The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-01-14
sad State of Affairs I'm Louisiana
The DesOlatIOn Caused by the
Late Wharf.-The Negroes In Pow
er at the BalIOf-Boxes.

! The DesOlatIOn Caused by thu
|, Late Wharf.-The Negroes In Pow
er at the BalI0f-Boxes.
: Correspondence Cincinnati Enquirer.l
| TIcKFAw, La, Dec. 22.-This tow
was once, and now is, regular station
i on the New Orleans, jackson and Grea
Northwestern Railroad, fifty seven mile
from New Orleans, and, during the frs
Ipart of the war. was one of the man,
lsummer resorts sought ky the elite Of th,
city, who were deprived ef their usua
tour to the North. But thels are onl,
traces of what were then fashionable edi
| fees. The houses are new in ashes, ant
the fences once enclosing beautiful flower
gardens and beautifully laid -eut grounds
are broken down ard destroyed, and, in
lstead Of the sweet-scented honey -suckl,
land the time-honored rose, the eye be.
holds . thick underground of pine, com
IpIetely eelipsing the town Ruatil right up
lon it, which consists Of a structure o.
board, about eight feet BY ten, which
Iserves as depot, and about dozen di
Ilapidated houses. The inhabitants CON
sist chiefly of Radical pet lambs, and
perhaps half dozen whites, who are toe
Impoverished TO get away The blacks
seem to have exclusive control of the
Iplace, as will be seen hy their ordering
That s'no white man be seen at the polls
on election day." IF I4~m correctly in
formed there are but eleven white men on
the poll.books at this precinct, and not
one of them SO much IS looked toward
1.-THE polls while election lasted could
lnoR mention several cases which have
come under my personal observation
where these negroes have registered un-
lder ono name and are known under an
other; and two cases know of where
they have entirely forgotten the name an
der rhsck they acese registered. They had
an idea that they were to get paid for vo
/ ting the Republican tieset, and many Of
them loitered about the place for several
ldays expecting theirSpay to arrive. At
Hast, finding they were to receive no re-
compense for their vote, a delegation
waited on the chairman of the Board of
Registration--or rather commissioners of
leleetion-and Indignantly demanded their
tickets back, asserting thatthes had been
lswindled out of their just dues: and they
wanted to get their tickets and give them
to the Convention, and IL s.dem fellahs''
hadn't fooled 'eni they would have given
lthem to the GolScntion i lie drst place.
The commissioners tried plain mat,
tcSs to them, ,saf they an sepame morS
convinced Of their supposed nistreatment,
and threatened if he did not give back
the tickets or pay them, they would take
him to the "Provcst-marshal;" that they
had been fooled enough by adese rebs, y
and this time they were 'goin to hab our
rightsas 'Merican citizens" The upshot
of the affair was they appealed to one
William Butler, a delegate elect to the
Convention, as black and shiny as we'll
polished stovepipe, who informed them
that be would see that they were paid as
soon as the Convention met. I am, how
ever, Of the opinion that he had better
look to his own pay first, which seems to
be about as long finding him as it does
these deluded darkies. Owing 10 this
foolish notion, no doubt given them by
missionaries and exhorters, it is but nat
ural to suppose that they do not bestir
themselves to obtain the necessaries of
life, and are consequently driven to ti6T
point of staryation--therefore are becom-
ing desperate, killing every heg, fowl, &c.,
which they chance to find. In many in
stances even the cattle do notescape their
ferocious appetite. All vegetable gar
dens are visited by these sable visitors
between two days, and everything eatable
taken therefrom. tits useless to remon-
strate, forthey carry guns, and will not
hesitate to use them if molested. A few
days ago, in this vicinity, negro entered
his former masters garden, just at dark,
with gun and basket, and commenced
helping himself to turnips The once
master saw him and started out. just as
be entered the gate, the negro sprang FOR
his gun, and leyeled it saying, "Jest you
come any nearer, you did s-n of b--h,
and I'll blow your d--d head off" There
was, Of course, no alternative but to re-
treat. This is more than any one would
bear from white man, who, upon passing
tsueh remark under those circumstances,
would in all probability be shot down in
his tracks; but negro Gan say this with
] impunity, and if he is caught stealing
he must not be interrupted; it is murder
to FIRE at him. This is no mere opinion
lit is fact. A case of this kind occurred
a few weeks ago in one of the western
counties, where a negro was shot at night
stealing oranges. The watchman who
shot him has been convicted of murder
The law will justify any pHe in shooting
: a white man caught stealing on aDother's
premises; but a negrotlis a privileged
character; his. life is too preeioup to b.
taken by a low white man. We must le
him steal andnthank him for hisatrouble
| think if General Grant would add th,
Contingent expenses, added up in hi
report Of what you, Messrs. Editors
justly call the anegro boarding house,
TO the already large amount expended fol
their sustenance, it wopldgbe of mucl
more profit to the country thanto enplo.
soimany contingencies 10 carrysop al
ELECTORAL farce. as6l yiaas W Z
Dea-A Scotch Highlander, avery heav.
whisky drinker, took the pledge and wilt
ed day BY day thereafter. His physical
!, lordered him an ounce Of whisky per day
J How much an ounce was, Donald did no
know. but his boy consulted the arith