Whereas, it is required that whenever it may be necessary, in the judgment of the President, to use the military force for the purpose aforesaid, he shall forthwith, by proclamation, command such insurgents to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective homes within a limited time: Now, therefore, I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, do hereby make proclamation and command said turbulent and disorderly persons to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective abodes within twenty days from this date, and hereafter to submit themselves to the laws and constituted authorities of said State; and I invoke the aid and cooperation of all good citizens thereof to uphold law and preserve the public peace. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this 22d day of May, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and seventy-three and of the Independence of the United States the ninety-seventh. [SEAL.] By the President: J. C. BANCROFT DAVIS, The August 28, 1874. Acting Secretary of State. U. S. GRANT. This tended to relieve the situation of one of its most embarrassing features, inasmuch as McEnery, with whose cause the large portion of the white community were in sympathy, published an address counseling the people to abstain from futile resistance to the General Government and await the action of Congress. This advice was generally complied with in New Orleans, but the disorders in the river parishes continued with scarcely an abatement. In August, 1874, the the village of Coushatta, in Red River Parish, became Coushatta tragedy, the scene of a tragedy that rivaled the deeds of 1866. Amid the conflicting accounts that were elicited by various investigating committees it is difficult to arrive at the truth; but it seems to be agreed that on the 28th of August a body of white men, armed and mounted, assembled at the town of Coushatta for the purpose of compelling the officers of that parish to resign. The sheriff assembled a posse of whites and blacks to resist them. This posse of 65 men were attacked by a largely superior force and overpowered, some eight or ten on both sides being killed in the affray, and surrendered on the condition that their lives would be spared. The following day the objectionable officials (Twitchell, tax collector and postmaster; Dewees, supervisor De Soto Parish; Holland, supervisor Red River Parish; Howell, parish attorney; Edgerton, sheriff, and Willis, justice of the peace, all white men) were bound together, two and two, and conducted by an armed guard to a plantation just over the parish line, where they were set upon, thus bound and unarmed, and deliberately murdered. Their bodies were buried where they fell." The prominence given this outrage by the press was the signal for another reign of terror in Louisiana. a Proclamation of Governor Kellogg, September 3, 1874; report of Capt. A. W. Allyn, Sixteenth Infantry, to General Emory, dated Colfax, La., September 3, 1874. (Senate Ex. Doc., No. 13, Forty-Third Congress, second session, p. 17.) On Monday, September 14, at about 11 a. m., a mass meeting of 5,000 to 10,000 people was held at the Clay statue in Canal street, New Orleans, for the avowed purpose of overturning the existing State Riots at New Orleans, September 14, 1874. government, and deposing Governor Kellogg and the other State officers under him. Resolutions to that effect were adopted and a committee was appointed to wait upon the governor to demand his immediate abdication. This being refused, the result was reported to the Canal street meeting, which at once recognized John McEnery, who had been the unsuccesful candidate for governor in 1872, as the rightful governor, and D. B. Penn as lieutenant-governor. McEnery being absent from the State, Penn at once assumed the position of acting governor and circulated a proclamation-which had been prepared some days earlier-calling upon the militia of the State to assemble forthwith, "for the purpose of driving the usurpers from power." At the same time F. N. Ogden was appointed to the head of the militia, with orders to at once assume command and organize companies and battalions. To the People of Louisiana: For two years you have borne with patience and fortitude a great wrong. Through fraud and violence the government of your choice has been overthrown and its power usurped. Protest after protest, appeal after appeal to the President of the United States and to Congress have failed to give you the relief you had a right, under the Constitution, to demand. The wrong has not been repaired. On the contrary, through the instrumentality of partisan judges, you are debarred from all legal remedy. Day by day taxation has been increasing, with costs and penalties amounting to the confiscation of your property, your substance squandered, your credit ruined, resulting in the failure and bankruptcy of your valued institutions. The right of suffrage is virtually taken from you by the enactment of skilfully devised registration and election laws. The judicial branch of your government has been stricken down by the conversion of the legal posse comitatus of the sheriff to the