New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-12-01

In this parish (Jeferson), on the day Of
election, one of the Commissioners reports
''that three Of. four gangs numbering some
two hundred men each, went 10 Kenner-
vile on cars or special trains provided by
the jackson Railroad. They were appa-
rently organized bodies and all armed"
These rowdies demanded that the returns
should be made cut in their presence, ''and
even went so far as 10 enter the private
apartments Of the Commissioners and with
drawn revolVers and every conceivable
kind of weapon forced the Commissioners
to make the returns at ence," sand owing
to threats and intimidations the tickets
were forced to be thrown under the table
and destroyed against their will.
In the parish Of St. Bernard, such was
the state of things, that two of the regis
trars had to take to the swamp for safety,
and wait for the excitement to abate. One
of the registrars came to this city and has
not been heard of up to the present time.
No Commissioners of Election were legally
appointed, and no legal election was held
in the parish, SO the registrars report to this
office.
In the parish of Washington, the regis
trars had to go armed night and day, and
were frequently threatened and insulted
colored men were beaten and obliged
either to vote as directed, or not at all.
So outrageous were these acts Of violence,
so far was itfrom being fair election, that
the registrars refused to certify to the re-
turns regarding the election in this par
ish as carried by the knife and revolver
The registrars for the parish of Plaque
mines report that legal voters were refused
the right OF voting-other were permitted
to vote on old registration P rs, some
who were not residents of the Parish, were
allowed to vote, while NAM, from the
murders in the city of New orleans, and
the adjoining parish of st. Bernard, were
SO intimidated that they were afraid to
vote. In one precinct an election was held
by unauthorized parties, and should Eot be
at all, under any circumstances.
But for these influences, the registrars re-
port that the Republican ticket would have
had 600 more votes in the parish.
The parish of st. Mary, and what has
TRANSFERRED there during the time the Board
Of Registration has been in existence, is too
we'll known for any one to contend for a
that anything like a fair election
has been held in the parish. have no
other comments to make. merely sub
NIT copy ola report by the registrars of
the parish:
NEW ORLEANS, November 6, 1868.
William Baker. Esq, Chairman Board of Registra-
SR-The undersigned, Supervisors of
for the parish Of St. Mary,
would respectfully represent that the re-
turns of the election from said parish have
been duly sent in. But under the existing
we have seen proper to make
this further statement:
The chairman of this Board, resident OF
the said parish of st. Mary, was compelled
by threats to leave the upper end of the
parish. and other members of the Board
were driven out of Franklin several days
before the election; such an amount Of vio-
lence and intimidation was used before the
election and on the day of election, that we
are satisfied that the election in the parish
was not an expression of the will Of the
people, and we believe the returns from all
the precincts except Brashear and Patter-
sonville should not be counted. a.1et
Not fully knowing our powers under
these peculiar circumstances, we have
signed and sent in the returns accompa-
MED with this further statement of the
facts. Very respectfully,
(Signed by the Supervisors Of Registra-
ton of the parish of st. Mary.) f
In the parish of East Baton Rouge the
attending the registration
and election, although not accompanied by
the same amount of violence as is found in
many other parishes, yet the facts show
clearly enough that no election such as is
by law, was held.
The parish being a populous one, two
sets of Supervisors were appointed so that
al duly qualified might have an opportu-
nifty to register in the short time allowed by
aw. One Board was to be located in the
city of Baton Rouge; the other was to
move from point to point in the parish.
When the moving Board came to Manchac
they found it impossible to get accommo-
dadon of any kind; they were unable to
hire any place for an office; no one would
supply them board or lodging They pro-
posed to erect temporary shed for regis
tering in. Colored men and others were
forbidden to work for them. So after trav-
cling day and night they had NO other al
tentative but to return to Baton Rouge,
where they announced they would be ready
to register all who came and were quail
fed. --5.--.---.-------,--.---S-..-
BY this time large number of colored
men were in the city of Baton Rouge wait
ing to be registered, but had up to that
time been unable, in consequence of the in
reference Of the Mayor, Sheriff ard others,
who insisted the Registrars should only
register one c0lored man for every white
man registered As there are about five
colored men for every three white, men in
the parish, this course would necessarily
have prevented two-ffths OF the colored
men from registering. The presence of
the second board in the city Of Baton
Rouge gave the opportunity for these men
to register. At this moment Messrs. Fuqua,
and others obtained from the
Perish Judge; a writ of injunction prohib-
ting the second board from proceeding
any further. in the work OF registration Ia
the paTiah Of East Baton Rouge, thus prac-
ticaliy closing the registration Office seven
days sooner than provided for by law,
thereby preventing, it Is believed, about
twelve hundred colored men from register
ing, By a base use Of the law and the pros
Tuition of Justice, TO serve the purposes Of
those who are legally disfranchised.
With respect to the election In East Ba-
ton Rouge, the protest Of four Of the Su-
peFvisors Of Registration Is the best evil
denee in what light it Is to be viewed. The
original protest IS attached to this commu-
nication. SO that yoRr ExcelIency may see
for yourself. a.
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PAkiSH or HASH HNruN RotjtsF LOUISIANA