Brooks-Baxter War
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The Brooks-Baxter War was an 1874 political struggle between factions of the Republican Party in the State of Arkansas that turned into an armed conflict.
The conflict was a complex political affair with shifting allegiances that eventually led to the intervention of President Ulysses S. Grant and resulted in the breakup of the Republican Party in Arkansas for almost 100 years.
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1.1 The Clayton Administration |
Background
The Clayton Administration
After the American Civil War 'Radical Republicans' wrote a new constitution and Powell Clayton was elected Governor. The new constitution gave great power to the executive. In addition the General Assembly, under his control, ceded even more administrative power to Clayton. Clayton tried to build a strong political machine and state and local appointed officials grew in number. Clayton encouraged immigration from the north and appointed many of the newcomers to office. Taxes were raised to pay for increased salaries and a series of bonds, known as the Holford Bonds were sold to raise money. Promissary notes known as scrip was issued in large numbers. County, city, and school districts also went into debt and by the end of Clayton's term the state debt had increased by $10 million and local debt probably exceeded that amount. The state had acquired about $100,000 worth of improvements for this outlay. Many counties had little or nothing to show for the debt they had shouldered.
Factionalism Within the Republican Party
This state of affairs caused a great deal of resentment from native-born Republicans (known as scalawags). Many were upset that state offices had gone to immigrants from the north (known as carpetbaggers) as well as the questionable financial maneuvers of the Clayton government. Tension between the two factions rose until in 1869 two native Republicans, Lt. Governor James M. Johnson and Joseph Brooks, formed the "Liberal Republican Party" and broke with Clayton. Johnson and Brooks appealed to Democrats and pre-war Whigs to join them and offered the vote to all ex-Confederates. In response, Clayton himself stated he was in favor of extending the vote to all qualified white citizens. Johnson unsuccessfully attempted to seize the governorship while Clayton was out of state on business.
The Compromise
Matters came to something of a head when the rumor leaked out that Clayton planned to have his wing of the party make him a United States Senator. In 1870 Clayton lost control of the General Assembly and in 1871 the General Assembly elected Clayton to the United States Senate in order to get him out of the state. Clayton deferred accepting until some way could be arranged to prevent Johnson from replacing him. Clayton attempted to remove Johnson as Lieutenant Governor and the new General Assembly impeached him. The popular outcry was so great that a compromise was reached. Clayton went to the Senate, Johnson to Secretary of State, and Ozra Amander Hadley became governor. The Clayton faction retained control but their situation was precarious.
Election of 1872
In the election of 1872 Joseph Brooks under the "Reform Republicans" ticket, challenged Elisha Baxter of the Clayton faction for the office of Governor. Baxter was chosen by the Claytonists because he was a native Unionist and they hoped to divide the Democratic and scalawag vote by nominating one of their own. The Clayton faction was nicknamed "The Minstrels" and the Brooks faction was named "The Brindletails".
Clayton's political forces controlled the election machinery and influenced the outcome of the election during the ballot counting. Brooks set up their own polling places where they could and also attempted to stuff the ballot box. According to the official count, Baxter defeated Brooks by only 3,000 votes.
When the election results were announced Brooks supporters reacted with accusations of cheating and appealed to Democrats to support Brooks. Sensing internecine warfare brewing, Clayton and Baxter quickly reiterated their support for giving ex-Confederates the vote and offered other lucrative concessions. The Democrats took "the bird in the hand" and withdrew support for Brooks. Elisha Baxter became the Governor of Arkansas beholden to the Democrats and their supporters.
Baxter and Brooks Switch Positions
'Radical Republican' patronage holders quickly soured on Baxter due to the concessions made to the Democrats and their own eroding political position. They met with Brooks and switched their support to him with the plan to oust Baxter and install Brooks in the governor's office.
The Crisis
Brooks Seizes the Governorship and Removes Baxter
Brooks' new supporters appealed to the friendly Pulaski County Circuit Court on 15 April 1874 and obtained a ruling that Brooks had actually won the 1872 election. Brooks was immediately sworn into office and with the aid of General Robert F. Catterson and state militia marched to the Statehouse and physically forced Baxter out of the Governor's Office. Brooks' men seized the state arsenal and began turning the Statehouse into an armed camp complete with a cannon. Brooks called on President Ulysses S. Grant and Clayton in Washington for support and received assurances from them. Most Republican patronage holders immediately dropped their support for Baxter and rallied behind Brooks. Federal troops were stationed around the Statehouse to keep the two factions apart.
Democrats Respond
Democrats called out their supporters and over 2,000 armed Baxter loyalists came to Little Rock. Approximately 1,000 armed Brooks supporters joined Brooks at the Statehouse. Many of the militia on both sides were African-Americans and some were led by former Confederate officers.
Skirmishes took place between the factions but both sides were hesitant to do anything that would bring the Federal troops into the fray. Total casualties on both sides numbered around 200.
The situation escalated when the steamboat Hallie, carrying Baxter supporters to the capital, was fired on and seized northwest of Little Rock on the Arkansas River by Brooks supporters.
The crisis in Little Rock began to attract intense coverage in the national press and pressure was growing in Washington for a solution.
Brooks versus U.S. Grant
Both Brooks and Baxter were scrambling for support in Washington. Baxter proposed that the General Assembly, which his supporters controlled determine the outcome. Brooks demanded that the Arkansas Supreme Court, which he controlled make the decision. The logjam was broken when Baxter offered to disarm his supporters if Brooks would do likewise. Brooks angrily refused and accused Grant of encouraging the conflict.
Brooks' intemperate remarks and intransigence angered Grant and Republicans in Washington who were seeking a way out of the unseemly intra-party squabble. On 15 May Grant announced that he recognized Baxter as the legitimate Governor of Arkansas and ordered Brooks and his supporters to disperse. Faced with Federal troops, Brooks abandoned the Statehouse and Baxter took control of the State once again. To lessen the sting of Baxter being governor, Grant appointed Brooks as Postmaster of Little Rock.
Lasting Effects
Within 15 days Baxter had replaced those who had thrown their support to Brooks and state offices were filled with Democrats and Baxter Republicans. In the election of 1875, with ex-Confederates once again voting, the Democrats took control of the state for the first time since the end of the Civil War.
In Washington, Clayton continued unsuccessfully for awhile in an effort to revive the remnants of the 'Radical Republican' machine that he had created. But no Republican would be elected to the governorship again in Arkansas until Winthrop Rockefeller in 1967.
Due to the huge debts ran up during Reconstruction, the new State Constitution written by Democrats returning to power forbids to this day a deficit in the state budget.