use of the usurper, for the purpose of defeating the decrees of the courts, his defiance of the law leading him to use the very force for the arrest of the sheriff, while engaged in the execution of a process of the court. To these may be added a corrupt and vicious legislature, making laws in violation of the constitution for the purpose of guarding and perpetuating their usurped authority; a Metropolitan police, paid by the city, under the control of the usurper, quartered upon you to overawe and keep you in subjection. Every public right has been denied and, as if to goad you to desperation, private arms are seized and individuals arrested. To such extremities are you drawn that manhood revolts at any further submission. Constrained from a sense of duty as the legally elected lieutenant-governor of the State, acting governor in the absence of Governor McEnery, I do hereby issue this, my proclamation, calling upon the militia of the State, embracing all males between the ages of 18 and 45 years, without regard to color or previous condition, to arm and assemble under their respective officers for the purpose of driving the usurpers from power. Given under my hand and seal, this 14th day c September, 1874. D. B. PENN, Lieutenant-Governor. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, STATE OF LOUISIANA. Before 3 o'clock from 2,000 to 3,000 armed men had assembled in response to Penn's order at the appointed rendezvous in Poydras street, where a strong position was taken and barricades erected. A half hour later a force of armed Metropolitan police numbering some 500 under Gen. James Longstreet, who was commander of the militia under Governor Kellogg, and General Badger, chief of police, moved down Canal street with several pieces of artillery. The opposing forces met about 4 o'clock and a severe engagement ensued, both parties opening fire without hesitation. In this affray 32 men were killed and 48 severely wounded, some of whom subsequently died. Armed men continued to come into New Orleans in response to the call until nearly 10,000 had assembled, so that by nightfall they had entire possession of the city. This coup d'état having been effected, Penn sent the following dispatch to Washington: To U. S. GRANT, President of the United States: NEW ORLEANS, September 14, 1874. Hopeless of all other relief, the people of this State have taken up arms to maintain the legal authority of the persons elected by them to the government of the State against the usurpers, who have heaped upon them innumerable insults, burdens, and wrong. In so doing they are supported by the great body of the intelligent and honest people of the State. They declare their unswerving loyalty and respect for the United States Government and its officers. They war only against the usurpers, plunderers, and enemies of the people. They affirm their entire ability to maintain peace and protect the life, liberty, and equal rights of all classes of citizens. The property and officials of the United States it shall be our special aim to defend against all assaults and to treat with the profoundest respect and loyalty. We only ask of you to withhold any aid or protection from our enemies and the enemies of Republican rights, and of the peace and liberties of the people. D. B. PENN, Lieutenant-Governor and Acting Governor. At this time, by a combination of circumstances, there were no United States troops in or near the city. The demand for troops in the Red River parishes and at Coushatta had drawn from all disposable sources, so that detachments were posted at Baton Rouge, Monroe, Pineville, Shreveport, Colfax, Greenville, and a few other minor points, leaving but a small guard of perhaps 16 men at Jackson Barracks. Meanwhile the unexpected appearance of the yellow fever along the Gulf had necessitated the precautionary measure of withdrawing such of the troops as were unacclimated to the interior, so that at the time which the conspirators had no doubt purposely fixed upon as the date for the culmination of their plans the headquarters of the department and all the troops from New Orleans and the river forts not otherwise employed were encamped at Holly Springs, Miss., some 350 miles distant, while the department commander, General Emory, had availed himself of the opportunity to visit his home in the North. The repulse of the State police and the increasing accessions to the Penn forces rendered it impracticable for Governor Kellog to continue the contest. He accordingly called upon the President for help: TO PRESIDENT GRANT, Washington: NEW ORLEANS, September 14, 1874. Under Article IV, section 4, of the Constitution of the United States, I have the honor to inform you that the State is now subject to domestic violence of a character that the State forces, under existing circumstances, are unable to suppress, and the legislature not being in session and not being able to be convened within the requisite time to take action in this matter, I respectfully make requisition upon you to take measures to put down the domestic violence and insurrection now prevailing. WM. P. KELLOGG, Governor of Louisiana. A small detachment of infantry