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

cOlOreQ men registered, anu Lnere are Gel
tainly not less than six thousand white Re
: publicans." Hence, it appears why the De
+ mecracy became SO exited; hence the ne
: cessity for breaking down the Republican
majority which stared them in tn
face. Colored men were coaxed
petted and feted, paid to march in Demo
cratic professions still the colored mel
"did not see it, All else failing, they mus
be intimidated-kept away from the polls
The first step in this work was to shoe
down few colored policemen, and to insis
that this community could not consent Il
be governed by niggers." AL the whit,
policemen on the force that could be infu
enced were made to resign, SO that thu
Democratic thugs and hirelings might have
free scope for their murderous work. So
much accomplished, the rest was easy. Col.
ored professions were fred into. Colored
Republican club rooms were broken into,
and flags, banners and furniture destroyed.
'The houses of colored men were entered
at night by men in disguise, and with pis-
tolls at their heads, and threats of instant
death if they resisted, they were robbed of
their registration papers," There is not
ward in the city in which threats of VIC
lence have not been made to the Registrars
in the performance of their duties" MANY
Of them, for some time prior to the election,
were afraid to sleep in their own houses at
night" "One of the newspapers called upon
the people to hang the Registrars to the
nearest lamp post
We notice one thing the Board of Regis
tration omitted to mention. That at the
time when the police were all Withdrawn
from the public streets, and the city
abandoned to bands of armed men who,
under the pretense of keeping the peace,
shot down peaceable, unofeDding col
ored men; that at that time so great was
the alarm throughout the city, that the
Registrars of most of the wards closed
their offices for day or two for fear of per-
sonal violence. These are grave facts, and
in the recent count of the votes, had no
other reason existed, would have constitu-
ted good grounds for throwing out the vote
of this city.
Republicans could not be found who |
were willing to incur the risk of serving
as Commissioners of Election" thereby
leaving the management of the election in
the hands of the Democracy 1t is seldom
that men succeed who go out Of their line
Of business into another to which they are |
strangers. But General Rousseau has been
eminently successful, if we believe
the report published by the Herald.
He is reported to have prophesied that "the
election would be either a farce or
Unfortunately his prediction
was too true. In strict conformity with
theatrical usage, both pieces were present
ed for the public entertainment-the
preceding the "farce"
The story of New Orleans is the story of
many of the parishes of the State. St.Mar-
hin, st. Mary, Lafourche, Bossier, jefferson,
St. Bernard, st, Landry. In seven parishes
Of this State not single Republican vote
was cast. In six parishes only one Re
publican vote in each was cast, In twenty-I
Two parishes of this State only 54l Republi-
can votes were cast. /
From all these facts one thing is appa-
rent, no legal election ioas held IN this State.
The election was not free one. Under
all the circumstances, Congress with these
facts before it will hardly count the vote Of |
the State in the Presidential contest. To |
Justify the counting of the vote it must be
clearly shown that it was an election such
as Is contemplated in laW--one. where every
man qualified to vote can do so without
fear Of consequences. Not an election
where men wEo BY law enjoy the privilege
Of the ballot are compelled to vote an |
open ticket, or not vote at all, as was gener-
ally the case in the late election.
Buff Congress has any doubts as to the
character ofthe election, let il appoint a
committee and send down here to ascertain
the facts for themselves. The large sacri-
fee # life, the terror and Intimidation
throughout the State, win fully justify the
laying of all these facts before Tie country.
In conclusion,we bespeak q careful reading
Of the report Of the Board Of Registration. |
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