748 



UNITED STATES. 



and entered on the administration of the Gov- 

 ernment. (For the Inaugural Address, see PUB- 

 LIC DOCUMENTS.) The following comprises the 

 Executive officers : President, Rutherford B. 

 Hayes, of Ohio; Vice- President, William A. 

 Wheeler, of New York ; Secretary of State, 

 William M. Evarts, of New York; Secretary 

 of the Treasury, John Sherman, of Ohio ; Sec- 

 retary of War, George W. McCrary, of Iowa ; 

 Secretary of the Navy, Richard W. Thompson, 

 of Indiana ; Secretary of the Interior, Carl 

 Schurz, of Missouri; Postmaster- General, Da- 

 vid M. Key, of Tennessee; Attorney -General, 

 Charles Devens, of Massachusetts. 



The first important official action of the new 

 Administration, in accord with the inaugural 

 address, tending to produce a settlement of af- 

 fairs in South Carolina, was an invitation to the 

 two rival Governors, Hampton and Chamber- 

 lain, to a conference at Washington. The letter 

 of invitation to Governor Chamberlain was 

 as follows : 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON. D. C., I 

 March 28, 1871 ) 



SIB : I am instructed by the President to bring 

 to your attention his purpose to take into immediate 

 consideration the position of affairs in South Caroli- 

 na, with a view of determining the course which, 

 under the Constitution and laws of the United States, 

 it may be his duty to take in reference to the situa- 

 tion in that State as he finds it upon succeeding to 

 the Presidency. It would give tne President great 

 pleasure to confer with you in person, if you shall 

 iind it convenient to visit Washington, and shall con- 

 cur with him in thinking such a conference the readi- 

 est and best mode of placing your views as to the 

 political situation in your State before him. He would 

 greatly prefer this direct communication of opinion 

 and information to any other method of ascertaining 

 your views upon the present condition and imme- 

 diate prospect of public interests in South Carolina. 

 If reasons of weight with you should discourage this 

 course, the President will be glad to receive any com- 

 munication from you in writing, or through any dele- 

 gate possessing your confidence, that will convey to 

 him your views of the impediments to the peaceful 

 and orderly organization of a single and undisputed 

 State Government in South Carolina, nnd of the best 

 method of removing them. It is the earnest desire 

 of the President to be able to put an end, as speedily 

 as possible, to all appearance of intervention of the 

 military authority of the United States in the politi- 

 cal derangements which aifect the Government and 

 afflict the people of South Carolina. In this desire 

 the President cannot doubt that he truly represents 

 the patriotic feeling of the great body of the people 

 of the United States. It is impossible that protracted 

 disorder in the domestic government of any State 

 can or should ever fail to be a matter of lively interest 

 and solicitude to the people of the whole country. 

 In furtherance of the prompt and safe execution of 

 this general purpose he invites a full communication 

 of your opinions on the whole subject in such one of 

 the proposed forms as may seem to you most useful. 

 By the direction of the President, I have addressed 

 to the Hon. Wade Hampton a duplicate of this letter. 



I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

 W. K. EODGEES, Private Secretary. 

 To the Hon. DANIEL H. CHAMBERLAIN. 



The result was that the Federal troops were 

 soon withdrawn from the State, the Republican 

 officials retired, and the administration of affairs 

 parsed into the hands of Governor Hampton. 



(For the details of these proceedings, see SOUTH 

 CABOLINA.) 



In the case of Louisiana, some delay inter- 

 vened, but on April 20th the following instruc- 

 tions were issued to the Secretary of War : 



EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D. C., ) 

 April 20, 187T. f 



SIR: Prior to entering upon the duties of the Presi- 

 dency there had been stationed by my predecessor, 

 in the immediate vicinity of the building used as a 

 State House in New Orleans, La., and known as 

 Mechanics' Institute, a detachment of United States 

 infantry. Finding them in that place I have thought 

 proper to delay a decision of the question of their re- 

 moval until I could determine whether the condition 

 of affairs is now such as to either require or justify 

 continued military intervention of the National Gov- 

 ernment in the affairs of the State. In my opinion 

 there does not now exist in Louisiana such domestic 

 violence as is contemplated by the Constitution as 

 the ground upon which the military power of the Na- 

 tional Government may be invoked for the defense 

 of the State. The disputes which exist as to the right 

 of certain claimants to the chief executive office of 

 that State are to be settled and determined, not by 

 the Executive of the United States, but by such or- 

 derly and peaceable methods as may be provided for 

 by the constitution and laws of the State. Having 

 the assurance that no resort to violence is contem- 

 plated, but that on the contrary disputes in question 

 are to be settled by peaceful methods, under and in 

 accordance with law, 1 deem it proper to take action 

 in accordance with the principles announced when I 

 entered upon the duties of the Presidency. You are, 

 therefore, directed to see that proper orders are is- 

 sued for the removal of said troops at an early date 

 from their present position to such regular barracks 

 in the vicinity as may be selected for their occupa- 

 tion. E. B. HAYES. 

 To Hon. GEORGE W. MCCRARY, Secretary of War. 



The Secretary thereupon thus addressed the 

 Commander of the Army : 



WAE DEPABTMENT, WASHINGTON. D. C., \ 

 April 20, 1677. | 



General WILLIAM T. SHERMAN, commanding United 



Statet Army. 



GENERAL: I have the honor to inclose herewith a 

 copy of a communication from the President of the 

 United States, in which he directs that the detach- 

 ment of the United States troops now stationed in the 

 vicinity of the Mechanics' Institute, in the city of 

 New Orleans, La., be withdrawn to such convenient 

 barracks as may be selected for their occupation. 

 You are hereby charged with the execution of this 

 order, and will cause the withdrawal to take place on 

 Tuesday next, the 24th of April, at 12 o'clock me- 

 ridian. 



Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

 GEOKGE W. McCKAKY, Secretary of War. 



The removal of the troops was followed by 

 the complete establishment of the authority of 

 the Democratic Governor. (See LOUISIANA.) 



The course thus pursued with these States 

 by the President caused much dissatisfaction to 

 many of the members of the Republican party, 

 but was warmly approved by the rest of the 

 people. 



An effort was also made by the Administra- 

 tion to effect a reform in the civil service by 

 the appointment to office of persons of the best 

 character and attainments, with less regard to 

 political influence. Public officers were also re- 

 quired to abstain from interference in elections. 

 The following brief letter was also published : 



