

 and impartially the amendments to the Constitution, 

 as well as the original Constitution itself; that I 

 recognize that all citizens, whether they be white or 

 colored, should be equally entitled to the benefits 

 and protection of the law ; that I was utterly op- 

 posed to class legislation. Any attempt to legislate 

 BO as to deprive the colored people of any or their 

 rights under the Constitution of the United States, 

 and its amendments, would meet with my most de- 

 termined opposition. 



As Governor, I make these same declarations. 



I will use my utmost endeavors as Governor, and 

 with all the influence at my command as such, to 

 promote the educational and'material interests of the 

 colored people, precisely to the same extent that I 

 will those of the white people. 



It will by my constant aim to promote kindness, 

 sympathy, confidence, and justice between the two 

 races in the State. FRANIS^T. NICHOLLS. 



General Angnr, under instructions from 

 Washington, confined himself to preserving 

 the status quo between the rival governments, 



and preventing any disturbance of the peace. 

 He requested from Mr. Packard a written as- 

 surance that " the President's wishes concern- 

 ing the preservation of the present status be 

 respected." In his reply, under date of Jan- 

 uary 16th, Mr. Packard asserted the legality 

 of his claim to the office of the Governor, and 

 charged that the other party had violated the 

 understanding that the existing status was to 

 be preserved, but he concluded as follows : 



Inasmuch, however, as I learn that it is the Presi- 

 dent's wish that the present status should be main- 

 tained throughout the State until the Congressional 

 Committees now in Louisiana return, and teeling as- 

 sured that the legal status of the existing State Gov- 

 ernment will speedily be recognized, and the wrongs 

 committed in the last eight days will be set right, 1 

 give the pledge requested, that no effort will be 

 made on the part of the lawful State Government to 

 forcibly disturb the existing state of affairs, without 

 further communication with you. 



This letter was given to the public through 

 the press, and telegraphed to the Xorth before 

 it was received by General Augur. That offi- 

 cer made a sharp reply, in which he said : 



Yourself, and the officers in command, immedi- 

 ately under you, have repeatedly stated that it was 

 the intention to seize any favorable opportunity to 

 recover the court-room, and you have repeatedly 

 sent your sheriff to demand that room, and have, 

 twice since that time, made written application to 

 me for troops to assist in such recovery. This does 

 not look as though it was your " understanding that 

 neither side should be permitted to interfere with 

 the status of the other side." 



It was the fact of these threats to recover lost 

 ground whenever a favorable opportuuitv presented 

 itself, that has furnished an excuse for tlie Nicholla 

 party to keep a force in readiness to resist them ; 

 and it was in view of this very condition, of affairs 

 that, yesterday morning, I directed two of my stuff 

 ^one to see you and one to see General Nicholls) to 

 inquire, not to request, if some agreement or under- 

 standing could not be entered into, by which the 

 statusquo could be guaranteed until such time as the 

 President should make his decision. Such an agree- 

 ment would do away with the supposed necessity of 

 keeping up a body of armed men on either side, aud 

 diminish very greatly the chances for violence and 

 bloodshed. I made no request in the matter. I had 

 no right to make any request. It was simply a sug- 

 gestion in the interest, as I thought, of peace, and to 

 give a moment's quiet to the citizens of this excited 

 city. Neither General Nicholls nor yourself thought 

 it advisable to adopt it, and there it' ended. 



ISo occasion arose, for some weeks, for the 

 exercise of military authority. On the 1st 

 of March, Mr. Packard sent the following dis- 

 patch to President Grant : 



EXECUTIVE OFFICE, ) 

 NEW ORLEANS, March 1, 1877. J 

 To the President : 



Statements are authoritatively made here that you 

 have announced your purpose to withdraw United 

 States forces from the various positions to which 

 they have been assigned in the interest of peace, 

 the public weal of this city and State, so soon as the 

 electoral vote shall have been declared. It is further 

 stated that assurances have been given on the part 

 of Nicholls and his supporters wno, I may state, 

 are identically the same organization, under the name 

 of the White League, that rose in insurrection against 

 the State Government in 1874, and were suppressed 

 by your orders that if the support of United States 



