The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1869-09-15
Contested Elections Of Members Of Congress

From the New Orleans Picayune.
Through the skill and stratagem of the New Orleans
correspondent of the New York Herald are put il
possession of portion of the evidence taken by th
Congressional Committee in this city the past summer
The Knights of the White Camelia take the most prom
inent position; they the most formidable foes t
Radicalism. copy, or imperfect pr bogus copy, o
the ritual Of the order laid before the Committee
Candidates for admission were required to declare:
1t were to violate this oath now consent tt
become an object of scorn to all men, and acknowl
edge to have deserved the just hatred and revenge
all members of this association.
This was the preliminary oath. Then followed thes
most pertinent questions
Are you free?
Do you belong to the white or Caucasian races
Does your wife aso If you are married, and if sh
be dead did she belong to the white Caucasian
race
Do you promise to marry no woman but one VIII
belongs to the white or Caucasian race?
Do you believe in the supremacy of your race?
Will you promise never to vote for any one for an
office of honor profit who does not belong to you
, race? zslzz 7$:@
Are you opposed to allowing the control Of politi
cal affairs in this country to go in whole or part int
the hands of the negro African race, and will yo,
do everything in your power to prevent this?
No question to the candidate that he would no
vote for Radical, and far there is evidence tina
Good Radicals might well be admitted, as there
slight misunderstanding between the Governor and tht
Lieutenant Governor and the organ Of the latter il
violent opposition to the former.
Then follows more terrible oath, the substance o.
which is to protect and defend persons of the white
or Caucasian race in their lives and property against
the encroachmens of persons Of inferior race" Sc
far perceive no hostility to the Radicals, unless
they under the denomination of inferior race
The committee claim that they have discovered the
founder of the organisation in the person Of Mr. Alc
blades Leblanc, of Louisiana, but the head com
mo aofin no nnof0 ifU nf Tho nnr
ttee will report that nearly half the white popula
ton are members and will contend that the Camelias
took charge of the polls on the election day and ex
cluded thirty thousand negro votes or intimidated
them. The minority report will hold that the organ
isation was absurd one mpracticable and ill-ad
yised, and that is was soon dsbanded from the dis
gust Of many who left it. ssg.. -,
With great industry the carpetbaggers and scala.
wags succeeded in obtaining few witnesses, who tes
tilted to some acts of violence, but Of position
responsibility who well known, far as we
find the names reported. But the evidence Of some
of the darkies was quite amusing. We give sample
taken from the report of the Heralds correspondent
Mr.. Mumford Mccoy {black), recently raised to high
rank by Gov. Warmoth, did not know exactly what
the United States Senate was but thought that it ran
on the same ticket as Gen. Grant.
Mr. Michael Sweet (back) was sure the colored peo'
pie wanted to vote Republican. Had forgotten who
the Republican candidate for President was, but he
was some big man.
Mr. Merritt Gardiner (black) wanted to vote for
Grant, because he had heard of him very brave
and solemn man."
Mr. George Washington (black), Justice of the
Peace of Sabine parish believed Ku Kux to be the
ghosts of rebel soldiers; knew man who had been
requested By of them to hold his head while be
fixed his backbone" and had heard of another OF
them drinking three buckets of water in succession
and then complaining of thirst.
Mr. Lewis Taylor (black), Returning Officer of Ra.
pides could neither read or write, but ingeniousy
avoided detection by wearing bis right arm in sling
and getting bystanders to sign his papers Mr. Robt
Ray, colored officer of police, grew eloquent over
the injustice of colored clubs being "ramshacked." "
"What do you mean by being ramshacked?'" p" in
ouired the committee g / mean they fled like sheep,
replied the Witness happily unconscious of the bon mot
Humorous incidents seem frequently to have varied
the monotony Of the investigation. Sheriff Joseph r
Dick {popularly known as "Injuncton Dick y pro
nounced himself to be Union man, consistent and
unconditional as all my brothers were, and had FIVE
all in the same way" None Of them in the rebel
army?" "Oh, yes, sir; four of them" There are a
good many "Union men of Mr.. Dicks stripe in
Louisiana who are not half so candid.
Richard Everett Democratic negro, cross-ex-
amined about the XIV .C.'s:
Odd you ever hear of any colored Democrats
Joining the Knights of the White Camelia?
Al never heard anything about that-what did
you call it2
Q.-Knghts of the White Camelia You know what
the camela is?
A.-No sir.
Odd you ever see flower called the white ca
melia?
Al don't know what that kind Of word is /;
knew giFl ef that name once that is she was Mea.
Q.-But she was black came1a, wasn't she
A-No sir. pretty near white.