had arrived from Jackson, Miss., during the afternoon in response to a request from the United States marshal, to guard the custom-house, and as soon as intelligence of the affair had reached Holly Springs four companies had been hurried to the scene from that point. These arrived about 5 o'clock, by which time General Longstreet had retired to the statehouse, where he awaited the attack which was momentarily expected. The coming of the troops, however, prevented further hostilities, although the Penn forces took possession during the night of all the State and city property, the arsenal, armory, police, and telegraph stations, and occupied in force the streets surrounding the statehouse. The next morning the entire force of metropolitan police being entirely surrounded, laid down their arms and surrendered the statehouse and all its contents to the insurgents. This having been communicated to the President, he issued the following proclamation: BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A PROCLAMATION. Whereas, it has been satisfactorily represented to me that turbulent and disorderly persons have combined together with force and arms to overthrow the State government of Louisiana, and to resist the laws and constituted authorities of said State; and Whereas, it is provided in the Constitution of the United States that the United States shall protect every State in this Union, on application of the legislature, or of the executive, when the legislature can not be convened, against domestic violence; and Whereas, it is provided in the laws of the United States that, in all cases of insurrection in any State or of obstruction to the laws thereof, it shall be lawful for the President of the United States, on application of the legislature of such State, or of the executive when the legislature can not be convened, to call forth the militia of any other State or States, or to employ such part of the land and naval forces as shall be judged necessary for the purpose of suppressing such insurrection or causing the laws to be duly executed; and Whereas, the legislature of said State is not now in session and can not be convened in time to meet the present emergency, and the executive of said State, under sec tion 4 of Article IV of the Constitution of the United States and the laws passed in pursuance thereof, has therefore made application to me for such part of the military force of the United States as may be necessary and adequate to protect said State and the citizens thereof against domestic violence and to enforce the due execution of the laws; and Whereas, it is required that whenever it may be necessary, in the judgment of the President, to use the military force for the purpose aforesaid, he shall forthwith by proclamation command such insurgents to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective homes within a limited time: Now, therefore, I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, do hereby make proclamation and command said turbulent and disorderly persons to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective abodes within five days from this date and hereafter to submit themselves to the laws and constituted authorities of said State; and I invoke the aid and cooperation of all good citizens thereof to uphold law and preserve the public peace. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the city of Washington, this 15th day of September, in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and seventy-four, and of the Independence of the United States the ninety-ninth. [SEAL.] By the President: HAMILTON FISH, Secretary of State. U. S. GRANT. To give force and effect to this proclamation a sufficient force of troops were at once assembled at New Orleans, so that by the expiration of the five days nearly two regiments of infantry and artillery were on the ground and a third was en route from Detroit and other posts on the Great Lakes. Upon his arrival at New Orleans General Emory at once demanded the surrender of all the State property and the immediate disbanding of the insurgent forces. By this time Penn had turned over his functions to Mr. McEnery, who had returned to the city, and the latter, more discreet than his subordinate, complied without other than a formal protest. General Emory then issued orders appointing Lieut. Col. John R. Brooke, Third Infantry, "to command the city of New Orleans until such time as the State and city governments can be recognised; to take possession of the arms and other State property, and to occupy the statehouse, arsenal, and other State buildings until further orders." This order resulted in the following correspondence: Gen. W. H. EMORY, New Orleans: WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, I am directed by the President to say that your acts to this date, so far as they have been reported and received here officially, are approved, except so far as they name Colonel Brooke to command the city of New Orleans. It would have been better to have named him commander of the United States forces in that city. The State government existing at the time of the beginning of the present insurrectionary |