New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-09-21
RMS: sls 90 PER ANEUM.

| breastworks
HE furnished corn to the Confederate,
| army
By Mr.. Blackman to Calvin walker:
~ saw men on the breastworks and
talked with them, and saw the wagons COM
Ing from Mr.. Whites house with the corn.
knew they were Government wagons.
was present when they went to his
house for the corn.
II did not see Mr.. White at the time
at the place where they got the corn.
q do not know that Mr.. White was there
at the time.p
This is the evidence to establish the fact
that Mr.. White did all he could in favor of
the Confederscy. Mr.. Buckner, who was o
Quartermaster in the Confederate army, and
who discharged his duties during the entire
war, stated that every single one of those
Notifications around Shreveport were built
by pressed laborers under the command Of
Major General Smith. He further states
that the corn, provisions, and other things
needed by the army were impressed by 1t
when not sold to it, and that most of the
supplies we're impressed during that period,
which is the case, as gentlemen upon this
floor very well know.
zsNoW, sir, notwithstanding it is in evil
dence that there was this strong pressure
brought to bear upon men to compel them to
assist the cause ofthe rebellion whether they
were willing or not; notwithstanding they
were frequently forced to do it, this evi-
|
White ever gave single dollars worth Of
aid or comfort to the enemies of the United
States. The witness (Walker) says that Mr..
White was not present when the corn from
| his crib was taken, and he does not pre-.
| teud to say that he even knew anything
about his hands working on the breast
works. 1t is more than probable under
the testimony that these laborers and this
| corn were impressed.
Another witness George Jones) 'swears;
II was in Shreveport the day New Or
/ leans was captured.
81 have known Mr.. White between fifteen
/ and sixteen years.
| "I know that there was during the war
body of men in Shreveport called Minute
Men.
u saw Reuben White with ribbon on,
and asked what that meant, and was told
that 1T was the badge of the Minute Men.
g IL was understood that these men wear
ing the badge were the Minute Men of
Shreveport.
81 saw him with that badge on during the
time staid there, about three weeks, and
OF and on, in store where his name was or.
:" will not swear that Mr.. White be-
longed TO the Minute Men Company in
Shreveport, but will swear that l was told
that Mr White belonged to that organiza-
tion, and that SD W him wearing the ribOon.
THE ribbon was red, and about as wide
as my little finger; it was pinned on his
coat.
II saw him with his stick in his hand
marching down to the boat with the Shreye
port Guards when they went away
Yet, sir, we have the evideLC Of t-n
other gentlemen who positively ASSERT huta
| on oath that they belonged tc THAI saIN
! company of Minute Men of Shreveport d Il
that Mr.. White never belonged TO such Or
ganizltion; and yet this witness, tJobes)
| with eyes that could see everything swcGr
| that he saw Mr. White with this badge on
aud swears that he wlS told that he b.
| longed To these Minute Men, and that IL was
! understood that the men who wore these
badges were the Minute Men Of Shreveport.
| Ana vet tuesa gentlemen VINO were mem.
hers of that organization swear that MI.
White never Was member of that organ.
" izttlOn. Now if it is upon such testimony
! rs this that this COMMITTEES have made their
> | majority report, must state that there can
be 40 justice or fairness on the part Of that
maiOrty.
Now as to the other part--the second
: resolution in the majority report:
THAT G. G. Antoine be permitted 10 ap-
pear before your committee and establish
his right TO seat in your honorable body
in accordance with his petition and the
petition of ether voters in the Twenty-tirst
Senatorial District that he may receive full
} Justice and relief ia the premises.D
Now. Mr.. President, what is sought TO be
done by this committeeY committee
, composed of Senators of the State
,
question and given it as their opinion that
l MIR. White is ineligible under the amendment
10 the Constitution Of the United States,
after having thus deprived him Of again
appearing berore You rs a Senator. they yet
| at the same time ask that this contestant be
e still further permitted tn appear before them
: | TO pursue his claim on the ground of fraud.
Z | How unjust is this. Having hurled one
T Senator from his seat by ex-parte evidence,
it is then asked under this resolution that
N.l.. I. 4.
pursue his claim i'll the absence of Mr..
White. and in the absence of any of the citi.
zens of CaddO who have sent Mr.. White here
: to represent them-to have, Mr.. Antoine
seated upon this floor whether Mr.. White is
eligible or ineligible, Now, Mr.. President
it Mr.. White is ineligible it is simply the
duty of the Senate to declare the election .
nullity and illegal, and return it to this peo-
pie tor a new election. l hold that every
8 principle ofjustice. oflaw and of equity i'm
peratiyely dictate this course to the Senate
| that if they turn Mr.. White out of the Senate
they say in so many words that the people
OF the parish of Caddo have cast their votes
fer an Ineligible man, and hence the
Z election was void. 1t is certainly not proba-
BILE that Mr.. Whites constituents voted for
him with the knowledge of his ineligibility;
there is not shadow of evidence that they
did not vote for him in the utmost good
faith and in the fullest belief in his eligi-
biltty. And If they did this-in fact, if they
did not vote for him knowing him to be in
eligible-there is certainly no ground of law
or justice that authorizes any other course
than that of declaring the election a nullity
and returning it to the people for their ac-
tion. If Mr.. White is ineligible the Senate
has not the slightest ground to suppose
! that his constituents knew it OF suspicioned
1t when they voted for him, and 1t would
therefore be an act of the grossest injustice
to deprive them of representative in the
Senate because 1t has been discovered that
the man Of their choice was ineligible, and
still much more unjust to fill the place of
that man with man perhaps directly op-
posed to all their interests. f
TO BE CONTINUED.