The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-04-14

ms coLoRED CONSERVATIVES BEATES AND
SHOT.
Day before yesterday serious and shameful
riot occurred in the Parish Of St. Bernard. The
facts We shall give were obtained from an eye
witness. and may be relied upon as substantially
correct. We premise by saying more unpro-
voked and wanton attack upon the rights and
liberties of the people was never before made in
this country. ~ So
For more than s week previous, notice had been
given of picnic and barbecue, to take place at
Mr.. Marrero's plantation, seventeen miles below
the city. and which was to close canvassing
tour of the parish by Measrs. A. W. Walker and
Anthony sambola, the frat Democratic candidate
for Congress in the first congressional district. and
the second Democratic presidential elector in the
same district. The object of the meeting was to
promote amify and good feeling between the
white and black populations, and many gentlemen
from the city were invited to be present.
In the meantime the warmoth party devised q
plan to break up the picnic. With that object In
view they called political meeting to be held at
the court house, two miles this side Of Marrero
plantation. At their meeting they stationed
picket guards along the road, armed With muskefs
and shot-guns. who stopped all the colored men
on their way to the pic-nic and in some instances
even white citizens, whom they threatened with
violence. They forcibiy dragged one colored man
from the carriage of white gentleman, and by
threats and actual violence compelled all colored
men to join their political meeting. Some of these
colored men, however, succeeded in breaking
through their lines and went on to the picnic.
q In the meantime everything at the pic nic-was
passing off with the utmost harmony and good
feeling. White and black men, all seemed to en-
Joy the occasion, and whilst the repast was being
prepared and arranged, Col. W. NJ. SmeIlwood
was called uponto address the meeting, and did so
in most appropriate manner, urging the white
people to cultivate and encourage the most ami
able feelings towards the blacks, and the blacks
to act in the same spirit towards the whites. 1t
was the common interest, he argued, of white aud
black, that we should all be friends, and labor to
promote the happiness and prosperity Of each
other; and the man who sought to ALLEVIATE the
feelings of the two races was the enemy Of both.
Let the black man stand by the white man, he ad-
ded, and the white man would then stand by him !;
but if he attempted to compass the ruin of the
white race, as many bad men had urged him to do
that course would only end In his own ruin and be
fatal to the peace of the country. The speech
was well adapted to the time and the occasion,
and was received with hearty applause and salts
faction by everybody present.
| After Col. Smallwood had concluded, Dr.
Knapp was called upon and proceeded to address
the people in very much the same strain; but in
| the midst of his address drums were heard down
the road in the direction of the warmoth meeting.
In the distance could be distinctly seen the sp-
| preaching column with flags flying. On it came,
ard at the head of II was II. G. Warmoth, the
radical candidate for governor, accompanied by
Col. ]. H. Sypher, radical candidate for Congress,
| DR.. southwerth, of the Republican newspaper,
! Gen. A. L. Lee, Msjor Copeland, radical candi-
| date for State Senate, and Mr.. John Pardee and
| Thomas Ong. In passing, these individuals made
| a slight halt and rose up to look into the inclo-
sure where the conservative picnic was being
| held. They then moved on, and Immediately
after them came their black followers marching
in column like soldiers, and all more or less well
armed. some with double-barreled shotguns,
some with muskets, and the balance with clubs
and pistols. Warmoth established himself at
Ong's residence, half mile below, whilst the
rioters proceeded TO execute the programme that
had evidently been prearranged for them.
In the meantime couriers were constantly pass
ing between those headquarters and the negro
rioters. After Warmoth had reached Ong's
place, all the hands there were marshaIled and
pushed forward as reinforcement to the rioters.
As soon as the black column came opposite the
picnic party they commenced firing their guns
and shouting and yelling like sayages. With loud
imprecations they declared their intention to muir
der certain conservatives, particularly iGrisl
Robinson, colored conservative orator; and
they sought every opportunity to do SO, and
would no doubt have accomplished their purpose
towards him had he not been hurried of into the
woods for security. The rioters continued to
move up and down the road, occasionally firing
their guns, and endeavoring to get at the conser
yative colored men. As was to be expected
\ when the rioters thus presented themselves, thu
conservatives kept themselves within the 10
closure, bat several colored linen were dragged
| into the road and terribly beaten. Two Of then
| we're wounded by gun-shot-one severely, per
haps MORALLY. Mr.. Manuel Mesa, white man
received shot through his hat. The colored maj
who was SO severely wounded had previous
been very badly beaten with a club, and at tn
time he was shot was being taken home by hi
friends. The radicals jumped up into the WACO
in which ne was lying W suoot hiuis onu uiu shoo
him as be lay in the bottom of the wagon. "A
The rioting was kept up for more than tw
hours, and but for the courageous efforts Of th
conservative white men, wonld have proved
most bloody affair. 1t is fact that should nc
escape remark, that the white radicals did nc
make the least effort to quell the disturbance
, although fully cognizant of all that was takn
place. The first gun shot occurred in the hearin
of warmoth, as it is impossible that he coul
have gotten more than two or three hundre
yards on his way to Ong's before it occurre
Besides, couriers were seen going to and retur
ing from his headquarters during the riot. Oh
of our contemporaries says that the interv
! between the time that Warmo'h passed and Il
{ arrival Of the regular column was about ffte'
q minutes. We are assured by number of &c
: tlemen who were present that the interval
: not exceed two or three minutes, aud that wh'
. wsrmoth passed, his followers were not mo
than two hundred yards behind him. 1t is q
belief of every white man present at the pic-n
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