New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-09-14

saw Robert a. Hunter among the 1nnlattoes, armed,
and apparently acting as in command.
Then follows the statement of Mr. John A. Myers,
who accompanied the Challenging Committee, and
who corroborates the testimony of the other witness
ses in every essential particular. Mr.. Myers states
that he is Democrat, but that he is " honestly
opposed to all Illegal voting, and to all persons up
holding and encouraging the free negro in the exer
else Of the elective franchise
Now, we ask, what is offered in defense of Mr.. |
Hunter against this direct, positive, overwhelming
mass Of testimony Of his completely with free negro
suffrage? Nothing, absolutely nothing that touches
the issue nvalidates in the slightest degree one
word Of the adavits which prove the origin Of these
men, the facts that they vote and that he encourages
and aids them in voting. Mr.. Hunter publishes
card in the Courier of the Sd inst. in which he does
not deny his operations among them, and urges
nothing in defense thereof except that the court had
failed to convict them Of illegal voting, and that
those who make the charge against him are dirty
scoundrels,' liars puppies and " towards"
These epithets are scattered plentully through his
vulgar card but respectfully suggest that so far
an investigation for the truth is concerned they
not exactly what is required, and as they seldom
taken for evidence before courts of law neither will
they have much weight with the people of Louisiana
in determining this question.
The Alexandria Democrat attempts curious de-
Tense Of Mr.. Hunter, first by showing how and when
these people first brought to the polls casting
the odium Of the fraud upon the old Wing party,
duplicating therein several citizens of Rapdes, now
members Of the American party, and then pub
fishing the indictments against number of the
muattoes for illegal voting, and the result Of their
trial. The Democrat states that in 1888 the Wings
adopted the method of securing the votes of large
numbers of our mountaineering citizens by entering
Congress lands in their names then it tcus for the
first time that the people Of Ien-Dlile Tor portion
Of them at least) roted at elections they uere
made coters by the Hhigs, and roted the IThig
ticket" Well, if they did not vote previous to that
time why did they not They had been settled there
severa, years. and some of them certainly possessed
landed property. The Democrats assertion that
~ nothing was heard then of the charge that they
were negroes and mulattoes,' is unquestionably in,
correct. A gentleman who has examined files of
the papers published in Rapides parish many years
ago. informs us that they contain warm controversies
upon the subject and Mr.. Hunter himself says in his
recent card:
This old and charge dating hack twenty wears and
made then by the opponents of the Democratic party, after
these same people had ceased support the Wing party.
what party first induced the muattoes of Ten-Mile to
invade the privileges of white citizens at the polls
Will the assignment of that responsibility excuse Mr.
Hunter for working zeaously to continue this infa-
outrage upon the rights, not only of his fellow
citizens of Rapdes parish, but of the whole State
Or will his assertion that those who make the charge
against him are lars scoundrels, puppies, towards
ETC., clear his skirts of this foul abomnation, the
n1, ho
with the defunct Wing party?
Behind the failure of the District Court to convict
these negroes Of illegal voting, Mr.. Hunter and his
defenders shelter themselves, even as did that re-
doubtable champion with his colored brethren in arms
behind the barrcades of Ten.Mile on the eventful
day of November, 1856. 1t is their last and only
asylum from the of their felow.citzens, yet
they dare not publish the circumstances attending
the trial of those cases. A Democratic District At
torney charged with the duty of prosecuting those
men, and although abundant testimony could have
been produced it not produced, and the Judge
(Cushman) charged that the personal appearance of
the accused could not be taken evidence the jury
had no alternative but to bring in verdict of &C.
quittal. Hon. W. L. Sanford, citizen of Rapides
and gentleman of high character, who served upon
one of the jures says, in a recent letter:
African origin visi1y branded upon them is shallow
The verdict of not guilty. rendered by the jury,
Jrore would regad as wonderful instance Of easy ere
dulity if any who had seen these TeMe
negroes.
But our readers will better understand the merits
of the decisions Of the courts in those cases, by
perusal of the following article from the pen of a
highly intelligent gentleman of Rapdes. We find it
in the Red River American of the Goth ut. and with
it we dismiss this suhiecttor the present:
attempt dodge effect OF The charge encouraging
and ponong free negro suffrage which has been made
of the leaders Of that party in Rapies
TenMie charging then, with Illegal voting upon which they
acquitted by several honorable and respectable
their and therefore they decided be white
s ne no 0 has e "n wl E s M
secution We left entirely in the dark whether any
had excepting the finding of the Indictment e1npsnnen
m agas the oters and upon e sue cs
the conclusion that the status of these people has been
the tSre Sse Of the Ting an i mas acquired
Now, at all acquainted with the proceedings Of
owever ignorant of the principles of law know
that man is presumed to be isnocen until the
reasonable doubt otherwise the accused is entitled his dis
charge Every knoSs also that an m IL one
these in the prosecutions mentioned does
to his lint their gull, was not eabshtd by proof Of a% the
necessary to constitute the crime with which they
charged.
ry prove st that they time
place charged in the indictments I'd, that their voting e
gal from circnmstanc which would render .wful
acted with full knowledge of the egay pro-
ceeinr. All this necessary conviction, yet
s m m hs be
the jurors who the trial of the that they he jury
the charge Of the judge they were bound 70 acqnit tem
Another juror that the asked the presiding Judge
ushma whether the jury had RICH, decide the question
coOr their observation of upon
their and the judge told them could
the testimony of the witnesses who had testified before
them, and feeling bound from the court they
acquitted the TcnNilers 1t fact we'll known this
munty that only teeAwitnesses called testify
behalf OF the prosecution and they knew nothing of the
procured living in the parish and within reach Of the
OF the who had personal knowledge Of the
Of thee people and could and woul if called have
proved them TO be free negroes. An intelligent community
| draw their differences.
Now how does happen that these people, whose has
settled by the ntv has become
1niGt'u,i that Of them has called
the urits of the country II they white they good
jurors and should bear their portion of the public bres II
they shoud be excluded from the privileges Of white
The fact is transparent they coIoed Mr.. Hunter knows
it, he has denied it, but only he did admit that
charge Of the judge and acquitted these persons contrary
their opinions in obedience posed duty The
| judges charge.
Nov admit that these verdicts of the
the Miers, and what does lead year
of this family Or they nearly all connected by blood
who reside the borders Of tie parish of Casieu
dicted tried, convicted and punished for Illegal voting
by Democratic jury, pre-. ted by Democratic Judge
apply this the question acquired the force
the thing adjndged that their people
of colOr>0 that the question is decided both if the De
mocrats reasoning be But the is verdicts
the status of these people the tried
and not then unless that question is made and offered
male citizens. If they legal voters not
good citizens, without distinction of party, should unite