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

months prior to the election an armed
band Of men, under the guise of vigilance
| patrol, took charge of the town of Abbe-
| vile and its environs, threatening every
| one who was not prepared to express
DeBRocratic sentiments. The Registrars
life has been more than once threatened
messages sent to him to shut up his Re
| publican mouth or hole would be bored
In him. mo one would dare vote the Re-
publican ticket The club room was
guarded so as to keep Republicans from
meeting. Considering the above facts, and
many others not mentioned, l, as Super
visor of Registration, do not and can not
consider the election of the third instant
as fair and honest expression of the will
and wishes Of the people; that 1t Is not
only unfair, but that it was conducted in
its incipient canvass by the force Of Demo-
cratic powder and lead. therefore enter
this my solemn protest against any Demo-
cratic majority that may be claimed"
The Registrars Of the parish of st. Ian
| dry report that for nearly two months be-
| fore the election state of anarchy existed
| in the parish, and that over two hundred
colored men were murdered during that
time. Of the election, they say such was
the state of things at that time that no one
would have dared vote any but the Demo-
cratic ticket, except at the risk of his life.
In the parish of st. Martin the Regis
trars report that 1.-The registration itself was
not free, for armed bands of men pre-
vented colored men from going to register;
several of their leaders were killed." The
chairman reports that he knows nothing
about the returns as they were not made
to him. Other persons took possession OF
the returns from the Commissioners of Elec-
ton, and be was not allowed to see or COM
pile them as required by law.
From the parish Of Lafayette there does
not appear to have been any interference
with registration, but armed bands Of men
patrolled the parish and inundated and
prevented Republicans from voting.
The parish of St. Tammany is no excep-
ton to the other parishes where intimida-
ton has been resorted to. The report OF
the supervisors shows conclusively that cit
liens in that parish no longer enjoy the
privilege of the ballot. "a week or ten
days before the election the Ku-Klux Khan
rode around parts of the parish and threat
ened and intimidated the voters" 1.-THE
editor of the st, Tammany Vindicator had to
fly from the parish to save his life."
Houses of known Republicans were visited
as a part of the system Of Intimidation and
surveillance. The Democrats announced
THAT no white man should vote any but an
open ticket. Out of l465 registered voters
261 failed to vote. Yet the whit3 and COL
ofed population of the parish are about
equally divided. The Registrars conclude
as follows: ave are satisfied that had there
been no intimidation used, that the Repub
liean majority in the parish would have
been at least two hundred"
From the parish of Catahoula, the report
shows, with a previous registry of at least
twenty-five hundred, for twenty-three hun
bred and seventy (2370) voted. Under the
present registration not one-half of that
number registered, and less than one thou
sand voted. This the Registrar accounts
for by saying: There was such system
of imprecation, abuse, entreaty, espionage
and threats and annoyauces generally, that
very many voted against their convictions,
and many more were deferred from regis
tering at all" "The vote as given is not a
fair expression of the sentiment of the peo-
pie Of this parish at all" "There was no
absolute fraud in receiving or counting
votes"
One thing with reference to the vote in
the parish OF Jefferson forgot to mention.
It is this: ..-t
There are registered in Carrollton, Kenner-
vile. Gretna and the Glassworks,
Precincts 2, 3, and 5..........,... 346l
WHITES: ............''........ lO6l
Colored Observation-Disclosures. 2400- -346l
Democratic vote in the four pre-
ClncJs, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 995
Republican vote in the four pre-
cincts. ,................... 65S
Total number voting. .... 1858
Registered whites not voting. sc
Colored men not voting ......... 1742
Total not voting ......... $50
Thus showing that considerably less than
half of the registered voters, voted.
In the parish of Jackson, the election ap-
pears to have been peaceably conducted,
and all but one hundred of the persons reg
istered voted. Although there are many
well known Republicans in the parish, and
nearly one-half Of the voters are colored,
vet not one Republican vote was cast in
the parish. The returns sent in are made
by the sheriff of the parish, and not by the
registrars as required by law, in spite of
the protest Of the registrars.
I
heard from many Of the parishes, and are
not informed particularly, either as regards
the registration or election. ,..ae
81 1 most respectfully call your Excel
lency's attention to the very small number
of Republican votes cast in all those par
ishes where there has been riots, assaults
and murders, In many Of the parishes where
there has been heretofore Republican ma
jorities; while on the other hand in those
parishes where there has been no distur-
Dances or intimidation of the voters, the
Republicans voted in full strength, and
had the majority their registered number
indicate. haea
The consequences Of, the intimidation
just referred 10, is no where more percept-
ible than in the city of New Orleans.
With more than eighteen thousand (18, 000)
registered oolored voters in this city, and
certainty not less than six thousand white
Republicans, It appears that less than three
handred persons voted the Republican
ticket Why the Republicans did not
vote, is easily explained, by taking glance
at the weekly mortuary report Of the
Secretary to the Beard of Health, which
shows that three white men and ten
colored came by their death, either
by gunshot or other wound, in one week
ID this CITY, during which time such state
| of anarchy or inob-law existed that the
ordinary police authorities were powerless
and the streets at night were patrolled by
bands Of ssif-aPpeiated men, armed With
all kinds Of dangerous weapons, during
which time no oolored man or known Re
! publican dared show themselves on the
streets after dark. MIA
y One other circumstance Is worthy Of no.
tice. and to which also respectfully call
your attention. Il Is this Under the